3 Packet Pot Roast is a beef chuck roast slow cooked with three dry packets: ranch dressing mix, brown gravy mix and Italian dressing mix, stirred into 2 cups of water with a spoonful of dried minced onion. After about 7 hours on low, a cornstarch slurry turns the cooking liquid into gravy, and the roast shreds with a fork. It serves 6.
How to make it: Brown the roast in a hot skillet and set it in the slow cooker. Stir the water, the three packets and the onion together, pour it over and cook on low about 6 to 7 hours. Thicken the liquid with cornstarch on high for 30 minutes, check the roast is at least 145°F, rest it and shred.
Why You’ll Love It
- Three packets do the seasoning: no measuring a long list of spices.
- Fall-apart beef: the low, slow cook makes an inexpensive chuck roast tender.
- Gravy included: the cooking liquid thickens right in the pot.
- Feeds a family: a 3 to 4 pound roast serves 6, with leftovers for days.
Ingredient Notes
Chuck roast: 3 to 4 pounds, thawed in the refrigerator. A boneless rump roast also works.
The three packets: one each of dry ranch dressing mix (1 ounce), brown gravy mix and Italian dressing mix (0.7 ounce). An au jus packet can stand in for the brown gravy mix.
Water: 2 cups, stirred together with the packets.
Onion: 1 tablespoon dried minced onion, or half an onion, finely diced.
For browning: 1 to 2 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon black pepper (optional).
For the gravy: 3 tablespoons cornstarch whisked with 3 tablespoons cold water.
Ingredients
For the roast
- 1 to 2 tablespoons oil, for browning the roast
- 3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast, thawed in the refrigerator
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground; optional
- 2 cups water
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix (dry, 1 ounce)
- 1 packet brown gravy mix (dry; an au jus packet also works)
- 1 packet Italian dressing mix (dry, 0.7 ounce)
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or half an onion, finely diced)
For the gravy
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, for the gravy
- 3 tablespoons cold water, to whisk with the cornstarch
How to Make 3 Packet Pot Roast
1. Brown the roast. Heat a large skillet over high heat until it is very hot, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. Dry the roast well with a paper towel and season it with the pepper. Brown both sides of the roast, just for color and flavor; you are not cooking it through. Move the roast to the bottom of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.
2. Mix the gravy. In a bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the water, ranch dressing mix, brown gravy mix, Italian dressing mix and dried minced onion. Pour the mixture over the roast.
3. Slow cook. Cover and cook on low for about 6 to 7 hours, until the roast shreds easily with a fork. Keep the lid on while it cooks. When the time is up, check that the roast has reached at least 145°F on a food thermometer.
4. Thicken the gravy. Whisk the cold water and cornstarch together in a small bowl until smooth. Pour it into the liquid in the slow cooker and stir it in around the roast. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for 30 more minutes, covered or uncovered; uncovered, the gravy gets a little thicker.
5. Rest and shred. Let the roast rest for at least 3 minutes, then shred it to your liking. Serve with the gravy spooned over the top.
How Much Water and How Long?
The three packets are the same in every 3 packet roast. What changes is the water and the timing.
- Water: this recipe uses 2 cups, which makes plenty of gravy. With just 1 cup the meat still cooks fine, but the seasoning is very concentrated. One way to handle that: start with 1 cup, then add 2 cups of warm water 20 to 30 minutes before serving and turn the cooker to high.
- Low: a 3 to 4 pound roast takes about 6 to 8 hours on low, until it shreds easily with a fork. Cooking low and slow gives the most tender meat.
- High: about 4 to 5 hours on high works when you’re short on time.
- A 3-pound roast: use the same times; start checking at the low end.
Common Crock Pot Roast Mistakes
- Lifting the lid: every peek adds cooking time. Lift it only to check for doneness or add the cornstarch.
- Starting with a frozen roast: always thaw it in the refrigerator first.
- Leaving it on the counter: keep the roast refrigerated until you’re ready to brown it.
- Skipping the dry-off: pat the roast dry so it browns instead of steaming.
- Vegetables on top: if you add potatoes or carrots, put them in the bottom of the cooker. They cook slower than the meat.
- Not checking the temperature: the roast should reach at least 145°F, then rest 3 minutes.
Variations
- Skip the browning: sprinkle the three dry packets over the roast in the cooker, add 1 cup of water and cook on low.
- Broth instead of water: 1 cup of low-sodium beef broth adds more beef flavor.
- Au jus: use an au jus packet in place of the brown gravy mix.
- Add vegetables: chunks of potatoes, carrots, onion and celery, layered under the roast.
- Other packets: swap in steak seasoning, taco or fajita seasoning with the ranch. Read the labels if you need gluten-free packets.
- Less fat: trim visible fat before cooking, or blot the grease off the top with paper towels at the end.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Cut the roast into smaller pieces and use shallow covered containers so it cools quickly. It keeps 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for 3 to 4 months and thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven until it reaches 165°F, bringing the gravy to a rolling boil. Don’t reheat it in the slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Spoon the shredded beef and gravy over mashed potatoes, or serve it beside roasted vegetables. Try garlic Parmesan mashed potato cups or roast carrots, potatoes and onions.
More slow cooker roasts: slow cooker pot roast with gravy, slow cooker Amish pot roast, slow cooker 3-ingredient dark beer beef roast and slow cooked balsamic chuck roast.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cook a 3 packet roast in a crock pot?
Brown a chuck roast, set it in the slow cooker, pour over 2 cups of water mixed with ranch, brown gravy and Italian dressing mixes, and cook on low about 6 to 7 hours. Thicken the gravy with cornstarch at the end.
How long does a 3 pound roast take in a crock pot?
About 6 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high, until it shreds easily and reaches at least 145°F.
How much liquid should I put in a crock pot roast?
This recipe uses 2 cups of water. With 1 cup it still cooks, but add more water near the end so the gravy isn’t too salty and strong.
What are the three packets?
Ranch dressing mix, brown gravy mix and Italian dressing mix.
Do I have to brown the roast first?
No, it’s optional. Browning adds color and flavor, but the roast still turns tender without it.
Can I add potatoes and carrots?
Yes. Put them in the bottom of the slow cooker, under the roast.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat to 165°F.
Final Notes
Thaw the roast, keep the lid on and thicken the gravy at the end. If you try it with au jus or vegetables in the pot, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
3 Packet Pot Roast
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Ingredients
- 1 to 2 tablespoons oil for browning the roast
- 3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast thawed in the refrigerator
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground; optional
- 2 cups water
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix dry, 1 ounce
- 1 packet brown gravy mix dry; an au jus packet also works
- 1 packet Italian dressing mix dry, 0.7 ounce
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion or half an onion, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch for the gravy
- 3 tablespoons cold water to whisk with the cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over high heat until it is very hot, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. Dry the roast well with a paper towel and season it with the pepper. Brown both sides of the roast, just for color and flavor; you are not cooking it through. Move the roast to the bottom of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.
- In a bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the water, ranch dressing mix, brown gravy mix, Italian dressing mix and dried minced onion. Pour the mixture over the roast.
- Cover and cook on low for about 6 to 7 hours, until the roast shreds easily with a fork. Keep the lid on while it cooks. When the time is up, check that the roast has reached at least 145°F on a food thermometer.
- Whisk the cold water and cornstarch together in a small bowl until smooth. Pour it into the liquid in the slow cooker and stir it in around the roast. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for 30 more minutes, covered or uncovered; uncovered, the gravy gets a little thicker.
- Let the roast rest for at least 3 minutes, then shred it to your liking. Serve with the gravy spooned over the top.
Notes
Nutrition
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