Slow Cooker Keto Pot Roast

Why This Is Strictly Keto

A traditional pot roast leans on potatoes and carrots for its bulk. This version swaps them for mushrooms, onion, and zucchini, and the pan juices are reduced rather than thickened with flour or cornstarch. Chuck roast is a marbled, fat-rich cut that turns fork-tender in the slow cooker.

Ingredients

• 3 lb boneless beef chuck roast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, halved
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced into thick half-moons
• 1½ cups unsweetened beef bone broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp butter
• Chopped fresh parsley, to serve

Instructions

1. Sear the roast: Pat the roast dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the roast 3–4 minutes per side until deeply browned.

2. Layer the cooker: Place the onion, garlic, and mushrooms in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker and set the roast on top. Whisk the tomato paste into the bone broth and pour it around the meat. Tuck in the thyme and bay leaf.

3. Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 7½ hours, until the roast is very tender.

4. Add the zucchini: Nestle the zucchini around the roast, cover, and cook 30 more minutes, until just tender.

5. Finish the juices: Remove the roast and vegetables to a platter. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid, simmer it in a saucepan over medium-high heat until slightly reduced, and whisk in the butter.

6. Serve: Shred the roast with two forks, pour the juices over, and top with parsley. It’s excellent over mashed cauliflower.

Nutritional Info (per serving, approximate)

Tips

• Searing first isn’t optional — it builds the deep, roasted flavor the slow cooker can’t.
• Add the zucchini late so it holds its shape instead of turning to mush.
• Leftovers reheat well and make a great base for a quick beef hash with eggs.