Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Carnivore)
By Lisa Martin · Mother + Batch-Cook Specialist · Updated 2026-05-08
3-lb chuck roast slow-cooked in beef broth on LOW for 8 hours. Salt only — no veggies, no wine. Set in the morning, eat at dinner.
Carnivore slow cooker pot roast is a 3-pound chuck roast seared briefly in cast iron, then transferred to a slow cooker with 2 cups of beef broth and 1 tablespoon of salt, cooked on LOW for 8 hours. No carrots, no potatoes, no onions, no wine — just beef, broth, salt. The collagen-heavy chuck breaks down completely over the long low cook, producing fork-shred-tender meat in a rich beef-flavored gravy. A 6-ounce cooked serving delivers 32g protein, 24g fat, and 340 calories. Chuck roast costs $5 to $9 per pound; a 3-pound roast feeds 6 adults at roughly $3 to $5 per serving. Total active time is 15 minutes — sear and dump — making this the highest dollar-per-effort carnivore dinner. Set the slow cooker before work, come home to dinner. Reheats beautifully and the flavor improves overnight as the fat and broth re-emulsify in the fridge.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Protein | Fat | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 oz pot roast cooked (per serving) | 32g | 22g | 320 |
| ⅓ cup broth concentrate (per serving) | 0g | 1g | 15 |
| ⅓ tbsp tallow (per serving) | 0g | 1g | 10 |
| Per serving | 32g | 24g | 340 |
Macros per serving (after cooking and any fat draining). Source: USDA FoodData Central.
Instructions
- 1
Pat chuck roast dry. Apply 1 tbsp coarse salt across all surfaces.
- 2
Heat 2 tbsp beef tallow in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking.
- 3
Sear the roast 3 minutes per side, all 4 sides, until deeply browned all over.
- 4
Transfer the seared roast to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- 5
Pour 2 cups beef broth around the roast. Liquid should come about 1/3 of the way up the meat.
- 6
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. The roast is done when a fork slides through without resistance.
- 7
Transfer the roast to a cutting board. Rest 10 minutes.
- 8
Shred with two forks or slice across the grain. Spoon ½ cup of the cooking liquid over each portion.
Nutrition per Serving
Frequently Asked Questions
LOW vs HIGH on the slow cooker?
LOW for 8 hours is the standard pot-roast cycle and produces the most tender result. HIGH for 4 hours works if you start late — the result is slightly less broken-down but still fork-tender. Don't use HIGH for less than 4 hours; the connective tissue won't fully convert to gelatin and the meat will be chewy. The same recipe in an Instant Pot pressure cooker is 90 minutes on high pressure with natural release.
Why no carrots and potatoes?
Both are starchy plant matter and excluded from strict carnivore. Traditional pot roast adds vegetables for flavor depth and sauce body, but the chuck roast has enough native flavor to stand alone in a salt-and-broth braise. The cooking liquid is beefier without the vegetable contribution; the meat itself is identical regardless. If you allow some plants, vegetables added at the 4-hour mark cook through without going mushy.
What if I don't have a slow cooker?
Use a 6-quart Dutch oven in a 250°F oven for 6 to 8 hours, lid on. The result is essentially identical — the slow cooker is just a low-temperature oven in a smaller form factor. Stovetop simmering works in a pinch but needs constant attention to prevent the bottom from scorching. Instant Pot pressure cooker version: 90 minutes on high pressure, 15-minute natural release, then quick release.
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