Slow Cooker Slightly Sweet n' Spicy Gochujang Pot Roast (GF/DF)

Fast to prep, slow to cook, fall apart tender, bursting with flavor & loaded with protein, collagen, gelatin + minerals to support your hormones (esp. during your menstrual phase).

I am in my slow cooker era and I’m here for it!

Not gonna lie, it took me awhile to arrive at this magical place. I remember when my husband bought me one for Christmas and it sat on a shelf in the pantry, unused and dusty for years. 🤷🏻‍♀️

But I’m the kind of person who will only do something if and when I feel ready. And rest assured, once I’m in, I’m all in (yes some people also refer to that as an obsessive tendency 😉).

I finally unearthed that slow cooker from the bottom pantry shelf when I started recipe testing for my cookbook during the winter of 2023. I was personally using the Dutch oven + oven method to slow cook recipes, but I knew a lot of people preferred a slow cooker for a “set it and forget it” option so they had freedom and flexibility to leave their house, and I wanted to give the people what they want!

But then, this fall, I pulled it back out one day and used it to slow cook my apple cider braised pork shoulder. We had a busy day with the kids’ schedules and I needed to be able to come and go, but also wanted a yummy dinner that would be ready when we got home.

I spent 30 minutes getting everything prepped and ready in the morning, and then turned that slow cooker on to low and let it work it’s magic all day long. And let me tell you, the whole day I felt such a sense of peace.

Truly, it felt like a huge weight off my shoulders. Dinner would be ready on time (i.e. before the kids started melting down), it would definitely be delicious, and there was very little active work I had left to do for it (i.e. low effort, big reward).

Since then, I’ve been regularly implementing slow cooker recipes into my routine, and I have to say this Slightly Sweet n’ Spicy Gochujang Pot Roast is one of the fam’s absolute faves (I leave off the extra sauce + kimchi for the kids).

Just like the name suggests, it’s both slightly sweet and spicy (although you can easily make it more or less spicy depending on your preference) and boasts such a unique, delicious flavor profile (smoky! umami! tangy!) thanks to the gochujang paste (I use a delicious, gluten-free brand).

I also love slow cooking chuck roast, which is a more affordable cut of beef that includes the neck, shoulder and upper arm. It’s a tough cut due to the high amount of connective tissue and muscle, but when slowly cooked it breaks down the collagen in the meat, turning it into gelatin (aka the superfood for your skin, gut, hormones, etc.!) and tenderizing it until it literally falls apart.

Bottomline, it’s budget-friendly, delicious and rich in bioavailable nutrients that have been scientifically linked to an array of healthy benefits, from reducing intestinal inflammation and boosting digestion, to strengthening and repairing our tissues (skin, bones, muscles and tendons), which is why I especially love it during the menstrual phase or postpartum (helps with rebuilding the uterine lining, abdominal muscles and pelvic floor).

And, lest we forget it’s paired with rice, which let’s be honest everyone loves and gives this dish versatile bowl vibes (add broccoli! drizzle with a sriracha! top with a fried egg with leftovers for breakfast!). Then there’s the kimchi, which supplies extra funky flavor and a healthy dose of probiotics to support gut health.

This is not your traditional pot roast, but it is fun, flavorful, unique and the perfect cozy winter/holiday dish to make if you’re entertaining a crowd (I’ll be making it when we host guests over the holidays due to the low effort it takes and high reward it yields). I can’t recommend anything more to take some of the mental and physical load off of your plate this season (without sacrificing flavor or nourishment).

PSSST: This recipe also includes stovetop/Dutch oven instructions for those that prefer this method/don’t have a slow cooker!