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.
Absolutely delicious! My family said it was a perfect A+ meal!!!
Can you use any oven safe pot?
Hi Emily, you can use a dutch oven or a large pot for this recipe!
I made a wonderful and delicious Beef Pot Roast in my oven today, 2-16-24.
It falls apart and not chewy like some of my others, I have made.
Easy to read instructions, and I was able to add my own ingredients also.
Thank you so much for helping a senior lady to prepare a wonderful evening meal for my family.
So glad you enjoyed it, Melody!
Best pot roast ever. I used a 2# roast and halved the recipe except the vegetables. I cooked it for 3 1/2 hours instead of 4 and it was perfect. This dish was easy to put together and forget about. I used a large Dutch oven and because of the one pot, easy cleanup.
I used fresh rosemary and thyme that I grow so I doubled the amount. I suggest fresh herbs and spices over dried if you have them.
This is a wonderful dish, give it a try
Thank you Penny, I love your recipes.
I made this last night using a 4 pound chuck roast. This was by far the best pot roast I’ve ever had. I did make extra gravy, because why not. It was just as good today for lunch. This will become a staple in our house.
Look’s yummy can this be done in a crockpot?
Hi Evangeline, this can cook in the crockpot on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Enjoy!
I’ve made many pot roasts in my life but this was really perfect!
I did add a few tsp. Of Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
I put the potatoes, celery and arrows in the last hour so they weren’t too mushy.
Flavors were so good!
Thank you!
Okay, I have a question about the cooking directions…
Is it covered in the oven the whole time?
Do you cook uncovered at any point?
Thanks
We bake it covered the entire time it’s in the oven.
hi, covered with ….. foil?
If you have a Dutch oven with a lid, you can use a lid but if not, heavy duty foil will work.
looking forward to this – quick question, can you use beer in this recipe? ive made pot roast with beer and loved it – your suggestion?
While I haven’t tried it, I am certain it would work as I have have successfully used beer in other stews or roasts recipes. I would suggest using the beer in place of the wine (2 cups broth, 1 cup beer). Let us know how it goes!
Great recipe and easy to make.
If you sauté the onion in the skillet you browned the meat in, you can use the wine to deglaze the skillet and save all that flavor.
I just made pot roast using this recipe, and everyone loved it!! It is very easy to follow the recipe, and the instructions are very clear.
Thanks Penny!!
How do I convert to instapot
You can find the Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe here, Michelle!
How long should this recipe take for a 2lb roast? How much time per lbs, generally?
Thanks!
For a two pounds roast, I would cook the initial 2 hours, add in the remaining ingredients and cook for one final hour checking with a meat thermometer to see ensure it is done.
Can you tell me how much of the pot roast equals one serving in your recipe? (1 Cup? 1 1/2 Cup?) I know that it serves 8, but if I wanted to separate out 8 servings ahead of time in a time efficient way, paying attention to the calories and nutrition facts, I’d need to know how large your serving size is.
Thanks!
A serving is about ⅓ to ½ pound per person depending on the size of roast you are using.
So much left out of this “beginners” recipe. So many assumptions. Sear on what? How? for example. In the oven that you preheat to 300? That doesn’t sound like searing.
Step 2 reads, 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.
When you sear meat, you are basically browning the outside of it. This keeps the juices in. If I am cooking a meat that has a lot of fat, I trim the fat and heat the fat in place of oil. Then I chuck it.
I take the meat and brown it on all sides, even on the top and bottom then put in my cooking pan or crockpot.
My new go to roast recipe. So delicious, everyone loved it! Thank you
OH MY GOODNESS! I have a staple roast recipe (I’ve used for the past 100 years) but googled this at the grocery store…and decided to try this on the fly. My family FREAKING LOVED it. And so did I! Absolutely DELICIOUS! I read the reviews and ended up just doubling the broth so I’d have extra gravy. Actually I use water and add Better Than Bouillon Premium Roasted Beef Base. I forgot to add Rosemary. Also … I didn’t add potatoes because we wanted mashed potatoes and gravy. HOLY SMOKES! I can’t wait to make this again! Also … I never cook with cooking wines but I added the full cup that it called for … I won’t hesitate to use cooking wine again! I will definitely check out more recipes here on Spend with Pennies! What a find! ❤️❤️❤️
I’ve tried to leave negative reviews 3 times and it keeps blocking my review, so if this goes through, the roast was stringy, watery, and bland. Was looking for new recipes for roast, but was disappointed in this one. Not one I’d use again
I’m sorry to hear that, Josh. Thank you for trying our recipe.
This pot roast was delicious and so easy to make! I trimmed some of the fat from the pot roast before cooking to please my picky husband and added some cognac with the red wine since I didn’t have a full cup. Served it with homemade focaccia to sop up the juices. Yummo!