A small-batch comfort food classic with a tart-sweet twist. This Mini Slow Cooker Cranberry Pot Roast slow-cooks a 1-pound chuck roast with savory beef broth, tender carrots, creamy potatoes, and whole cranberry sauce until the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender. It’s the perfect cozy dinner for one, with just enough leftovers for a hearty sandwich the next day.

A plate with shredded cranberry beef, potatoes, carrots, and cranberries on mashed potatoes, garnished with rosemary, beside a fork and a slow cooker.

Visit my Small Slow Cooker Recipe Collection for more great recipes.

Ingredients Notes

Chuck Roast (1 pound): Look for a well-marbled piece for maximum tenderness and flavor. I buy a 2 or 3 pound chck, divide into smaller portions and freeze for later small roast recipes.
Beef Broth: Provides savory depth; low-sodium broth works well if you prefer to control the salt.
Whole Cranberry Sauce: Adds a tangy-sweet balance that makes this pot roast unique. Canned is convenient, but homemade cranberry sauce works beautifully if you have it.

Cooking Notes

Browning the chuck roast before slow cooking develops deeper flavor, but you can skip this step if you’re short on time. The roast will still brown nicely
A small 2-quart oval slow cooker works best for this recipe.
For a thicker sauce, remove the roast and vegetables at the end of cooking and simmer the liquid on the stovetop until reduced.

Step-by-Step Process Images

Four-panel image: 1) Raw vegetables and cranberries in a slow cooker; 2) Raw seasoned beef on a plate; 3) Sauce being mixed in a bowl; 4) Sauce poured over beef and vegetables in the slow cooker.

Two-panel image showing a pot roast in a slow cooker with cranberries, herbs, and vegetables. The right panel shows a fork shredding a piece of meat from the roast.

Serving Suggestions

Serve hot with warm dinner rolls or a slice of crusty bread to soak up the savory-sweet juices.
Pair with a simple side salad or steamed green beans for a balanced plate.
The next day, shred leftover meat and pile it onto a crusty roll with a little cranberry sauce for a pot roast sandwich.

Storing Leftovers

Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze: For longer storage, portion the roast and sauce into freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through. Add a splash of broth if needed to loosen the sauce.

A plate with shredded beef, potatoes, carrots, and rosemary on mashed potatoes, surrounded by bowls of cranberries and cranberry sauce.

Mini Cranberry Pot Roast

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Small-batch comfort food with a tart-sweet twist. This Mini Cranberry Pot Roast slow-cooks a 1-pound chuck roast with beef broth, carrot, potatoes, and whole cranberry sauce until fork-tender and savory-sweet. Perfect for one, with just enough left for a next-day sandwich.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 6

Total Time 6 10

Servings: 2 plates

Recipe Cost: $9.67 Recipe / $4.84 Plate

Calories: 759

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

3 baby red potatoes halved
⅓ cup fresh cranberries
½ carrot sliced, thick
1 pound chuck roast
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ cup whole berry cranberry sauce
⅓ cup beef stock
⅓ teaspoon dried rosemary

Recipe Directions

Arrange the potatoes, carrots and cranberries on the bottom of a 2-quart oval slow cooker.
Season the roast with salt, pepper and onion powder, and place on top of the vegetables.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, beef stock, and dried rosemary.
Pour the cranberry mixture on top of the chuck roast.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, or until the beef fork tender.
Shred the beef using two forks and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1plateCalories: 759kcalCarbohydrates: 82gProtein: 51gFat: 27gSodium: 563mgFiber: 7gSugar: 27g

Notes

Cranberry Options: Fresh cranberries give a tart pop, but you can use frozen cranberries (no need to thaw). If you don’t have whole berry cranberry sauce, jellied sauce works, just chop it into chunks before mixing.
Vegetables: Swap baby red potatoes for Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes. You can also add parsnips or pearl onions for more variety.
Liquid Balance: If you prefer a saucier roast, increase beef stock to ½ cup.
Make-Ahead: The roast tastes even better the next day. Slice or shred the beef, store it in the cooking juices, and reheat gently.