Toss a completely frozen chuck roast in the crock and 4 simple ingredients to pull off a holiday weekend meal so delicious your family will be begging
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Beef (Frozen Chuck Roast)
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 (3 to 4 pound) chuck roast, completely frozen solid
Directions
Place the completely frozen chuck roast in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. It should be rock solid straight from the freezer—no thawing needed.
Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the top of the frozen roast.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce until mostly smooth. Pour this mixture over and around the roast, letting it drip down the sides.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beef is very tender and easily shreds with a fork. Avoid lifting the lid during the first several hours so the heat stays consistent.
Once the roast is tender, use two forks to shred the beef directly in the slow cooker, discarding any large pieces of fat. Stir the shredded beef into the rich gravy that formed from the cooking juices.
Taste the beef and sauce, and add salt and black pepper if needed (the onion soup mix is salty, so you may not need much). Switch the slow cooker to WARM and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors settle, then serve hot with your favorite sides.
Variations & Tips
For a slightly lighter version, swap the cream of mushroom soup for cream of chicken or cream of celery; the texture will be similar, but the flavor changes just enough to feel new. If you like a little kick, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of prepared horseradish or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the soup mixture before pouring it over the roast.
To stretch this meal for a bigger crowd, add 1 to 2 cups of baby carrots and thick-sliced onions around the frozen roast before cooking—no extra seasoning needed. If you prefer a thicker gravy, remove about 1/2 cup of the hot cooking liquid at the end, whisk it with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, then stir it back into the slow cooker and let it simmer on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes.
For make-ahead meal prep, cook the beef a day in advance, chill it in the fridge right in the crock, then reheat on LOW until warmed through; the flavors deepen overnight and it’s one less thing to think about on a busy holiday weekend.
