Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Beef with Potatoes Recipe
A comforting slow cooker recipe featuring tender garlic butter beef chuck roast cooked alongside baby Yukon Gold potatoes and a flavorful mix of herbs, garlic, and optional vegetables. This easy, hands-off meal yields melt-in-your-mouth beef and perfectly soft potatoes, enhanced by a rich garlic butter sauce with fresh parsley.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours (slow cooker low) or 4.5 hours (slow cooker high)
- Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes (using low setting)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Seasoning
- 2.5 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for searing, optional)
Garlic Butter Sauce
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs (or mix of thyme, oregano, basil)
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish)
Vegetables and Broth
- 2 lbs baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 medium onion, sliced (optional)
- 1 cup carrots, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Beef: Pat beef chunks dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and black pepper to enhance flavor and help with browning.
- Sear Beef (Optional): Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the beef chunks for 2-3 minutes per side until browned. Work in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding. This step adds depth of flavor but can be skipped for convenience.
- Layer Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Place the halved baby potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. Arrange the seared beef chunks on top. Add sliced onions and chopped carrots if using for additional flavor and texture.
- Make Garlic Butter Sauce: In a small bowl, melt the unsalted butter. Stir in minced garlic, dried Italian herbs, crushed red pepper flakes if desired, and chopped fresh parsley to create a fragrant and savory sauce.
- Combine Liquids and Sauce: Pour low-sodium beef broth evenly over the beef and potatoes. Drizzle the prepared garlic butter sauce over everything. Gently toss the ingredients to evenly distribute the sauce without breaking up the potatoes or beef.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker 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 retain their shape.
- Adjust Sauce: Taste the finished sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. If the sauce is too thin, leave the slow cooker uncovered for 15 minutes to thicken or mash a couple of potatoes into the broth to add body.
- Serve: Transfer the beef and potatoes to a serving platter. Spoon any extra sauce over the top, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve warm for a comforting meal.
Notes
- Searing the beef before slow cooking enhances flavor but can be skipped to save time.
- Using low-sodium beef broth helps control the salt level in the dish.
- You can customize this recipe by adding other root vegetables like parsnips or turnips along with the carrots and onions.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and are excellent reheated gently on the stovetop or microwave.
- For a thicker sauce, use the potato-mashing method or reduce the sauce after cooking by removing the lid and cooking on high for 15 minutes.
Keywords: garlic butter beef, slow cooker beef recipe, beef chuck roast slow cooker, garlic potatoes beef, easy slow cooker meal
