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
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
How long would I need to cook it if it was in a crock pot?
Hi Frances, this can cook in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Let us know how it turns out!
Would cook times still apply if I use two 2 lb roasts? That’s what my husband just brought home from the store so I’d put both 2lb roasts in together but does that change or impact anything?
Hi Jill, that should work fine. Just check them early by pulling a piece of meat with a fork. It should be really tender. If you’ve checked it early and it’s tough, it likely still needs more time.
Turned out great! The addition of the wine makes it real nice.
I goofed and didn’t read the whole instructions in advance, so I added all of the vegetables at the beginning without seeing that I was supposed to add them half-way through. If anybody else reading this did the same thing, don’t fret, it’ll turn out fine, although I imagine it would have been better if I’d followed the instructions.
I also used dried herbs instead of fresh just because that was what I had (I just put in an amount that “seemed right”) and skipped the celery.
I am glad you enjoyed it, Ryan!
Can I substitute cooking wine?
Cooking wine should be just fine in this recipe Pat. Enjoy!
Made last night for hubby and adult kids. They loved it. Easy easy.
First time cooking with red wine with a pot roast! This was so good and will make again!! You’ll definitely go back for seconds!!
Hi,
I can not wait to try you Pot Roast recipe. I was wondering if I can make the Pot Roast a day before serving it? My family is coming over and I want to spend time playing with my grandchildren and making gravy at the last minute. Please advise.
That should work well. I would love to hear how it turns out, Sonia!
Thanks for a delicious pot roast!!! I didn’t have red wine, so I used all beef broth; I’m sure it would’ve been even better with the wine.
I’m so glad to read you didn’t have red wine and it still turned out good. I’m cooking as I type this . I added some worcestershire and some 1/2c of French onion soup in can. Hoping mine turns out tasty with my extra dashes of this and that ha!
Came out really good! I have a 5.5 quart Dutch oven and I used about a 3.5 lbs chuck roast. Cooked in the oven for 2 hours, added the veggies and then added extra seasoning and cooked for another hour and a half. The meat was falling apart, it was delicious! The gravy was perfect too! Definitely going to make again!
I made this for the first time yesterday and it was a huge hit. I only changed one thing, I left out the celery due to personal preference.
Thank you for an easy delicious recipe. We can’t wait for leftovers.
I’m 73 years old and have been cooking pot roasts forever…this is the best recipe! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much, Gloria! That is so sweet of you. I am glad you enjoyed it.
What kind of red wine works best for this?
I use whatever I have on hand (which is usually a cabernet). It doesn’t have to be expensive to add great flavor to this pot roast. Ask your local liquor store for a full-bodied red wine and they can usually recommend something that will work well. Hope that helps!
wow, it is PLG. (plate lick’en good). I just made this today. and with just few little changes. my wife said that I did great. plus can we have it again soon. I added a 1/4 c. of aged sherry vinegar, 2 tbl of worcestershire sauce. 2 bayleaves, and 6 gloves of garlic plus upped the the rosemary and thyme to 1 tsp and 4 cups of beef bone stock. this is a definitely keeper for next time.
PLG, I love that Kenny! So glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent recipe. My family and I think it’s the best pot roast we’ve ever had. Love, love and highly recommend.
Made it for the first time today. I wanted an oven cooked recipe. I followed the recipe to a “T”. It came out perfect. Very tasty, tender and moist. The vegetables also came out perfect.
Bake for two hour at what temp?
We preheat the oven to 300°F in step 1 and then bake for 4 hours total in steps 5 and 6. I hope that helps!
Wondering if a person would need to use wine or could you just add more beef broth?
You can substitute the wine for additional broth if you prefer.
What if I don’t have a Dutch oven or a slow cooker/ crock pot- can I sear the meat and then put it in a roasting pan and cover it with foil?
It should be fine in a covered with foil in a roasting pan. You’ll want to cook until the meat is very tender, if it’s not tender, you can add a little more time.
The title says it all! Hands-down, best pot roast, while also being the easiest I have ever made! This is definitely our family pot roast recipe now ♥️ I did add my own personal little touch by searing the chuck in bacon fat which added some extra yummy, but it would stand fabulously without it.
THANK YOU Ms. Holly for this DELISH recipe!!!!! My Hubby LOVED IT and he’s Mr. PICKY!!!! The vegetable were soft yet firm!!!!
So happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for trying our recipe.