Making London Broil in the Crockpot yields a juicy, fork-tender roast beef swimming in a luscious, herby brown gravy, all with only 11 ingredients and 15 minutes of active prep. This cozy, comforting slow cooker classic is a cold-weather favorite!
As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, I’m starting to crave stick-to-your-ribs fare. There’s no better (or easier) way to make hearty roasts, meaty stews, and flavorful gravies than your trusty Crockpot, which makes it a no-brainer for this simple recipe.
Give your meat a quick sear all over to get some of that crave-worthy Maillard reaction happening, then toss it in your crock pot with the remaining ingredients, set it, and forget it. (Well, forget is a strong word. The heavenly smells it gives off will make that darn near impossible.)
Perhaps the best part is that the marinating happens at the same time as cooking, meaning you can eat the roast just hours after your cravings kick in. For reference, in regular London Broil recipes, you need 2-3 hours of marinating time per inch of roast to tenderize the cheaper cut of meat. I’ll call that a serious time-saving win!
Aside from being a very low-lift recipe that takes just 15 minutes to get in the crockpot, this slow cooker London broil is as flavorful and tender as can be. Seriously, give it a try tonight and reap the benefits all week long!
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What does slow cooker London broil taste like?
Rich, beefy, and super tender slices of meat are coated with rosemary and thyme-scented gravy in this lovely crockpot London broil recipe. When served on a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes with a side of sweet roasted carrots, you’ve basically got a Norman Rockwell painting on a plate.
If I had to distill the flavor down to one sentence, it tastes like our big family-style Sunday suppers at my Nana’s house when I was a kid. In other words, it tastes like PURE COMFORT.
Ingredients
As promised, you only need 11 ingredients to make this London broil in a crockpot. Here’s what to grab:
- Avocado Oil – Any neutral flavored, high smoke-point oil will work here, but avocado is one of the best sources of heart-healthy oleic acid.
- London Broil – The original 1910’s recipe for London broil called for flank steak, but technically the term only refers to the cooking method. Any lean, thick, tough cut can be used here, including top round or top sirloin.
- Low Sodium Beef Broth – Either homemade or store-bought can be used here, but choose a nice brand since this will form the base of your gravy.
- Fresh Rosemary & Thyme – For herby flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce – For a dose of umami.
- Garlic – It’s a staple in basically all of my favorite savory dishes. Feel free to add as much as you like, especially since it’s vampire season. 🤷♀️
- Onion Powder – For a sweeter, tamer onion flavor with the added benefit of preventing tears.
- Salt – For seasoning.
- Unsalted Grass-Fed Butter – For rich mouthfeel in the gravy.
- Cornstarch – To thicken the gravy.
Substitutions
I think this London broil slow cooker recipe is pretty spot on, but there’s always room for customization depending on your family’s preferences and what you have on hand. Here are a few substitutions to consider:
- Avocado Oil – Sunflower oil, safflower oil, or grapeseed oil are all relatively healthy substitutions. You can also use peanut oil, vegetable oil, corn oil, or canola oil if that’s what you keep on hand.
- Low Sodium Beef Broth – While I tend to want to get the beefiest flavor possible in my gravy, you can easily swap in chicken or veggie stock or broth.
- Fresh Rosemary & Thyme Leaves – If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, swap in between 1/3 – 1/2 as much dried herbs instead.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Lea & Perrin’s has been a staple in my cupboard since I learned how to cook. That said, feel free to swap in soy sauce, fish sauce, or any of these possible substitutes depending on your needs.
- Garlic – I like the more potent flavor of fresh cloves, but feel free to use garlic powder instead.
- Onion Powder – I love the flavor of onions, but I’m not a huge fan of their papery skin that seems to get everywhere or their uncanny ability to make me sob. If those aren’t major concerns, feel free to swap in fresh minced onion or shallot instead.
- Salt – I reach for kosher salt for most of my day-to-day cooking needs. If you’re using a different type of salt (e.g. fine sea salt), check this conversion chart for proper measurement.
- Unsalted Grass-Fed Butter – Grass-fed butter is higher in vitamin K2 as well as heart-healthy fats like omega-3s and CLA. That said, you can easily swap in conventional butter or even plant-based butter if you prefer. If you only have salted butter on hand, consider cutting back on the salt you add.
- Cornstarch – If corn is a no-no, you can use an equal amount of arrowroot powder/starch instead. You can also use 2/3 as much tapioca starch, rice starch, or unflavored instant potato granules.
Instructions
Step 1: Sear. Heat the oil to medium-high and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side. Place in the slow cooker.
Step 2: Whisk beef broth, rosemary, Worchestershire sauce, thyme, garlic, onion powder, and salt until combined. Pour over the meat in the slow cooker. Place the butter on top of the meat and close the lid.
Step 3: Cook on Low for 8 hours until the meat is tender and almost falling apart.
Step 4: Rest Meat & Finish Gravy. Remove roast from slow cooker. In a small bowl, make a slurry with cornstarch and water. Whisk the slurry into the boiling liquid remaining in the slow cooker until thickened.
Step 5: Serve. Cut or shred the London broil, then serve over mashed potatoes. Top with gravy from the slow cooker and dig in!
Tips & FAQ
When it comes to tough cuts of meat like we use for London broil, I’m always a fan of the low and slow cooking method. Cooking at a lower temperature for a longer time helps to break down the connective tissues that can cause leaner cuts to be tough. Once they’re broken down over a long period of time, your roast will be nearly tender enough to cut with a fork!
Yes, but only to a point. The moist, low heat of the crockpot provides a great environment to break down the collagen and connective tissues that make the meat tough. However, the muscle fibers cook faster than the connective tissues, and they begin to shrink and become tough when they’re “overcooked.”
The trick is to find the balance — once your meat is fork tender, it’s time to stop the cooking process. With my slow cooker (or my Instant Pot set to slow cook), that takes about 8 hours.
The whole purpose of London broil was to make tough cuts of meat more tender by marinating, cooking, and then slicing them thinly against the grain. With my crockpot London broil recipe, you’re destined to have a super tender, shreddable roast at the end, no marinating or turning under the broiler required.
I suggest letting your London broil rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting in order to let the juices redistribute throughout the meat.
It’s mostly just a matter of branding. Crock-Pot is a brand whose name has become synonymous with slow cooking (much like Kleenex is often used as the word for “facial tissue”).
A crock-pot is therefore a type of slow cooker, most often made with a ceramic insert. Other types of slow cookers have metal inserts. Either way, crockpots and slow cookers both use moist heat over prolonged periods to cook their contents. Which style you use is entirely up to you!
PRO TIP: If you happen to have an Instant Pot on hand, you can actually use the sauté function to sear the meat first, then switch over to the slow cooking function so you have fewer pots to clean at the end.
Nutritional Info
Since this London broil crock pot recipe is made using lean beef, it is actually pretty virtuous. In fact, even with the gravy, one serving of this meal is just over 400 calories, meaning there’s plenty of room left on your plate for some creamy mashies and roasted veggies. YUM!
As if that weren’t enough to love, one serving boasts a whopping 49 grams of protein — that’s almost the full daily value for a 140-lb woman! With only 9 grams of carbohydrates and 21 grams of fat, this is a meal that even carb-conscious folks can get behind.
While it’s still advised that you keep red meat consumption to 2-3 times per week, it’s clear that this lean roast is one of the healthier ways to enjoy it. Plus, let’s not forget that beef is an excellent source of iron, zinc, and B vitamins, making this a wholesome, well-balanced, and nutritious dish.
Total nutritional content per serving is:
- Calories: 423 calories
- Total Fat: 21 grams
- Protein: 49 grams
- Sodium: 524 mg
- Carbohydrates: 9 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Pricing Info
This is what I personally paid to make this recipe:
- 2 tbsp avocado oil: $0.55
- 2 – 2 ½ lbs London broil: $6.61
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth: $0.82
- 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary: $0.40
- 2 tsp Worchestershire sauce: $0.09
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves: $0.17
- 2 tsp minced garlic: $0.14
- 1 tsp onion powder: $0.04
- ½ tsp salt: $0.01
- 2 tbsp unsalted grass-fed butter: $0.25
- 3 tbsp cornstarch: $0.11
The total to make this recipe comes out to be around $9.19 or roughly $2.29 per serving.
Sides
Wondering what to serve with your crockpot London broil? I suggest pairing it with some kind of potato (because meat & potatoes are meant to be) and
- Dutch Oven Potatoes
- Boursin Mashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Delicata Squash
- Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe
- Or any of my Easy Vegetable Side Dishes!
Other cold-weather ready recipes
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Tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comments below! I would really appreciate your feedback!
Recipe
London Broil in the Crockpot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 – 2 ½ lbs London broil
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth
- 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted grassfed butter
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Heat the oil on medium-high in a large skillet. Add the London broil and sear for 2-3 minutes. Flip the London broil, and sear the other side for 2-3 minutes more. Remove and place in the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix together the beef broth, rosemary, Worchestershire sauce, thyme, garlic, onion powder, and salt until combined. Pour over the meat in the slow cooker.
- Place the butter on top of the meat and close the lid. Slow cooker for 8 hours on low until the meat is tender and almost falling apart.
- Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest while you make the gravy. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with the cold water until well combined. Whisk the cornstarch into the boiling liquid remaining in the slow cooker until thickened (see notes).
- Cut or shred the London broil, then serve over mashed potatoes. Top with gravy from the slow cooker!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you end up making this and loving it, take a photo and tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your versions of my recipes! And feel free to rate it down below in the comment section. I would really appreciate it!
xoxo Megan
love how tender this is, I really enjoy tender beef dishes with lots of mashed potatoes and cooked carrots
I love making things in my crock pot, so this looks perfect! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it was a savory success! Hearty, delicious and packed with flavor! Easily, a new favorite recipe!
Oooh, I love how there is only 15 minutes of prep with the use of the slow cooker. This London broil looks fantastic with such an amazing texture.
This looks like perfect comfort food to me! Can’t wait to try this recipe soon. 🙂