What’s for dinner? How about Pot Roast that makes its own gravy? That takes only a few minutes to prepare, then all day in a slow cooker or on the table in an hour if you prefer Instant Pot? That’s what I’m talking about!

Pot Roast with Gravy

Pot Roast in a crock pot is economical, classic comfort food, and a quintessential family favorite. Bonus: leftovers are even better on the second day. What’s not to love?

Get ready for fall-apart beef that’s tender, flavorful, and smothered in a rich gravy. This recipe is mouthwateringly good, yet insanely simple to make. Use a slow cooker or Instant Pot. Pick the method that works best for you!

And now get ready for a quirky recipe—nothing to measure, no chopping, cutting, or browning. Just three seasoning packets, a roast and you’re good to go.

MORE: 5 Quick and Easy Homemade Soup Recipes to Soothe the Soul and Budget

Variations

Spice mixes are available in just about every supermarket and grocery store. You will find these packets with name brands like Schilling or McCormick or look for their generic or store brand cousins.

Below are Amazon links if you prefer to order online or to compare prices. You’ll save quite a bit if you can find the bulk containers of the same products.

Individual packets

Brown Gravy dry mix

Chicken Gravy dry mix

Pork Gravy dry mix

Italian dressing dry mix

Ranch dressing dry mix

Bulk containers

Brown Gravy dry mix

Ranch dressing dry mix

Poultry Gravy dry mix

MORE: 3 Quick and Cozy Slow Cooker Soup Recipes

A close up of a plate of food, with Pot roast

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

4.64 from 19 votes

Three Packets and a Roast

Get ready for fall-apart beef that's tender, flavorful, and smothered in a rich gravy it makes itself. This recipe is mouthwateringly good, yet insanely simple to make. Use Instant Pot or slow cooker—the method that works best for you!

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 314kcal

Ingredients

1 (3-4 lb.) beef roast chuck, London broil, round—you name it!
1 packet Brown Gravy dry mix
1 packet Italian dressing dry mix
1 packet Ranch dressing dry mix
1 cup water
½ cup red wine (optional)

Instructions

Place beef in Instant Pot or slow cooker (no need to brown, but you sure can do that if you want).
Pour contents of the three seasoning packets into a small container along with the water (and optional wine if using), the pour all over the raw meat.
Slow cooker: Cook on Low for 8-10 hours for a very large roast (yes that long), fewer hours if smaller, or on High for 5-6 hours. Check for doneness after 4-5 hours, as time will vary depending on the cut of beef, size and so on.
Instant Pot: Set to high pressure (or 'meat/stew' if your IP model has that setting) for 60 mins. Quick release.
Optional: Add cut up potatoes and carrots during the last hour of cooking; frozen peas during the last 10 minutes in slow cooker. For Instant Pot, remove roast, add cut up raw potatoes and carrots to the gravy, then high pressure for 4 to 5 minutes, quick release.
Expect beautiful, rich, dark brown gravy and the best Pot Roast ever.

Notes

Adding the (optional) red wine adds an amazing depth of flavor and works to tenderize the beef.

While preparing in an Instant Pot (pressure cooker) is a viable option, I have never had results equal to the long, slow, 8 to 10 hours on Low in a slow cooker. The gravy is good from Instant Pot, but not as velvety and smooth as when prepared in slow cooker.

Three Packets and a Chicken

One whole chicken with Chicken Gravy Mix, Italian Dressing Dry Mix, Ranch Dressing Dry Mix, and 1 cup water. (skip the optional red wine suggested for beef).

Three Packets and a Pork Roast

One pork roast with Pork Gravy Mix, Italian Dressing Dry Mix, and Ranch Dressing Dry Mix and 1 cup water (do not add the optional red wine suggested for beef).

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal

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Please keep your comments positive, encouraging, helpful, brief,
and on-topic in keeping with EC Commenting Guidelines

Priscilla Khirfan says:

April 4, 2020 at 10:05 am

Any chance you could come up with a homemade recipe for the seasoning?
Those of us with heart disease just can’t use those packets.
Maybe something made with Mrs Dash?

Diane says:

April 1, 2020 at 6:09 am

If you like flavorful roast beef and are not in a hurry, I like to cook chuck roast this way: In a slow cooker, place a three pound chuck roast in your slow cooker of choice along with one packet of Knorr Leek Soup mix or onion soup mix and a small amount of water. Cook on low until it is tender enough to fall apart, usually eight hours or more. Turn off the heat, remove the juice into a separate container and refrigerate. When the meat is cool enough to handle, pull apart, discard the fat, and refrigerate. When the juice has cooled enough so that the fat has risen to the top and solidified, remove the fat and discard. Return the juice and the shredded meat to the pot and warm. Serve it by itself or on sandwich buns.

Ellen C. says:

March 31, 2020 at 12:55 pm

There are plenty of DIY ranch dressing, italian dressing and brown gravy mix recipes on the internet. By making the mixes yourself you can adjust for the salt. That is what I am going to try.

kayte says:

March 31, 2020 at 12:10 pm

Any conversion for this recipe for those of us who make stuff the ol’ fashioned way – on the stove or in the oven? TIA. 🙂

Acey says:

March 31, 2020 at 11:26 am

How can I adapt this to (basic) oven roasting?

Sue Pollio says:

March 31, 2020 at 11:00 am

I found a similar recipe I would like to share using only 3 ingredients and is cooked using conventional oven.

1 Chuck roast
1pkg Italian seasoning
1 can beer
Sprinkle seasoning over meat
Pour beer over meat
Cook in conventional oven for 3 hours at 300 degrees.
Roast is tender and delicious.
If desired, vegetables can be added the last hour of cooking.

Nancy says:

March 31, 2020 at 10:45 am

Not real familiar with iPot. For chicken and pork, is it still an hour on high pressure, then quick release?

Patricia R. says:

March 31, 2020 at 10:41 am

I got this recipe off your website or in your newsletter back in 2008. We’ve been making this ever since. Totally delicious. We usually use one small pork roast and one beef roast together.

Kitty Thompson says:

March 31, 2020 at 10:25 am

Great idea – great minds think alike. I just put a pot roast in my crock pot – roast, potatoes, carrots with a bit of wine and a packet of onion soup mix. Dinner tonight, tomorrow is hot roast beef sandwiches, next is hash, then Chinese beef and rice! Thanks Mary – you are the greatest.

Loli says:

Delicious! Especially with potatoes, carrots and onions.