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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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 only have a small dutch oven (I regret not registering for a large one!) Can I use a regular large pot that is oven safe or should I just put it in a slow cooker? Thank you! I’m really excited to try this!
Hey Lauren, It should work in an oven-safe pot but you can always put it into the slow cooker to be safe.
I made this last week and it was delicious! I followed the recipe as written. Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Hi Tonya, This can cook in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
Delicious! My husband, son & I loved it. Even made the gravy(I don’t do that often) and it turned out wonderfully.
Btw I have tried your grilled chicken sandwiches a few times; each time was great with the homemade honey mustard
Thank you for sharing Julia! I’m so glad to hear that you’re loving the recipes!
Very good recipe for beef roast. I wonder why the recipes never call for Kitchen Bouquet? My Mom taught me to pour it over the roast before putting it in the oven and the finished color is beautiful! I use Better than Bullion instead of beef broth. The taste is better and the sodium content is lower.
That sounds like a delicious addition, thanks for sharing Mary!
I’ve made this for my family of 5, and we loved it so much that I want to cook it for family coming into town. There will be 11 of us, so I thought about doubling this recipe (6 lb roast). I have a 6 qt dutch oven, will that be big enough? Also, how long should I cook a roast of that size? Thank you!
If it fits in your dutch oven, which I believe it should, it will probably take 5.5-6hrs. Check your 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.
Very very good and easy meal to prepare! Everyone loved this roast, it was super tender and full of flavor!
Thank you.Easy and JUST PLAIN GOOD.So hot today cooked on the stove top.
Delicious…I added Worcestershire sauce; a can of roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms and green beans with more wine and it was perfect❣️
Recipe was perfect! Family LOVED IT!
Followed the recipe, and overall, it was great! There is a lot of liquid, enough to cover the roast, and most of the veggies. Because of that, the veggies were a touch softer than we’d prefer. Next time, I will probably put the veggies in with only 1 hour left, so they don’t cook quite as long. Flavor was excellent, and the roast was wonderfully tender and flavorful!
What is a good inexpensive red wine to use?
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 Chrissi. You can ask at the liquor store for a full bodied red wine and they’ll be able to recommend something. Enjoy!
How long should I cook a 2lb roast?
We haven’t tried a roast of that size Carolyn, but think it would be about 2 ½ hours. I’d suggest that you check after 2 hours to see how tender it is. Enjoy!
Did you keep the rest of the recipe the same with a 2lb roast?
Hi Molly, you should be able to keep the rest the same with great results. You will just end up with a higher ratio of veggies to meat :)
Will cooking at 300 for 4 hrs get the roast well done? Roast is 3.5 lb
Yes, it may be done slightly before 4 hours. Enjoy Helen!
I only had a 2# roast… something came up and I had to leave the house and turned off the oven with roast still in it. Came home, placed on stove top to bring to a boil again and back in the oven for another 1.5 hours.
– family agrees Best Pot Roast I have ever made. Flavors and texture were perfect.
Made this exactly as written. Used angus chuck roast. So tender and delicious. Thankyou
You’re welcome Jean! So happy to hear that!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I used fresh herbs instead of dried and we loved it! Thank you for this keeper recipe!
You’re welcome Deb!
Chuck roast with potatoes and carrots came out great. Cooked 3 lb. roast for 4 hours at 325.
Cooked 3 lb. Chuck roast at 325 for 4 hours with potatoes and carrots in beef broth. Came out great
I just made this recipe with a 2 1/2 pound chuck roast. Seared it with S&P in EVOO ’til brown. I hate the texture of celery, so did not use stalks. I did use 1 tsp dried celery seasoning, just because. Also used organic dried onion and garlic. Not a fan of cooking with wine, so used 1/2 cup beef broth and half cup of Captain Morgan. Brought it to a simmer, covered it, and put in in the 300 degree oven for an hour and a half. Put in some baby potatoes and baby carrots and cooked for another hour and a half. Internal temp was over 170 degrees, potatoes were done, so set it out to serve. Seeing as how it was over 170 degrees, the alcohol cooked off, leaving the spice flavor.
This really turned out nice! My family very much enjoyed it for dinner. No leftovers. I will be doing it again with a MUCH larger roast so I can some sandwiches the next day!
Thank You!!
You’re welcome Don! Awesome to hear that!
I am making mine with 2 roasts about 2.5-3 lbs each. How long should I cook it?
We haven’t tried with that size roast, but I’d suggest checking after about 2 ½ hours to see how done they are. Likely they’ll take about 3+ hours. Make sure that the roasts are not teaching and have space around them for air circulation. Enjoy Danielle!
Im going to try this recipe but u do have a question. What kind of red wine should i use and can this also be done in a crock pot?
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. This can be cooked in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours. Enjoy the roast!
Your “Perfect Pot Roast” is THE BEST!!!! We raise our own beef (so we eat a lot of it), so Im always looking for ways to prepare a delicious and tender cut of beef and this is it! Thank You!
You’re welcome Carrie! So glad you love the pot roast recipe!