Easy Slow Cooker Beef Roast with Balsamic Vinegar

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You are going to love this easy slow cooker beef roast with balsamic vinegar, cranberries and maple syrup. It turns out so juicy and tender and has the most amazing flavour. This healthy one pot meal is perfect for fall and winter meal planning.

A cranberry beef roast in a slow cooker topped with onions and cooked cranberries.

Why you will love this recipe:

It's incredibly easy to make and can be done in either the slow cooker or Crockpot.
This moist slow cooker beef roast has such a delicious flavour with the combination of maple and cranberries.
It only requires a few minutes of hands on time to make and you don't have to brown the roast before putting it in the crockpot or marinade it ahead of time.
It doesn't require any fancy or hard to find ingredients and is made with pantry staples including onions, maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar.
This healthy beef roast makes great leftovers and is perfect for meal prep.
The meat turns out so, so tender!
It's simple and quick to prepare and is made without vegetables.
This recipe is gluten free, paleo and healthy.

Taste and texture:

This beef roast turns out so juicy and tender. The meat is melt in your mouth tender and the combination of the tart cranberries with the sweet balsamic vinegar and maple syrup blends beautifully. It tastes so good you would think this is a gourmet beef recipe!

Key ingredients and substitutions:

The ingredients needed to make a slow cooker beef roast, separated into bowls.

Beef roast - I used a cross rib beef roast to make this recipe but you can use any other type of beef roast that you have on hand. Make sure you let your beef roast thaw before cooking it. This recipe does not work if you try to cook the roast from frozen.
Onion - onion helps add both flavour and tenderness to this beef recipe.
Balsamic vinegar - balsamic vinegar helps tenderize the beef to make it so juicy and fall off the bone tender.
Maple syrup - maple syrup adds a bit of sweetness to this recipe and combines beautifully with the tart cranberries.
Cranberries - cranberries help make this beef roast recipe so pretty and full of festive flavour. The tartness of the cranberry is contrasted by the sweetness of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries to make this roast recipe.

How to cook:

Step one:

First, add all the ingredients, except for the cross rib roast, to your slow cooker or Crockpot and stir well to combine.

Cranberries, broth and spices in a slow cooker bowl.

Step two:

Add the beef roast into the slow cooker, turning a few times to coat it well. Then turn your slow cooker or Crockpot onto low heat and cook for 8 hours.

A beef roast in a slow cooker bowl surrounded by cranberries and bay leaves.

Chef's tips and variations:

This beef roast makes great leftovers and can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Add a couple chopped apples to this recipe for even more flavour.
You can use any type of broth that you like for this recipe including bone broth, vegetable broth, beef broth or chicken broth.
If you don't have a beef roast this recipe can be made with a pork roast instead.
If you can, rotate the beef roast a few times while it is cooking to help all sides of the meat become more fall apart tender.

How to serve:

Serve this cranberry beef roast with a side of cooked vegetables such as roasted potatoes, broccoli or cauliflower.
Pair this maple beef roast with rice or cauliflower rice.

How to store:

Store any leftover been in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

A beef roast in a slow cooker with cranberries and onions on top of it.

Frequently asked questions:

Is this recipe paleo?

Yes, this roast beef recipe is paleo and gluten free.

Do you need to put water in a slow cooker with beef?

No you do not need to put water in a slow cooker when you cook beef. You will need to add some sort of liquid however, but instead of water you can use broth or different types of vinegars such as balsamic vinegar to help tenderize the beef and keep it nice and moist.

Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in a Crockpot?

You do not need to brown a roast before putting it in a slow cooker or Crockpot.

Is this beef roast recipe Whole30?

This is not a Whole30 beef roast recipe as it is made with maple syrup.

What temperature is best to cook a roast in a slow cooker?

I find that cooking a beef roast at low heat, for many hours works best to cook beef roasts in a slow cooker. If you cook it at high heat for a shorter period of time, the meat tends to get more tough rather than tender.

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