This Dutch Oven Pot Roast recipe comes equipped with a rich and savory pot roast gravy that clings to the beef and veggies in all the right ways. The coziest of all comfort food dinners and the ultimate Sunday supper.
This fork-tender pot roast is easily customizable. The beef, carrots, and potatoes are guaranteed to come out perfectly cooked. It's the one-pot recipe that *must* be a staple in your family, and the reviews are evidence that this recipe is a keeper.
Those of you returning to this recipe will find a new look. But don't be alarmed! I have not changed the recipe! This pot roast recipe was originally published in 2018, but I've updated the post with step-by-step photos, instructions, and information to better serve our growing audience.
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Perfectly Tender Pot Roast
The best cut of beef for a tender roast is beef chuck shoulder roast, and a three-hour braise is perfect for a four-five-pound chuck shoulder.
When it comes to making a perfect pot roast, it's all about cooking the right cut of meat low and slow, at the right temperature, in the right amount of liquid, and for the right amount of time. When all of these factors come together, a fork-tender pot roast is the result every single time.
Braising sounds technical, but don't be alarmed. It simply means you are cooking something partially in liquid (not necessarily submerged) in a covered dish. Dutch ovens are your best friend for this cooking process.
After a nice crust has been developed from searing, the beef goes out and the vegetables go in for a quick sauté. This elegant yet simple pot roast only calls for onions and carrots from the vegetable department. The carrots add a subtle sweetness to an otherwise savory dish, and they're absolutely perfect coated in a thick and luscious pot roast gravy.
A bonus to this dish is that it has a built-in gravy--not broth--perfectly thick enough to cling to the meat and veggies served with your pot roast.
Pot roast that is tough and chewy is undercooked, and pot roast that is dry and tough is overcooked. With this recipe, you avoid any and all negative outcomes, which is why it truly.is the most perfect pot roast you'll ever try.
Why a Dutch Oven is Best for Pot Roast
Dutch ovens are by far the best product out there for braising meats. For this Dutch oven pot roast recipe, you need a 4-½-to-7-quart Dutch oven. It allows you to build an incredible amount of flavor in just one vessel. It is also an excellent even-heat distributor because of its thick cast iron makeup.
The perfect pot roast recipe is all about building flavor, and the sear is where the flavor begins. After the roast is seared, it leaves behind a plethora of savory fats and juices on the Dutch oven floor.
Then, the vegetables take a turn in all that beefy goodness, picking up on all those left-behind flavors. Once the vegetables have softened slightly, a bold braising liquid goes in, picking up on everything both the beef and the vegetables have to offer.
To get more Dutch oven practice under your belt, you can also use it for recipes like our marinara meat sauce, homemade baked beans, authentic carnitas, short ribs.
Ingredient Notes
Chuck Roast | This is an amazing cut for slow cooking. You typically see both chuck roast and chuck shoulder roast at the grocery store. Chuck roast has more marbling and fat, whereas chuck shoulder is leaner.
- While marbling and fat may take longer to break down, this extra fat ultimately results in a bigger, beefier flavor and a more tender roast.
- We use chuck roast for our easy beef barbacoa, beef birria, and shredded beef tacos.
Vegetables | We opt for onions, carrots, and garlic for this dish, because we absolutely adore pot roast over mashed potatoes. However, it is traditionally made with potatoes. Our potato of choice for a pot roast is baby gold, and we've included instructions for that below!
Red Wine | A bold red wine like merlot or cabernet sauvignon will enhance the flavor of your pot roast and take it from good to spectacular. If you don't want to splurge on a bottle of wine, use beef broth in its place.
Beef Broth | Stick with unsalted or low-sodium beef broth.
Seasoning | This is the perfect roast beef seasoning: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. It is a simple mix that everyone already has in their spice cabinet.
- However, for an extra-special touch, use fresh rosemary and thyme.
Don't bother removing leaves from stems--just throw in whole and fish out later. It's much easier this way.
Oil | You can use avocado or canola oil, two oils with a high smoke point, meaning they do not quickly burn. To get a good sear on the meat you must work with medium-high to high heat.
Flour | Flour is used to help get a gorgeous sear on the exterior of the roast and also as a thickener to create a perfect pot roast gravy consistency.
How to Make Dutch Oven Pot Roast
An important tip before you begin: When searing a roast, ensure your meat is not going into the Dutch oven ice cold. For the best sear, allow your roast to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Ready Your Oven +Dutch Oven | Preheat oven to 325° and heat your oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Prep the Roast | First, pat it dry with a paper towel to remove any excess water from the cut of beef. This step is essential to getting a good sear on the roast before braising, which in turn, equals flavor.
Season | Once the excess water has been removed, season the beef liberally with TAK House Seasoning, a mix of Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder--perfect for beef. Adding the seasoning directly to the meat helps to build flavor.
Coat in Flour | Before searing, coat the roast in 2 tablespoons of flour.
Sear | Place roast in Dutch oven and sear for 4-6 minutes on each side. Once the entire roast has developed a golden-brown crust, remove it from the heat and set aside on a large plate.
Sauté Veggies | Add the onion and carrots to the Dutch oven and sauté briefly to evenly coat with oil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and allow to cook 5 minutes, or just until barely softened. Add the garlic and sauté uncovered for an additional minute or so.
Make Pot Roast Gravy | Sprinkle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour and stir until the flour takes on a yellow tinge and the vegetables are evenly coated. Slowly whisk in the red wine, followed by the beef broth, followed by the beef broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Bake | Add roast back to the Dutch oven, along with rosemary and thyme. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake for one-and-a-half hours. Turn roast, return to the oven, and bake for an additional one-and-a-half hours.
If you are adding Baby Dutch potatoes to this roast, slice them in half and add them to the Dutch oven when there is 45 minutes left on the cooking time. Cover and return to the oven to finish cooking. Once the time is up, remove from the roast from the oven, allow to cool, serve, and enjoy.
Pot Roast Gravy
To achieve a thicker consistency for your pot roast gravy, adding just a little flour to the vegetables before adding in your braising liquid is key. This approach also eliminates the need for any sort of stovetop reduction after the pot roast has finished its stint in the oven.
When you think of a thicker consistency for gravy, think of your Southern-style gravies: country gravy, homemade gravy, and brown beef gravy.
Can I Make This in a Crock-Pot?
Yes, you can make this in a Crock-Pot, and the roast will still be delicious. However, you won't have that perfectly thick pot roast gravy. I still recommend you sear your beef in a large pan or cast-iron skillet before adding it to the Crock-Pot.
We use a similar cooking method for our slow cooker rump roast: once the meat is searing, omit the step of sautéing the vegetables and adding the flour to coat, and rather than skipping the flour for the gravy altogether, add the beef, veggies, herbs, broth, wine, and seasoning to the Crock-Pot. Cook for 5-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
Pot Roast Serving Suggestions
Shred the pot roast into hearty, bite-sized chunks for serving. This one is so tender that two forks will do the job; no knife needed!
You can serve it straight out of your Dutch oven. It is pretty to look at and one of the many perks of owning a Dutch oven.
You can also serve on a platter: place pot roast in the center, surround it with vegetables, and top off with that delicious pot roast gravy.
As mentioned above, our family loves pot roast over mashed potatoes, but if you're Team Pot Roast with Potatoes, serving the roast over egg noodles or rice is also common.
If you're looking for sides to round out the meal with some extra carbs, don't you worry. Carbs are our friends.
- Homemade Southern biscuits and cornbread are the vessels for that gravy. The Southern dynamic duo of all-time. Yeast rolls also make for perfect gravy scoopers.
- An easy, Southern-style cornbread pudding is the perfect balance of both veggies and carbs in one.
- And if you want to go straight veggies on the side, these slow cooker green beans are delicious smothered in pot roast gravy.
How to Store Leftover Pot Roast
Use leftovers in a roast beef sandwich or hot roast beef po boy. You can also swap out strips of steak in our steak quesadillas for savory shreds of tender pot roast, too.
Store | Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also store in the Dutch oven in the fridge--just be sure that the Dutch oven is not hot going into the fridge.
Freeze | Allow to cool and place in a freezer-safe airtight container with little headspace and freeze for 2-3 months.
Reheat | Because of the built-in pot roast gravy, you can reheat in the microwave. Start at 1 minute and add 30-second increments from there.
You can also reheat in the oven at 350°F in the same Dutch oven your roast cooked in or in a ceramic baking dish covered with aluminum foil. How long will depend on how much you're reheating.
Check after 10 minutes and add time from there if needed. If reheating from frozen, it's best to allow to thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
5 More Comfort Food Dinners to Try
- Creamy Chicken and Dumplings
- Texas Chili Recipe
- Smothered Chicken
- Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy
- Beef and Noodles
Fork Tender Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 4 ½ lb beef chuck shoulder roast
- 4-5 tsp TAK Seasoning (see notes below) (or use your favorite beef seasoning--enough to cover roast)
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour separated
- ¼ c avocado or canola oil
- 1 yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 6 carrots, peeled and sliced on a ½” bias
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 c red wine, dry and bold (such as malbec or cabernet sauvignon)
- 2 c unsalted beef broth
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 pound baby Dutch potatoes (optional), halved
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° Heat avocado or canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat roast dry with a paper towel and sprinkle generously with TAK Seasoning evenly on each side and rub to adhere. Coat the roast with 2 tbsp of flour.
- Place roast in Dutch oven and sear 4-6 minutes on each side. Once the entire roast has developed a golden-brown crust, remove it from the heat and set aside on a large plate. Add the onion and carrots to the Dutch oven and sauté briefly to evenly coat with oil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and allow to cook for 5 minutes or just until barely softened. Add the garlic and sauté uncovered for an additional minute or so.
- Sprinkle over 2 tbsp of flour and stir until the flour takes on a yellow tinge and the vegetables are evenly coated. Slowly whisk in the red wine, followed by the beef broth, followed by the beef broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add roast back to the Dutch oven, along with rosemary and thyme. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake for 1-½ hours. Turn roast, return to the oven, and bake for an additional 1-½ hours. If using potatoes, add them to the pot when there 45 minutes of cooking time left, cover, and return to the oven. Once the cook time is up, remove from the oven, allow to cool, serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Jagruti Dhanecha says
All the tips you have given to make pot roast so juicy and tender are great, dish and pictures looks amazing!
Heather says
Ohhhhhhh.... hello there!!!! What a gorgeous pot roast and I cant believe how tender and perfect this looks!! Excellent recipe for a meal everyone struggles with and you really show how to make this perfect every time!!
Erika says
Your pot roast looks absolutely delicious and so mouthwatering. I want to make it this weekend. I know it's a dish that the whole family would love, and that's not easy to find!
Debbie says
What a beautiful roast!! This sounds like a rich flavorful roast. I love all of your tips , so very helfup. I just bought a chuck roast , I might have to give this a try since I have basically every ingredient on hand.
Ramona says
OMG I love this recipe ! Delicioussss. Thank you so much for sharing all these amazing tips too! I cannot wait to try it.
Stine Mari says
This looks scrumptious and soo fork-tender! I love that it's made in an oven and not the popular Instant Pots or slow cookers as I don't own either. Great recipe!
Jenni LeBaron says
I love the mix of herbs and red wine in this pot roast recipe. I so rarely do mine int he oven, but after seeing your recipe I really want to try it this way next time!
Tynia says
This is ultimate comfort food! This will be incredible over potatoes or rice. Pinning for later.
Jere Cassidy says
Really there is nothing better than a good tender roast, just making the time for that low and slow cooking is always my downfall. Your recipe looks perfect.
Jacqueline Debono says
My Dutch oven is definitely my best friend! I use it for braising as well as pasta sauces or curries that need slow cooking! Your pot roast looks perfect. Can't wait to try your recipe!
Renu says
A good list of tips in here to have one lip smacking roast. The pot roast looks delicious and juicy.
JW says
Love this recipe. I use an argentinian Malbec and I add baby red potatoes when i turn the roast.
katie says
This looks amazing, I love a tender pot roast. The guide to searing your meat is so helpful, I can't wait to give this a go myself.
Katie xoxo
Karen says
This pot roast is amazing! I have made it at least 4 times over the winter months and get rave reviews every time. So often the meat can be flavorless - but not using this recipe! The roast is always tender with that rich roast flavor!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you so much, Karen! Thrilled you enjoy it so much 🙂 We do too!
J Amarkham says
FINALLY, a rating by someone who actually made the recipe! Can't tell you how many times I got sucked into cooking a well rated recipe that turned out meh only to realize, like this recipe, most everyone is rating it only on how good it looks. Ugh.
Maman de sara says
Your pot roast looks tender and delicious, yummy!
April says
That gravy is one of a kind, there is no doubt about that. I love how this recipe looks, so I am so sure I will love the taste of it, too! Can't wait to make it.
Mimi says
It is amazing to find out about those super important steps. I agree, there are not a lot of recipes that mention them - glad I've got them all saved now! 🙂
Jackie says
I made this recipe last night. I had everything but the beef broth so I used some roasted red pepper soup with a bit of water added. This roast was very tender. My husband who is very fussy, absolutely loved it. My son too! This is a winner!
Kelly Anthony says
That's wonderful! So glad everyone loved it 🙂 Thanks, Jackie!
Marina says
This is hands down the best! Followed you recipe to the T. My SO loved every bite. Will be making this again. Thank you for sharing!
Kristen says
Please Help! How long would you cook a 2.5 lb roast?
Kelly Anthony says
Hi Kristen! Check your roast after 2 hours to see if it is fork-tender. Since it is slow-cooking in a braise, you don't have to worry as much about overcooking with this cooking method.
Amber says
This was an incredible roast! I followed the recipe exactly and recommend reading the blog post throughly for the tips! I will definitely be making this again. I used a 3lb roast but stuck with the 3 hours. It was extremely tender and the gravy was perfect.
Kelly Anthony says
That's awesome, Amber! Just what we love to hear 😉 Thanks so much!
Katherine says
So glad you mentioned that because I will using a 3lb roast!
Todd Grantz says
Can I use a slow cooker??
Kelly Anthony says
You could potentially finish with the stovetop work and then transfer the pot roast to your slow cooker and cook on high! I’ve not personally tested this method, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Todd says
Can this be done in a slow cooker??
Kelly Anthony says
You could potentially finish with the stovetop work and then transfer the pot roast to your slow cooker and cook on high! I've not personally tested this method, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.
Todd says
Thank you! Sorry for the duplicate question.
Kelly Anthony says
No worries!
Clara Sipilian says
Hi I have a question.. I want to make this in a very large quantity, is there a formula to adjust cooking time with the weight of the meat? Please advise
Scott f. says
You can use an instant read meat thermometer after a few hours. With chuck roast, you need an internal temperature of at least 190° and preferrably 200°. The collagen (connective tissues) will not dissolve completely until that is attained. The dissolved collagen is what tenderizes and flavors the chuck roast (in addition to all the yummy stuff in the recipe itself). I made this with a 3.5 lb. roast and mine reached 200° after three hours. I then did an additional 30 minutes to make sure the collagen was dissolved. The recipe as written is delicious! You MUST have some crusty, chewy bread with this...I believe that's a law in many states! Bon Appetit!
Scott f. says
I almost forgot...five stars! A delicious recipe for sure!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you so much, Scott! 🙂
Claudia Lamascolo says
What a comfort meal and so easy I absolutely love this recipe!
Jenni says
This pot roast is now the only pot roast I will ever make ever again! It is seriously SO good! It works perfectly every single time I make it!
Alicia Seely says
This is an amazing recipe!! We have had it multiple times. Is there anyway to get more gravy? Could I double the braising liquid?
Kelly Anthony says
You could try adding a 1/4 cup of flour to the veggie mix (rather than the 2 tablespoons), then change the quantity of wine to 1 1/2 cups and the quantity of beef broth to 3 cups. That would almost double the gravy 🙂 Hope that helps, Alicia! And thank you for the kind words!!
Margarett Edwards says
Unlike most of the comments I actually made this recipe. I started with a good locally raised cut of meat and pretty much followed all the directions except added potatoes before end of cooking. I also cooked it longer because of my schedule. It turned out wonderfully rich and good tasting. I will use this method again. Loved the tips for braising. I think next time i will increase the wine.
Mama to many says
Is there a substitute for the wine?
Kelly Anthony says
You could sub in the same amount of beef broth if you'd like!
Mamatomany says
Thank you for your quick response. Do you think it will affect the tenderness?
Kelly Anthony says
Technically, yes? There is acid in the wine which (theoretically) could help to further break down the proteins in the beef as cooks.
Angela Fowler says
I’m not one for following a recipe as it’s written but this time I decided to give it a go and I must say that I’m glad I did!! It was so delicious!! Cleaned plates all the way around! I loved the tips, I’ve never seen that in a recipe before. I hate to admit it but this recipe is better than my usual “recipe “, I’ll be using this from now on.
Tom says
Hi-
Made pot roast while nine-month old grandson underfoot and requesting my attention in whine-mode. Roast yummy, baby likes too.
Verna says
This almost like my own roast recipe done in the oven. I use for liquid in roast cooking and for gray about 2 cups liquid coffee or made from instant coffee and water and about 1-2 cups beef broth. I also place a few bay leaves on top of roast when in the oven. My mother in law cooked all her roasts using coffee for liquid and it really gives it good flavor. I have done this for years after learning her secret. Really delicious!
Debbie says
Trying tomorrow but my roast is only 2.5 lbs. do I still cook at 325 for 3 hours. Also can I add potatoes?
Kelly Anthony says
Hi Debbie! You may just check the roast for tenderness after 2 - 2 1/2 hours and see if it's to your liking at that point 🙂
Ginny Pokoj says
Your recipe is in my oven as I write this! The smells coming from my kitchen are awesome and I'm surprised there are not carnivore animals beating down my door for it (we live on 60 acres in the country so we have our fair share of bears, foxes, coyotes, etc). If my roast beef tastes as good as it smells, I wonder if there will be any leftovers for hot roast beef sandwiches tomorrow! Thanks for a great step-by-step recipe!
Kelly Anthony says
That is awesome! Thank you, Ginny 🙂
Julianne says
Wow! I have made pot roasts for years, never making that “just perfect” one...until I tried this recipe. It reminded me of my grandmothers, no potato’s, simple with carrots. Thank you!
Kelly Anthony says
That is an amazing compliment! Thank you so much, Julianne 🙂 I'm so happy you finally found "the one!"
Bianca says
Very very easy. I was looking for a tender tasty roast recipe and I think I found it! This is my go to recipe for beed roast from here on out. Even with a smaller cut of beef roast I followed the recipe to the tee (minus the number of carrots). With that I said, I was concerned I added too much broth red wine(particularly), but it worked. I added brown sugar and red pepper to balance out the red wine and it added a flavorful twist which sweet and savory. Thank you for such wonderful directions, step by step video, and great recipe.
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you so much, Bianca! I'm so glad you enjoyed the roast 🙂
Jennifer Russo says
How long for a boneless 1.25 pound chuck shoulder roast and (I have Dyscalculia) how do I scale down everything else?
Judy K says
I made this pot roast last night and it was the best roast I’ve ever made. I followed the recipe. I used two 2.5 pound chuck roasts that fit side by side in my Dutch oven. It was tender and flavorful with a wonderful gravy. After the roasts finished cooking, I removed them and the carrots from the Dutch oven and added water to make more gravy. There was a fair amount of good rich gravy but I wanted more to go along with the mashed potatoes. I simmered the gravy and whisked it to thicken slightly after adding the cup or so of water. Everyone agreed it was a great meal. I will definitely make this again.
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Judy!
Terry Goode says
Looking to make this but my roast is 6.5 lbs. How should I adjust the cooking time?
Cindee says
I made this delicious Pot Roast recipe for supper tonight. It was a hit & I will definitely make this again. I followed the recipe as is & was very pleased with it. Thank you so much for posting such a delicious dish.
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Cindee! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Trina says
Wow!!!! This is just wonderful! Even makes its own gravy!!! Can’t ask for anything more. I didn’t add wine this time but the flavors are just amazing! It’s pure comfort food! Perfect for this Fall day! Thank you!
Annette says
This pot roast is the best recipe I’ve ever made... I keep trying different recipes to find the “forever pot roast recipe” and I have found it!! Married 52 years and I cook every day because I love it! And finding a recipe like this really made my day! Thanks for this great recipe
Kelly Anthony says
Wow! Thank you so much, Annette! 🙂 So glad you loved it!
Emmy says
I cannot thank you enough for this recipe! One of the unspoken expectations I have of myself is being a good cook and I was always frustrated by my lackluster roasts. I tried my mom's recipe, my mother in-laws recipe, other recipes online all with no succes. This recipe has changed everything!!! You are an angel for sharing this and blessing lives like mine. Now I look forward to making roasts and celebrate my success each time.
Kelly Anthony says
Emmy! That is the kindest comment and it made my day! Thank you 🙂 I'm so glad that you finally found your forever roast and I could help with that. Such a blessing to read this.
John W says
Think this recipe would work with a leg of lamb and using lamb bone broth with the red wine?
Kelly Anthony says
If your leg of lamb is boneless, this should absolutely work! However, if the lamb has a bone in it, you would probably cook it more like a bone-in prime rib rather than a pot roast 🙂
Mandy says
Can you add potatoes at the same time as carrots?
Kelly Anthony says
Potatoes will likely cook faster than your carrots. I would recommend adding them 30-45 minutes (timing depends on the size of your dice) before the pot roast is intended to come out of the oven.
Angela says
Holy mother of all things delicious!!!! Made this tonight, and I’m officially throwing out every single pot roast recipe I’ve tried in the past and keeping this one only! Used an arm roast since that’s what I had on hand. Also didn’t have red wine so I subbed 1/3 cup Marsala wine with about 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar to help tenderize the meat. Added about a tbsp of sugar to mellow the acidity of the vinegar. Served alongside homemade mashed potatoes. Next time I will probably add a can of corn to really round it out, but that’s more or less a note to self for the next time I make it. I’m still amazed at how well this turned out…could not be happier, and I have a houseful of super full, content bellies and happy tastebuds! Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes since this one completely knocked it out of the park. Thank you SOOOO much for sharing…this is the closest thing I’ve found to my dads pot roast, which is pretty much the best ever!
Renae says
Yep! Just like all of the other rave reviews, I have finally found my forever pot roast. It is so dang delicious. Why I never thought to add red wine to a pot roast before is crazy. It takes the flavor to another level, along with the searing process. Thank you for sharing this!
Kamie Moore says
Thank you for the sweet words, Renae! 🙂
Kelly says
OMG! I made your recipe this past week and it is the best pot roast I have ever made! I used beef stock instead of broth and made my own seasoning mix of salt, pepper, and paprika. This is now the only pot roast I will ever make. Thank you so much for sharing.
Kelly Anthony says
Music to my ears! Thank you, Kelly 🙂
Nancy says
This the first comment I have ever posted. I quite cooking a long time ago, husband is pickiest eater alive so I let him take care of him self. But yesterday I made this pot roast, fallow the recipe and wow it was amazing. I’m 74 so I have made my share of pot roast but just the right spices and wine made this dish wonderful. Even my pickiest husband who smelled the wonderful aroma in the house sat down and ate my dinner. Thank you.
Patricia Stewart says
Made this twice now.. it was the Best Pot Roast I've ever had..and it was not difficult to make but the flavors are so complex. Meat was perfectly cooked too.. yum!... thank you