This pot roast recipe is foolproof. With fresh ingredients (no packets!), it has the best flavor and the beef slowly roasts until it is fall-apart tender. It’s a complete, cozy meal in one pot, with tender meat and lots of veggies, smothered in rich gravy.
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Here’s Why Thousands Rave About This Pot Roast Recipe…
- This recipe has been tested to perfection and makes a tender roast every time.
- It’s easy to make with fresh ingredients. No packets or ‘cream of’ soup needed.
- Vegetables are added to make it a complete meal in just one pot.
- I’ve included step-by-step instructions for a savory gravy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Easy to prepare, this recipe never disappoints! It is tender and tasty every time. I use the Dutch oven in my oven and it slowly cooks to perfection!”
What is Pot Roast?
This is a classic recipe and for good reason! A pot roast is a beef roast that generally starts with a tougher cut of beef. Cooking at a low temperature for a long time breaks down the tough connective tissues resulting in deliciously tender beef with a flavorful gravy.
Ingredient Notes
- Beef: The best cut for pot roast is a chuck roast or boneless beef blade roast. Other cuts of beef with marbling, like round roast or rump roast, are also great options for cooking low and slow. Be sure to select a roast that has lots of marbling in it which carries flavor and helps make the gravy absolutely mouth-watering!
- Onions: Cook the onions with the roast, they will dissolve into the gravy, adding flavor. If you’d like chunks of onion, add extra with the other vegetables.
- Vegetables: Baby potatoes are a great choice. They don’t require peeling and hold their shape well (russet potatoes tend to fall apart, although they still taste great). Cut the carrots and celery a bit bigger so they don’t overcook. You can add other veggies like mushrooms, turnips, or sweet potatoes.
- Broth: Use beef stock and red wine when cooking the meat. You can replace the wine with additional broth. Do not use low-sodium broth, or the gravy won’t have enough flavor.
How to Make a Pot Roast
This is an overview of the steps to make a pot roast. Find full details below!
- Sear beef: Season and sear the beef chuck roast in a Dutch oven or large pot.
- Add onions & liquid: Add onions, broth, wine, and seasonings. Bake in the oven for 2 hours.
- Add vegetables: Add vegetables and cook until the roast and vegetables are tender.
- Make gravy: Separate the fat from the drippings and prepare the gravy according to the recipe directions.
How to Check if Pot Roast Is Done
For this recipe (which uses the technique of braising), skip the thermometer and go by feel. Insert a fork into the roast and twist it slightly. It should be very tender, have very little resistance, and come apart easily.
If the meat isn’t fork-tender, cover it and cook for 20 to 30 minutes longer, then check it again.
Instead of a Dutch oven, try using an oven-safe pot with a lid, a deep roasting pan covered tightly with foil, or a casserole dish with an oven-safe lid.
You can use additional beef broth in place of wine.
Cooking times vary depending on the size and type of roast you purchase. Here are approximate cooking times for pot roast in the oven:
– Cook a 3 lb. roast for a total of 3-3.5 hours
– Cook a 4 lb. roast for a total of 3.5-4 hours
– Cook a 5 lb. roast for a total of 4.5-5 hours
Cook times can vary based on the type of roast. Check the roast with a fork, if it is tough, the roast probably needs MORE time to cook. Cover it back up and let it keep on cooking.
Turn this into a slow cooker pot roast recipe with the following changes:
Reduce the broth to 1 cup and the wine to ½ cup.
Cook in the slow cooker on 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.
Note: In our tests, we found the roast to be more tender when cooked on low. Larger roasts will need extra time.
I recommend searing the roast to create a flavorful crust. This, along with deglazing the pan, really enhances the flavor of the gravy. You can certainly skip the searing if you’d like.
Turn the sauce into a great pot roast gravy in only 3 steps!
1. Whisk two tablespoons of corn starch in cold water until smooth (this is called a slurry).
2. Remove beef and veggies. Leave the broth and bring it to a simmer. You should have about two cups; add more beef broth if needed.
3. Whisk the slurry into the simmering broth until thickened.
Storing Leftovers
- Fridge: Keep leftover pot roast in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze portions in zippered bags for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
What to Serve With Pot Roast
To stretch this pot roast a little further, add some sides to go with your mouthwatering roast.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast or rump roast
- 1 large yellow onion chopped, or two small onions
- 2 cups beef broth or as needed
- 1 cup red wine *see note
- 4 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound baby potatoes or chopped red potatoes
- 4 carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 ribs celery cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
For the Gravy
- all-purpose flour or cornstarch, see notes
- butter for optional roux-based gravy, see notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Season roast with salt and pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on each side until browned, about 4 minutes per side adding more oil if needed.
- Arrange onions around the roast. Combine broth, wine, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Pour over the roast. Add bay leaf.
- Bring just to a simmer on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Once the broth is simmering, cover and place in the oven and cook 2 hours.
- Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, cover and cook an additional 2 hours (for a 4 lb. roast) or until the roast and potatoes are fork-tender.
- Discard bay leaf. Gently pull beef into large pieces with a fork or slice into thick pieces. Serve with juices or make gravy (below) if desired.
Video
Notes
- Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour with 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth.
- Remove beef and vegetables from the pot. Use a gravy separator or a spoon to separate the fat from the drippings.
- Bring the remaining broth/drippings to a boil and whisk in the slurry mixture a little bit at a time until thickened. Add extra broth if needed.
- Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
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I am cooking this now and it smells amazing! Quick question, when I add the veggies do I continue to cook covered?
Yes, it should be covered.
Delicious dinner – easy to follow recipe. My family loved it – can’t wait to make it again.
Amazin recipes
What should the internal temperature of the pot roast be. Trying it on the weekend
It is in the oven now. I followed the recipe except I didn’t have any celery. But I guess my dutch oven is a medium size. Lol I couldn’t fit my veggies in it so I put them in a baking dish for the last two hours with same seasonings. I decided to add whole mushrooms to the roast at the two hour mark. It smells wonderful. Only 1 and a half hours left, I can’t wait.
Wonderful oven pot roast, you can smell the amazing aroma all over the house
Amazing and easy. I was looking for a oven baked roast instead of slow cooker.
I added potatoes and carrots the last 1 1/2 hours of cooking. Used 2 tblsp of tomato paste. Otherwise exactly as written. My new favorite roast
And what was easy about this, this was a crazy, overworked recipe! i will never us this site again!!!
Which part did you find difficult and overworked Nancy? The roast is simply seared and baked with vegetables until tender. The gravy is optional.
disregard!
I am sorry, I was on the wrong recipe, I wish I had used this one. Again Sorry!
Lol. That was funny. Anyone remember the old Saturday Night Live skit: “Nevermind.” Don’t feel bad Nancy, we’ve all done such things. So make the roast. It’s a perfect recipe. Just like my sans the wine.
Sometimes you’ve just gotta chuckle.
Your recipe looks superb!
Don’t tell Nancy, but I’m going to smoke the chuck roast for 30 minutes before it goes in the oven.
How may I ask if any of that hard for difficult? I did more than what was in the recipe and I still didn’t have any problem I am a guy 60 years old on my own for the first time in my life cooking for myself it turned out great…
I’m not a drinker so I don’t have any wine in my house. But there’s a liquor store right down the street. I know nothing about wine. Can you possibly tell me what to look for?
I usually use a cabernet as that’s what I usually have on hand. It doesn’t have to be expensive to add great flavor to this pot roast Tina. You can ask at the liquor store for a full bodied red wine and they’ll be able to recommend something. Enjoy the roast!
Any Black Box red. Keeps for a long time. Great for cooking.
Hi Just finished making this recipe and the carrots potatoes and meat are all so tender and fabulous! Am I mixing the cornstarch slurry into the juices from the meat after removing the meat and veggies? Is that how I make the gravy?
Yes, the slurry goes into the simmering juices after removing the meat and veggies.
Not a fan of veggies with the roast as they all taste the same. Does it matter if I leave out the veggies?
You can leave out the veggies if you’d like. If you’re using the broth for gravy, I’d suggest onion and at least 1 carrot and celery for flavor.
This pot roast was wonderful!!! I didn’t have celery, so skipped it. Otherwise recipe to the tee!!!! Will make again
I didnt have beef broth, so I used chicken broth and half a can of rotel tomatos. The tomatoes cooked down and made delicious gravy! A keeper! Thank you!
Great idea Julie!
Made this last night…delicious! I only had red cooking wine and 8oz of beef broth so I added water. It was one of the best tasting gravies I’ve ever made.
That’s great to hear Theresa!
The roast had good flavor but it seemed that when I took it out of the pot to slice it it seemed a little dry. I felt like it had plenty of broth. Also, I would put the potatoes and carrots in an hour before it’s done. My potatoes and carrots got a little mushy.
Step 4 says bring to a boil, then step 5 says bring to a simmer before putting in oven?
Sorry for the confusion Jody, this should be brought to a simmer (basically to heat the liquid before it goes in the oven) just before covering.
I’m just cooking now and I replaced the wine with cooking wine, not sure how it will be. Also the recipe doesn’t say when to put in the celery, so I added with the carrots and potatoes?
Sorry for the confusion Ed, you’re right, it should be added with the carrots. I have updated the recipe. I hope you enjoyed the roast!
Do you cover it after adding veggies
Yes, it is covered in step 5. Enjoy!
Love the pot roast gonna try it tmorrow
Love the pot roast cooking it for tea tomorrow
How was it?
Will this work well in a slow cooker? If not and I follow your oven instructions should it be covered with lid or left open? Thanks
Yes, this would work well in a slow cooker too. In the oven we cook this covered with a lid.
What can I substitute for the wine?
Add additional broth in place of the wine. It will change the flavor a little, but it’ll still be delicious. Enjoy Ralphine!
If you’re a non-drinker and don’t want to use alcohol you can always use a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar it works well and tastes delicious