Pot Roast Recipe

This homemade pot roast recipe is easy comfort food at its best!

With simple steps, a beef chuck roast slow cooks in the oven with onions, carrots, and potatoes until melt in your mouth tender.

Serve it up with a rich, savory gravy for the perfect cozy meal.

This recipe has rave reviews and results in a tender roast every time!
It’s easy to make with staple ingredients.
Pot roast is cooked with veggies to make a full meal in a single pot.
I’ve included step-by-step instructions for a savory gravy.

ingredients to make a pot roast on a sheet pan

What You’ll Need for a Perfect Pot Roast

Beef: My first choice for pot roast is chuck roast since it becomes so tender. Other tougher cuts of beef with marbling, like round or rump roasts, become tender and create flavorful gravies as they cook low and slow. You can also use a pork shoulder or Boston butt in this recipe.
Onions: I cook the onions along with the roast, and they melt into the gravy, adding lots of flavor. If you’d like chunks of onion, add extra with the other vegetables.
Vegetables: Carrots, celery, and potatoes are added to this pot roast recipe, but you can add other veggies like mushrooms, turnips, or sweet potatoes.
Broth: I use beef broth or stock along with red wine to braise the meat. You can replace the wine with additional broth. Do not use low-sodium broth.
Gravy: The base of the gravy is the juices from the meat thickened with either cornstarch or flour.

a seared pot roast with onions in a Dutch oven

How to Make 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 roast.
Add onions & broth: Add onions, broth, wine, and seasonings. Bake in the oven.
Add veggies: Add vegetables and cook until the roast and veggies are tender.
Make gravy: Separate the fat from the drippings and prepare the gravy according to the recipe directions.

separating pot roast drippings to make gravy

Holly’s Pro Tips for Pot Roast

Sear for flavor: Searing the beef adds extra flavor. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot (AKA the fond) before making the gravy.
Rest the meat: Remove the meat from the pot and allow it to rest while making the gravy.
Check with a fork: For best results, use a fork to check the roast. It should fall apart easily. If the meat isn’t fork tender, cover it and cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes—then check it again.
Cooking times can 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

Storing Leftover Pot Roast

Keep leftover pot roast in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze portions in zippered bags for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat on the stovetop, adding more broth if necessary.

Leftovers?

Did you make this classic Pot Roast Recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below!

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

4.99 from 1772 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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This Pot Roast is slow-cooked with potatoes and veggies to savory, tender perfection.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours 10 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes

Servings 8 servings

For the Gravy

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, 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.

To Make Gravy:

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.

To make gravy with a roux, add 4 tablespoons flour and 4 tablespoons butter to a saucepan and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually add 3 to 4 cups of the skimmed drippings, whisking after each addition until smooth. Let boil 1 minute and season with additional salt and pepper.
Store leftovers up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

4.99 from 1772 votes

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

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