Perfect Pot Roast Recipe - Tender & Flavorful

This pot roast recipe is foolproof, you literally can’t mess it up. Fresh ingredients (no packets!), tender beef, and lots of veggies smothered in gravy—it deserves a permanent spot in your recipe rotation.

A plate of perfect Pot Roast with cooked carrots and gravy

This recipe 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.

Seriously, check out the reviews!

Chuck roast, vegetables, and other ingredients prepared for a pot roast recipe

Ingredient Tips For The Perfect Pot Roast

Beef: Chuck roast is the best choice for this pot roast recipe. Other cuts of beef with marbling, like round roast or rump roast, are also great options for cooking low and slow.
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: Carrots, celery, and potatoes are added to this pot roast recipe, but 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.
Gravy: The base of the gravy is the juices from the meat, thickened with either cornstarch or flour.

How to Make a Pot Roast

This is an overview of the steps to make a pot roast—find full details below!

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.

What can I cook it in if I don’t have a Dutch Oven?

What can I use instead of wine?

You can use additional beef broth in place of wine.

My roast is a different size, how long should I cook it?

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

Can I cook it in a slow cooker?

This can be made in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. The slow cooker has less evaporation, so reduce the broth to 1 cup and the wine to ½ cup.

Do I have to sear the roast?

I recommend searing the roast for extra flavor. You can certainly skip the searing if you’d like.

More Chuck Roast Favorites

I make this pot roast recipe with chuck roast because it’s so buttery and tender. Here are a few other favorites for chuck.

Storing Leftover Pot Roast

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.

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

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Pot Roast Recipe

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

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

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.

Red wine can be replaced with additional beef broth. Any dry red wine can be used—it doesn’t have to be expensive to add great flavor. I often use Cabernet Sauvignon as I have it on hand, but you can use Malbec, merlot, or Cabernet franc among others.
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.

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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