Bottom Round Roast (Tender & Flavorful)
Looking for an inexpensive and easy dinner for the holidays or simply for Sunday dinner? This Crockpot Bottom Round Roast cooks up low and slow turning this tough cut of meat into a succulent delight while also infusing it with rich, savory flavors. Get ready to savor a dish that’s versatile, convenient, and guaranteed to please your taste buds.
If you love cooking easy crockpot dinners, you may also like my crockpot Mississippi pot roast or these simple crockpot pork chops.
Why You’ll Love This Bottom Round Roast!
- Great for Leftovers. Slice up your leftover roast to make delicious cold or hot roast beef sandwiches or you can slice it up to add to a quick stir fry or pot of soup.
- Hands-Off Cooking. The slow cooker is the perfect cooking method when you are short on time! All it takes is a few minutes at the start and then it pretty much cooks on its own.
- Juicy, Tender Roast Beef. This cut of beef cooks up so tender in the slow cooker. You have much more control over keeping it at a low temperature so that the connective tissue and collagen can slowly break down.
- Budget-Friendly Cut of Beef. Bottom round roast is one of the more affordable cuts of beef so it’s perfect if you’re looking for some ways to trim back on your grocery budget. Slow cooking it transforms it into a flavorful and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
All you need to make this easy slow cooker bottom round roast are five simple ingredients.
- Aromatics: Onions and garlic are all it takes to add more depth of flavor to this simple crockpot roast recipe.
- Bottom round roast: This cut of meat is big on flavor and works perfectly for slow cooking. Allowing it to cook at lower heat for an extended period of time allows the meat to tenderize and cook up perfectly.
- Apple cider vinegar: Cooking tougher cuts of meat with an acid such as vinegar helps the collagen and protein in the meat break down making it more tender and juicy.
- Bay leaf: Adds another layer of flavor to the beef as it cooks.
Tips & Variations
- Add Some Herbs. Add any combination of oregano, rosemary, and thyme to add a more complex flavor to your roast.
- Don’t Add Liquid. I know you may be tempted to add some water or broth but resist it! The fat in the beef and the vinegar will create enough liquid and make an ultra-flavorful roast.
- Cook Low and Slow. Slow cooking is best for making a tender roast so don’t try to rush things. A longer cooking time ensures your beef turns out juicy, tender, and full of flavor.
- Add Some Veggies. For a traditional pot roast, add cubed potatoes, carrots, celery, or onions around the roast in the crockpot.
- Want to Try a Different Type of Meat? This same recipe also works with other cuts of pot roast or you can even try it with a pork shoulder to make shredded pork.
How To Make Bottom Round Roast
Are you ready to get that roast cooking? Here’s a snapshot of the process but be sure to check the full recipe at the end of the page for all the details.
- Place. The sliced onions and garlic cloves in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the seasoned roast on top. Add the vinegar and bay leaf to the pot and cook on high for an hour and then on low for three hours.
PRO TIP: The timing is an estimate and may vary depending on the thickness of your beef roast. For best results check the temperature using a thermometer inserted into the center of the roast. A temperature of 145°F is ideal for medium doneness.
- Remove. The roast from the crockpot and place it on a cutting board to carve.
What To Serve With It
This crockpot roast is perfect for your next Sunday dinner, a simple holiday meal, dinner for company, or even a weeknight dinner. Here are some serving ideas to help you create a full meal.
- Appetizers: For holiday gatherings serve up these air fryer stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer or even side with this roast. Or keep it simple with this easy pretzel dip or veggie dip.
- Salads: A variety of salads makes a great accompaniment to this crockpot roast. We love a good Chef salad, 7-layer salad, BLT pasta salad, or even a fresh cucumber tomato salad.
- Side Dish: Enjoy your favorite vegetable side dishes such as brown sugar carrots, air fryer potatoes, easy corn on the cob, simple garlic green beans, the best mashed potatoes, crockpot macaroni and cheese.
- Drinks: For dinner, this iced peach green tea is the perfect drink to serve while the kids will enjoy some strawberry lemonade.
- Desserts: Don’t forget to serve up your favorite sweet! We love these cut-out sugar cookies, easy peach cobbler, snickerdoodle cookies, or blondies.
Recipe FAQ
The best way is to cook it for an extended amount of time at a very low temperature. I find the slow cooker works perfectly for providing gentle heat so it cooks nice and slow. Adding vinegar to the pot along with the beef helps to break down any collagen and connective tissue in the beef that may make it tough.
They are actually a bit of the same thing. Round roasts come from the rear of the cow and are sold in the store as top round or bottom round. The top round is lean and more tender than the bottom round. The bottom round is divided into two parts, the bottom round and a rump roast. The naming of the different cuts can be quite confusing so if you can’t find it by the name bottom round roast, ask your butcher or someone at the meat counter for some assistance.
Yes, you can. For the best results use the timing as a guideline but be sure to check your roast with a thermometer to prevent overcooking. Also, make sure that after the first hour, you reduce the temperature from high to low so that the roast finishes by cooking slowly so it can tenderize.
Leftovers & Storing
- Store. Your leftover beef roast in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- Reheat. For best results, I suggest reheating your roast in a baking pan in the oven. Return it to a pan, add a bit of beef broth, and cover with foil. Heat in a 325° F oven for 15-20 minutes or until it’s heated through.
More Crockpot Recipes
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Bottom Round Roast (Tender & Flavorful)
Ingredients
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 3-4 pound bottom round roast
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Place sliced onions and garlic cloves in the bottom of the crockpot. Season roast with salt and pepper; place on top of onions. Add vinegar and bay leaf. Cook on high for 1 hour and then on low for 3 hours or until a thermometer is inserted into the center of the roast reads 145°F for medium doneness.
- Remove roast from crockpot and place on a cutting board to carve.
Notes
- Add Some Herbs. Add any combination of oregano, rosemary, and thyme to add a more complex flavor to your roast.
- Don’t Add Liquid. I know you may be tempted to add some water or broth but resist it! The fat in the beef and the vinegar will create enough liquid to make an ultra-flavorful roast.Â
- Cook Low and Slow. Slow cooking is best for making a tender bottom round roast so don’t try to rush things. A longer cooking time ensures your beef turns out juicy, tender, and full of flavor.
- Add Some Veggies. For a traditional pot roast, add cubed potatoes, carrots, celery, or onions around the roast in the crockpot.
- Want to Try a Different Type of Meat? This same recipe also works with other cuts of pot roast or you can even try it with a pork shoulder to make shredded pork.Â
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