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.
I see instant pot.. but is possible in a crockpot?
Hi Amy, this recipe is great in the slow cooker. We follow the same cooking instructions at our Mississippi Pot Roast recipe.
Oh my! I love cooking! This pot roast stood up to its best. I did it all as directed, except made mashed potatoes instead of the cooked.
Meat was unbelievable!
Thank you!!
An absolute go to next time!
I did the same thing. It was perfect!
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I will never attempt to use any other recipe, it was truly that good! I followed the recipe, and used all beef broth (I don’t like wine) which was suggested, and it was the best roast I have ever made! kudos!
Can I do a dry rub on the roast the night before?
I have never tried a dry rub on this roast the night before but would love to hear how it turns out for you!
This is a good recipe for the most part. But…if you plan on serving eight, you’d better put a whole lot more potatoes and carrots in that pot. I’ve always added a good tablespoon of Kitchen Bouquet to the top of the roast as well. Beautiful color.
I have a big family and have a 6.5lb roast. How long would I cook it before adding veggies and then would it still be 2hrs afterwards? Thank you!
I would add at least 1 hour before the final 2 hours. If it isn’t tender, you can cook it a little bit longer. I’d suggest allowing for extra time because once it’s cooked, it will keep on warm for quite a while.
This roast was seriously amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever commented on a recipe before but I couldn’t not with this one and I was even missing Rosemary ! Absolutely Delicious !!!!
Perfect every time
Have made this a number of times and it is a hit every time.
This is my favorite pot roast recipe! I use it with a crockpot.
I would like to use an Instapot pressure cooker this time. Will I need to change anything as a result?
I use this recipe for Instant Pot Pot Roast.
Thank you.
I made it with your Instapot recipe and it came out perfectly.
So glad you loved it Donna!
Yes the most delicious pot roast I have ever made. I did add extra carrots and celery and broth as this time I wanted to serve it over mashed potatoes with more gravy. The whole family said it was great! Another keeper Holly. Thank you
Best pot roast recipe I’ve tried!
Great
Hi! I have about 43 minutes left until I add my veggies to my pot roast. I wanted to know if I should shimmy them underneath the roast and add more beef broth, or just add directly on top of the roast and not add more broth? I just want to make sure my liquid level and positioning are good for both the meat and veggies. Thanks!!
We add the vegetables around the edge of the roast as shown in the pictures. I hope that helps, Kacey!
This was fabulous. I didn’t have the rosemary or wine and it still turned out great. I subbed in a cup of vegetable broth (better than bouillon) for the wine. I added a little Kitchen Bouquet to the gravy and our meal was so good that my husband even commented on how good it was. My roast was about 2.5 lbs. and I cooked this for a total of 3.5 hours for the tenderest, most delicious cut of meat. This was the first time I ever used my Dutch oven and wow, this was as easy as using the slow cooker only in less than half the time. Thank you for sharing this. It’s a keeper.
Absolutely perfect!
Hello Holly, what could I use in place of red wine?
Hello Brigade. A good substitute for red wine would be beef broth. I hope that helps.
I slow roasted a 2.25 lb. of boneless beef chuck roast for about 3 hours on 300 degrees in the oven and the inside was tender, however outside was black. What did I do wrong? I also had a tight fitting cover of tinfoil.
This recipe uses a 3 to 4 pound roast so if your roast was smaller, it may have needed a bit less time.
Just “bake for 2 hours”
At what temperature?
Same for 1 pound, 2 pounds, 5 pounds?
Clearly not proofread by anyone with any cooking experience.
Please scroll down or click Jump to Recipe at the top to find the full details. They are all there ;)
Temp is clearly stated in recipe. Clearly not understood by people who have no experience reading recipes.
Clearly, reading is not big on your list of accomplishments.
Hi, there
I noted that you said this can be done in a crockpot…would you advise simply transferring to the crockpot after searing? Would the amount of liquids stay the same and would the veggies be added at the same time as the roast?
Hi Maureen, that is correct. Then cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Let us know how it turns out!
This is the most amazing delicious pot roast recipe I have ever made.