Description
This Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Beef with Potatoes recipe delivers tender, flavorful beef chuck roast simmered to perfection with baby Yukon Gold potatoes, garlic, herbs, and butter. Ideal for an easy, comforting meal, it combines rich garlic butter sauce with slow-cooked vegetables for a hearty dinner that requires minimal hands-on time.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Vegetables
- 2.5 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 lbs baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
- 1 medium onion, sliced (optional)
- 1 cup carrots, chopped (optional)
Garlic Butter Sauce
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs (or a mix of thyme, oregano, basil)
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish)
- 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for searing, optional)
Instructions
- Prepare and Season the Beef: Pat the beef chunks dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, then season them generously with salt and black pepper to enhance flavor.
- Sear the Beef (Optional): Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the beef chunks for 2-3 minutes on each side until a brown crust forms, working in batches as necessary. This step adds depth of flavor but can be skipped for convenience.
- Arrange Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Place the halved baby potatoes at the bottom of the slow cooker. Layer the seared (or raw) beef chunks on top, then add sliced onion and chopped carrots if using.
- Make the Garlic Butter Sauce: In a small bowl, melt the unsalted butter. Stir in minced garlic, Italian herbs, crushed red pepper flakes if desired, and chopped fresh parsley to create a fragrant garlic butter mixture.
- Add Liquids and Sauce: Pour the low-sodium beef broth evenly over the beef and potatoes. Drizzle the garlic butter sauce over all the ingredients, then gently toss to distribute the flavors throughout the slow cooker.
- Cook Slow and Low: Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours until the beef is fork-tender and the potatoes are soft but not mushy.
- Adjust Seasoning and Sauce Thickness: Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed. If the sauce is too thin, leave the slow cooker uncovered for 15 minutes to reduce the liquid or mash a couple of potatoes into the broth to thicken it.
- Serve: Transfer the beef and potatoes to a serving platter. Spoon extra sauce over the top, sprinkle with fresh parsley for garnish, and serve warm.
Notes
- Searing the beef before slow cooking enhances flavor but can be omitted to save time.
- For firmer potatoes, add them halfway through the cooking time instead of at the beginning.
- Prepare all ingredients the night before for easy morning assembly and cooking.
- Use plant-based butter and gluten-free beef broth to make this recipe dairy-free and gluten-free.
- Leftovers store well and taste even better the next day as flavors continue to develop.
Keywords: slow cooker beef, garlic butter beef, beef chuck roast recipe, slow cooker potatoes, comforting beef dinner, easy slow cooker recipe