an easy but fancy set and forget dinner

slow cooker sweet chili garlic pot roast + the weekly 2-2-2

One of my passions is making dinner time decision fatigue disappear and even make you excited to answer what’s for dinner. This week I’m sharing a new edition of my a little fancier series—a low-effort, high-reward Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Garlic Pot Roast that’s easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner but feels a little bit more special and can easily turn into a dinner party or date night meal. If you weren’t already sold on it, this one gets even better as it sits—all those sweet and spicy flavors deepen overnight, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead or even prep it for a few lunches this week. You can even store your leftovers in the freezer for another day!

For the roast: Searing the roast before slow cooking helps to enhance the overall flavor by caramelizing the outside, creating a richer, savory flavor profile. It’s not necessary to do, however it does give the final dish an extra boost of flavor. I’ve also included instructions for cooking everything in the oven! If you’re new to buying cuts like chuck roast, don’t worry—I’ve included some simple tips to guide you at the butcher counter. And I have a plant-based variation that brings all the same flavors.

If you’re looking for some kitchen gear, I use this slow cooker and this Dutch oven!

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Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Garlic Pot Roast

serves 6 | prep time: 30 minutes | cook time: 5-8 hours (slow cooker) | gluten-free, dairy-free

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder

• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt, additional for seasoning to taste

• 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast

• 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 4 large carrots, chopped

• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth

• 1⁄3 cup coconut aminos (or reduced-sodium tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce)

• 2 tablespoons raw honey

• 2 tablespoons sriracha

• Juice of 1 lime

• For serving: cooked jasmine rice, sesame seeds, chopped cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

Slow Cooker Instructions

1. Add the ginger, black pepper, chili powder, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.

2. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels, then season on all sides with a sprinkling of kosher salt.

3. Heat a large cast iron skillet or dutch oven over medium heat, then add the oil. When the oil is shimmering, carefully place the meat in the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until a crust has formed, then flip over and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the meat and place in the slow cooker.

4. In the same skillet or dutch oven, add the sliced onions and cook until lightly browned, stirring often to pick up any brown bits, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker bowl.

5. Add the carrots, garlic, beef broth, coconut aminos, honey, sriracha, and spice mix to the slow cooker and gently mix together. Cover the slow cooker and set to high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 hours.

6. After the roast is done cooking, remove the lid and turn off the heat. Add the lime juice. Use two forks to shred up the roast (it should shred very easily). Serve over cooked rice, spooning the liquid from the slow cooker on top, and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.

Oven Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Add the ginger, black pepper, chili powder, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.

3. Pat the chuck roast dry and season all over with kosher salt. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat, then add the oil. When the oil is shimmering, carefully place the meat in the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until a crust has formed, then flip over and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes.

4. Remove the meat and set aside on a large plate, leaving the oil behind. In the same dutch oven, add the onion and carrots, and cook, stirring often and scraping up the brown bits from the pot, until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and spice mix and continue cooking until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the beef broth, coconut aminos, honey, and sriracha. Bring the mixture to a boil, then place the roast in the center of the dutch oven, cover, and transfer to the oven on the center rack. Cook until the roast is tender enough to shred easily, about 3 hours and 15 minutes.

5. Remove the lid and turn over the roast, then place back in the oven (uncovered) and cook until the top is brown and the liquid is thickened, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve over cooked rice, spooning the liquid from the dutch oven on top, and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.

get the printable recipe here

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Recipe Notes:

🥩 Chuck Roast: Look for marbling (aka the good fat)—you want visible streaks of white running through the meat, more marbling means more flavor and tenderness! Leaner cuts run the risk of ending up too dry. Go for a uniform shape: an even roast will cook more evenly throughout the entire piece, which means no weirdly tough pieces! Bone-in vs boneless: We’re using boneless as it’s easier to find, but you can use a bone-in if you want to go all out! Bone-in cuts tend to be even more flavorful.

🌱 Vegetarian: For a vegetarian option, steam 1 package of green lentils on the stovetop (follow package instructions for timing). Cool for about 10-15 minutes off heat before transferring to a large bowl along with the carrots and onion. Toss with the same spices, the garlic, raw honey, and sriracha (leave out the broth and coconut aminos). Serve over rice or other grain or greens. Top with a squeeze of lime.

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Add the following to your grocery list to make this recipe (minus pantry staples):

• 1 yellow onion

• 1 lime

• 4 large carrots

• 1 garlic bulb

• 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast

• 32-ounce container low-sodium beef broth

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Complete your meal

If you’re looking to pair this week’s recipe with a fun drink, make my easy grapefruit or strawberry spritz using LMNT Electrolytes! Get a free sample pack of my favorite zero sugar electrolytes with any order using this link.

This week’s newsletter is supported by LMNT.

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what I’m prepping

1. Sheet Pan Greek Style Meatballs and Veggies — A new recipe shared last week

2. Crispy Quinoa Edamame Salad — From week 1 of our April Meal Prep Plan but I cannot get enough…the sauce is everything to me!!

what I’m loving

1. Bomber Jacket — My new go-to and super affordable for spring, on sale!

2. Swell travel bottle set — April has been a hectic month so far and with more travel coming up I’m loving these stainless steel travel bottles!

what I’m recommending

1. Crock-Pot Slow Cooker — A must-have for today’s recipe. Crockpot makes the best and 10/10 for affordability.

2. Goldilocks 6-quart Dutch Oven — Another option for today’s recipe, a dutch oven is a kitchen essential of mine, I have this exact one!

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🍓 April Sunday Meal Prep dropped last week

🛒 better-for-you snack swaps on this week’s round up

🔪 what I bought, prepped, and made this week, ingredient prep style!

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I hope you all have a lovely week, and be sure to stay tuned over on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to see what I have for y’all this upcoming week!

Much love,

Jenn