Pomegranate Beef CrockPot Recipe

Pomegranate Beef in the CrockPot SlowCooker. pretty much the best slow cooker roast you'll ever have.




February 19, 2008 *
Day 50.

Fifty! 50! ack!

This recipe is straight from the Gluten Free Goddess' site. 

I followed it word-for-word down to the organic, free-range, grass fed, massaged, and sung-to-sleep beef. 

I have been a fan of Karina's for quite a while---her website taught me to not be afraid of gluten free cooking. 

I owe our love to Pamela's to Karina, and my new-found kitchen adventureness.

This is an amazing dish. Serve it to people you really, really love and for whom you want to show-off. (I used whom. I know. I'm one of those. But only sometimes.)

These are the ingredients you need for Pomegranate Beef in the CrockPot SlowCooker. pretty much the best slow cooker roast you'll ever have.
The Ingredients:
serves 8



1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 pounds beef roast (I used a chuck roast)
4 garlic cloves (whole is fine, or you can chop them)
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup golden raisins



The Directions:

Use at least a 6-quart slow cooker. Swirl the olive oil into the bottom of the stoneware. Add the onion. Rub the spices on all sides of meat and add to the stoneware with the garlic, the whole can of tomatoes, pomegranate juice, vinegar, and syrup. Sprinkle the raisins on top.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 5 hours. 

The meat is done when it has reached desired tenderness -- which means you should be able to literally cut it with a spoon!! :-) 

Serve with mashed potatoes, and drizzle with the sauce.




The Verdict:

Four generations of my family ate this dinner and everyone adored it. I have never had a home-made sauce taste so marvelous. I truly wish I could have sat in the corner with a straw to suck up all the deliciousness.

It makes a lot of sauce. I packaged the rest of the sauce up for my brother and his wife to re-use in their crockpot with a hunk o' meat.

Thank you so much, Karina!

[* recipe photo updated March, 2015]

I can't even count how many times I've made this. Pomegranate Beef is what you make for company and to impress your inlaws -- yet it is SO EASY. It is absolutely my go-to "impressive" crockpot slow cooker meal. Gluten free, too! from ayearofslowcooking.com

Do you love this article?

Please share it with your friends!


Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at March 24, 2015

Sign up for the A Year of Slow Cooking newsletter and get the Top Ten Reader Favorite Recipes sent directly to your inbox!

What they say about this article

  1. Anonymous2/19/2008

    Love your site! And I swear I'm actually going to make something, but it's fun to read too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow that is certainly different! Thanks for keeping these recipes exciting each and every day!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous2/19/2008

    looks good, but what are the ingredients??? I am newly dx CD and learning how to cook! your site is so helpful!! THank you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. thanks, loloandpooh1

    gotta keep our taste buds, happy, right, cs? ;-0

    anon, you have to click on Karina's site for the recipe. I followed it to the letter. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help with the CD dx--the first few months are the hardest, but it gets much, much easier. I promise.

    xoxo
    steph

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is anon; I just figured out I have an account so now will use my real name!
    Went to K. site, thanks! Lots of good info there too. Dx was a surprise, but I am feeling so much better that it isn't so bad now. Basically just sticking to whole foods, thats why your site has been helpful. I am not much of a cook, but I know I can do this crockpot stuff. After all, I have mastered GF bread in my Breadman. Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yay. Glad you liked the beef in pomegranate sauce! Thanks for the shout-out on this recipe- it's a favorite here. If you can do chicken, I bet it would amazing with chicken, too!

    Love all your Crock Pots in your header. ;)

    Karina

    ReplyDelete
  7. this one looks so yummy! One of these days I'm so making this stuff...but it's kind of like the way I am with recipe books...LOL..I have tons of them to look at the pretty pictures

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love a sweet and savory kind of mix like that. Glad you wouldn't brown the meat next time. I think I've told you how I feel about all that pre-browning stuff :)!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have a couple of crazy easy Crock pot recipes on my blog that are good and easy and different. You might try the Crockpot unstuffed cabbage and the Lazy Spaghetti Sauce (oh and the Bison Chili). If you need a couple of days off...

    Ginger (gfingf.blogspot.com)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous2/19/2008

    I just found your site.. and I just recently got a crock pot.. so I'll be checking in frequently to see your receipes.. keep them coming!

    I didn't know you could cook brownies in a crockpot! I'm soo amazed!

    ReplyDelete
  11. That sounds devine!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love your site! We are not a gluten free household but we have friends who are. I passed your blog on to her and I'm adapting your recipes for whatever I have on hand. Love the format and the "verdict" at the end. I can't wait to see what you do each day. It's part of my daily blog roll. Keep doin' what you're doin'.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Congratulations on getting to day 50! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. karina, *thanks* to you!

    amy, I get that way too. I check a lot of magazines and cookbooks out from the library with good intentions but then don't use them.

    jennifer P, in this case, it was most certainly a step I didn't need to take. It made the house smell nice, though!

    ginger, I've never had bison--I'll check it out.

    courtney, I didn't know you could, either before this year.


    becka and michie, thank you!

    mommy, hey! that's my name, too! Thank you for passing the link along and for reading--I'm having a lot of fun and am learning a lot.

    xoxoxo
    steph

    ReplyDelete
  15. This looks fancy (something that usually doesn't happen with crockpots) and absolutely delicious. Can't wait to try it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi,

    I made this and it's fantastic. The family wouldn't eat the raisins, but they wouldn't even try them either. It was all amazing. The pomegranite juice is kind of pricey, so I put the rest in 1 c amounts into ziplocks and froze them. I didn't brown the mean either, and used a cheap cut, and it was still extremely tender. This is a great one for guests - no effort! Thanks for all your good work!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous3/05/2008

    I finally made this tonight too. It was easy and delicious. My kids wouldn't eat it, either, Jennifer (said it was "too spicy"...they are wimps when it comes to flavors). But my husband and I loved it. I did end up browning the beef, but I don't know if it was necessary. I agree that the pomegranate juice is expensive ($8...as much as the meat!), but the tangy taste and nutrients are worth it. Served it on soft polenta and with sauteed spinach. Yum! (BTW...polenta is another thing you might want to try in the crockpot...not sure if it would work, but I guess you're up for the challenge!).

    ReplyDelete
  18. Jennifer and CH, I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! Karina comes up with some awesome ideas in the kitchen--I've learned a lot from reading her site.

    yup, the juice is expensive. We were lucky enough to have Whole Foods $$ on a gift certificate.

    VERY good idea to freeze the juice!

    xox
    steph

    ReplyDelete
  19. I also wanted to add that when I run out of the Pomegranate juice I might try cranberry. Similar flavor/acidity, might be good at a more reasonable price. Although I got 5 bags (plus the one that leaked) beside our original dinner, so not too bad when you figure cost per meal.

    ReplyDelete
  20. What do you think about using pot roast as the beef component here? By the way, what cut of beef is recommended for pot roast? Thanks, Stephanie!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi Stephanie!

    I made this using a 3.3 lb chuck roast (for 5 people) that I did not sear/brown. It was SO wonderful - but there are no leftovers. :(

    For Thanksgiving, I want to make this roast larger - enough to serve 7 and have plenty of leftovers. When you tripled everything, how much meat was that and what size crockpot did you use?

    I'm also looking for recommendations for a LARGE crockpot; what's the biggest one you recommend? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi ~M
    ---everything will fit into a 6.5 quart just fine.

    6.5 quarts is the largest I've personally used, but I know they go up to 8 quarts. I'd read the reviews, and remember that slow cookers work the best when they are 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full.

    xoxo steph

    ReplyDelete
  23. Yum! About 45 minutes before serving I scooped out a few ladles of the sauce and simmered on the stove until it reduced to a nice syrup -- the concentrated, thicker flavor was great! We spooned it over the beef and brown rice we at with it. Tasty!

    ReplyDelete
  24. made this last night and it was great. i will take the earlier suggestion from one of your readers to leave the top off and turn on high for the last 30 minutes to thicken the sauce. but it was delicious and the meat - i used a chuck roast also -it was so tender.
    FWIW when i stirred the pot towards the end i couldn't figure out where the pearl onions came from -DUH! - it was the plumped golden raisins!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I never, ever make a recipe for a batch of people that I've never made before, but I took a chance on this recipe this weekend and it was FEN-NOM-EEE-NULL!! Thank you so much for posting this, and the rest of the recipes in your blog. I think I'll be attempting your Mole this weekend :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous2/19/2011

    My friend recommended this site to me and I love! you are a very interesting person to read and the recipes sound great! can't wait to try them out

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous2/21/2011

    I made this tonight, it was fantastic! Next time I will not add the maple syrup and I will reduce it. It was a little too sweet for my family's taste. The juice was sweet enough. I added some corn starch to thicken it this time as I didn't have time to reduce it tonight. Tasted a lot like an expensive wine and short rib recipe I make that is very fussy and I think this tastes a little better and costs less.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hello!

    Long time reader, first time blogger.

    Can you use unsweetened cherry juice instead of pomegranate juice? That's what I have and of course, I am being lazy and trying to avoid a trip to the store. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Edie,
    yes! what a great idea. and that's not lazy, that's practical! :-0

    ReplyDelete
  30. I see cranberries (I think!) in the photo. Would you recommend them as a substitute for the raisins? Addition? I love cranberries and my husband is not a huge fan of raisins. Thanks - the meal sounds delish.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi Tracy--
    cranberries would work just fine!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Just got the new The Hamilton Beach Set n' Forget crockpot and this was the first recipe I tried. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out fantastic. Agree that the smell and sauce only add to how good it is. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Just made this as my first slow cooker meal.... it was amazing!!! Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Made this last night and I loved it! Very good and super easy.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Have this cooking right now - thank you for the recipe! :)

    ReplyDelete
  36. This has become a family favorite. Our favorite is with pork.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I tried this recipe and love it! I used dried cherries instead of raisins (it was what I had) and in think it paired nicely with the pom juice. I too would reduce the sauce. As this was tonight's supper for 2, there will be lots of yummy leftovers. I made mashed potato & cauliflower but I like the polenta suggestion. Definitely something I'll do again. Thanks!!!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I made this tonight and it was delicious. We ate everything, including the golden raisins! The sauce came out incredibly flavorful. The only change I made is that I did not use the POM juice, too expensive for me. Instead, I used pomegranate molasses sold at any Middle Eastern market. It is very concentrated so I used quarter a cup instead of a full cup for POM juice. The pomegranate molasses is $3-4 and you can use at least 10 times in a dish like that. I can not believe how easy yet delicious this dish is. I will be making this a lot, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  39. I made this for dinner tonight. I used a Chuckeye Pot Roast, which was weirdly tough. Go figure. I had to change a few seasonings because I don't have Herbs de Provence. I looked up what was in it and was missing the Tarragon, Chevril and Mint. I don't know how much difference that makes. I also used plain ol raisins. I also juiced a pomegranate that I've had in my fridge for months. One pomegranate gave me a cup of juice. That was a lot cheaper than using the bottled stuff since I only paid a buck for the whole fruit. You can juice it like you would an orange using the pyramid thingy. I made the mistake of putting the whole thing chopped up into my LaLanne juicer and it came out bitter. In the end, the sauce did not taste bitter, but I wonder how much it affected the flavor. It was then that I looked up HOW to juice a pom. LOL. Live and learn. Anyhow, we loved this. The house smelled insane! My 6 yo loved it shredded in a lettuce wrap with the sauce reduced a bit and wants to take it to school cold for lunch tomorrow. She's on a gluten free diet, so it was a nice change for her. I also ate it that way but added chopped green onions on top. Cheese would've been insane, and bacon...sigh...but alas, I am trying to loose weight. My husband enjoyed it on hamburger buns with cheese (no sauce) sort of like shredded pork sandwiches. I think it would've been really good on those Hawaiian rolls since its nicely sweet! So, we're not much for pot roast (and don't ask me why I had a huge chunk in the freezer!) and have decided that we will have this again and again! Nicely done! The best part? My 9 month old enjoyed the meat and sauce ground up, it also being his first taste of beef, and I now have a few batches in the freezer for him! BONUS!

    ReplyDelete
  40. This was wonderful. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  41. This looks delicious! I was going to write and ask if you thought it would work well with pork loin and I saw a comment saying they use pork. My other question is do you think I could use pomegranate arils?
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I've been making this recipe for several years now. I always use beef cubes and extra garlic. I rarely remember to use one of my 10 crockpots (!!!)--just my Ninja 3-in-1, my favorite. I went to Karina's site and found dried cranberries could be used. I used the cranberries for last night's Valentine's Day dinner and loved it even more.

    ReplyDelete
  43. lee anne3/04/2021

    Hi - I forgot to pick up the golden raisins...Will regular raisins work??

    I too love your recipes, humor, & tips - most of all your humor 😉 😂
    So glad I subscribed to your email! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipes. Just turned on my roast for the day! Can’t wait.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Regular raisins work great, I've used both. This is one of my favorite recipes. She is amazing. Hope your family liked it!

    ReplyDelete
  45. JimmyB7/17/2022

    What would you think of a pork loin roast instead of beef for this recipe?

    ReplyDelete
  46. JimmyB7/20/2022

    I made this last night and it was delicious! Even my picky eater who does not like anything "weird" liked it. I followed the recipe almost exactly with one small exception. I did not have fire roasted tomatoes so I used a can of stewed tomatoes and added a 1/4 tsp. of smoky paprika. I used regular raisins. I took the juice from the slow cooker and added a bit of flour and cooked it for a while to reduce and thicken it a bit. To answer my earlier question I think this would be delicious with chicken or pork. It was so nice being able to assemble dinner for 30 minutes just before lunch and know that dinner was prepared. Thanks for posting.

    ReplyDelete