Balsamic Pot Roast Recipe - Tender and delicious beef roast cooked low and slow in a balsamic sauce. This recipe is one of my favorite easy go-to dinners. It comes together simply in your slow cooker or instant pot.
Serve tasty Balsamic Pot Roast with your favorite side dishes like mashed potatoes and broccoli. This roast would also be super delicious served on toasty rolls as a sandwich. I will link a few of my favorite side dishes that pair perfectly with pot roast for you below.
This recipe serves about four people giving each person a generous portion. If you are cooking for a larger crowd, simply double the recipe.
Ingredients you need to make Balsamic Pot Roast:
Beef Roast - You'll need a one and a half to two pound cut of beef for this recipe. Tri-Tip roast, chuck roast, ribeye roast, London broil, top round roast, all work great.
Balsamic Vinegar - A decent quality balsamic vinegar is recommended for this recipe but you can use whatever you have on hand.
Tomato Sauce - You'll need about one cup or a small eight ounce can of tomato sauce.
Onion - Red, yellow, white or sweet onion can be used. I used red onion.
Garlic - Fresh garlic is highly recommended. If you are in a pinch and don't have fresh garlic, you can substitute for one teaspoon garlic powder.
Worcestershire Sauce - Adds a nice flavor to the sauce. You can substitute this for soy sauce.
Black Pepper - Fresh cracked or ground black pepper.
Thyme - Fresh or dried thyme both work fine.
Broth - Chicken, beef or vegetable broth all work great. I used beef bone broth.
What cut of beef is best for pot roast?
Pot Roast is typically made using a tougher, cheap cut of meat. Cooking the roast low and slow will tenderize the meat and give you a delicious pull-apart end result.
I recommend using chuck roast, round roast, brisket, tri-tip roast, or even a London broil. I would grab whatever is on sale at your local supermarket!
Tools to have on hand for this recipe:
- Slow Cooker – To cook your roast in.
- Cutting Board – To chop and prepare onions.
- Knife – Chop and prepare onions.
- Measuring Spoons and Cups – Properly measure all of your ingredients.
- Small Bowl – Mixing your sauce.
- Whisk – Mixing your sauce.
How to make the best Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast:
Place the beef roast in your slow cooker. Sprinkle onions over and around the roast.
In a small bowl, whisk balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, minced garlic, pepper, and thyme. Pour sauce over roast. Pour the broth around the meat.
Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours for a tender pull-apart result.
When done, thicken the sauce by whisking a tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl with a ½ cup of the sauce from your slow cooker. Pour thickened sauce back into the slow cooker with remaining sauce and meat and stir to combine.
Serve pot roast with balsamic sauce and your favorite side dishes. Enjoy!
How to make Pot Roast in an Instant Pot:
Follow instructions for slow cooker recipe but instead place everything in the instant pot.
Set your instant pot to high pressure for 1 hour. When done, let the instant pot release pressure on it's own about 15 minutes.
When done, thicken sauce as instructed. Serve pot roast with balsamic sauce and your favorite side dishes.
Side Dishes to pair with pot roast:
Honey Roasted Whole Carrots - Whole carrots seasoned with honey, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and fresh dill roasted to perfection in the oven.
Broccoli Orzo - Easy orzo recipe tossed with broccoli, sauteed onions, garlic and parmesan cheese. Broccoli orzo has become one of my favorite easy dinner side dish recipes.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes - The BEST easy, creamy, buttery mashed potatoes sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Balsamic Glazed Baked Asparagus - Delicious and easy oven baked asparagus finished with a mouthwatering balsamic glaze.
More favorite pot roast recipes you must try:
French Onion Pot Roast - Tender and delicious pot roast recipe cooked to pull-apart perfection in a slow cooker layered with tender onions in a savory sauce.
Slow Cooker Red Wine Pot Roast - Tender and delicious slow cooked beef roast in red wine sauce made simply in your slow cooker/crockpot.
Tender BBQ Beef Roast - The most delicious slow cooker pull-apart bbq beef tri tip roast. Serve over creamy mashed potatoes for absolute perfection.
Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast - Tender and delicious pot roast made in a slow cooker/crockpot with boneless beef roast, carrots, and onion in savory gravy.
Balsamic Beef Roast
Ingredients
- 2 lb. Chuck Roast or similar (fat trimmed)
- ½ Red Onion sliced (julienned)
- â…“ cup Balsamic Vinegar
- ½ cup Tomato Sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- â…“ cup Beef Broth or chicken, vegetable, bone
Instructions
- Place the beef roast in your slow cooker. Sprinkle sliced onions over and around the roast.
- In a small bowl, whisk balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, minced garlic, pepper, and thyme. Pour sauce over roast. Pour the broth around the meat.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours for a tender pull apart result. When done, the roast should be fork tender.
- Thicken the sauce by whisking a tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl with a ½ cup of the sauce. Pour thickened sauce into the slow cooker with remaining sauce and meat and stir to combine.
- Serve pot roast with balsamic sauce and your favorite side dishes. Enjoy!
How to make Pot Roast in an Instant Pot:
- Follow instructions for slow cooker recipe but instead place everything in the instant pot.
- Set your instant pot to high pressure for 1 hour. When done, let the instant pot release pressure on it's own about 15 minutes.
- When done, thicken sauce as instructed. Serve pot roast with balsamic sauce and your favorite side dishes.
Leah
Made this for dinner tonight. The only thing I was forced to change was the balsamic. I only had bourbon infused balsamic, so I used that. It was amazing and extremely tender, as you said! We served it with bread dumplings.
Amanda Cooks & Styles
Hi Leah! That sounds delicious too :)Amanda
Donna Van Blaricom
This recipe turned out delicious. I bought the beef chuck roast from our local farmers market.. I used all the ingredients except substituted celery salt for thyme. I used chicken bone broth. I prepared it in a cockpot and it was done in 6 hours. The meat was very tender. Try it you'll love it.
Amanda Cooks & Styles
Hi Donna! Thank you so much for your kind review. I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! :)Amanda