This Dutch Oven Pot Roast is straight up next level! We’re talking melt-in-your-mouth chuck roast slow-braised in delish spices, a rich Genovese sauce, and veggies, all swimming in a slurp worthy sauce. I can’t get enough of this comfort food boos, and I know you won’t either. Get your whole life with this dutch oven pot roast recipe whenever you need a taste of some good home cooking.
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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“Literally the best pot roast recipe I’ve ever had! ”
—SUZANNE
A pot roast reminds me of home for reals. That silky meat falling apart on my plate is something I remember having a lot growing up. My mama makes a bomb roast, and this one has a lot of her famous roast’s characteristics but it’s quite unique.
It is cooked in a very classic way by braising in stock for a long period until incredibly tender. However, I decided to braise this one with a delish veggie based sauce giving the entire roast a freshness and unexpected flavor along with a fresh topping of a herby gremolata topping.
The Lowdown of This Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: American with an Italian remix
Primary Cooking Method: Slow roasting
Dietary Info: High-Protein, Gluten-Free (with a few ingredient swaps)
Key Flavor: Silky, flavor filled tender roast with fragrant pesto and the deep, savory notes of Genovese sauce.
Skill Level: Intermediate (Bring out those cooking skillz)
Flavor Remix
The combo of traditional pot roast with unexpected freshness from pesto and Genovese that brings all the flavor. This dish is like a warm culinary hug from an Italian big mama you never knew you had.
Feeds the Masses
Generous in servings, this pot roast is perfect for your family Sunday supper or friend gathering. And if you are blessed enough to have leftovers, they’re fab for sandwiches, salads, or stand-alone protein-packed snacks ya dig?
Low Maintenance
Once everything’s in the pot, it’s a waiting game. Sit back, chill, and let the Dutch oven work its magic in the oven.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make a Pot Roast in a Dutch Oven
- Chuck Roast: This is a tough enough cut of meat that can withstand the long braise time that’s also fatty and wonderfully flavorful.
- Garlic: This aromatic ingredient adds such incredible essence once stuffed inside the meat.
- Seasonings: I like to use a mix of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, bay leaves, and Italian seasoning to provide ample flavor. It might seem like a lot of salt but this is a large cut of meat and you should liberally season it to make sure that it penetrates throughout the entire dish.
- Flour and Oil: This will help provide a golden brown crust and bomb flavor when you sear the roast up.
- Vegetables: I mixed in carrots, red onions, bay leaves, and fingerling potatoes. A perfect mix!
- Braising liquids: I like to use beef stock plus some Worcestershire sauce to really amp the flavor party up.
- Genovese pesto: This is a classic Italian sauce that’s got bomb notes boos. From earthy basil and nutty salty parmesan to the sharp punches of garlic, it adds such a great touch.
How to Make Dutch Oven Pot Roast
What to Serve with this Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipe
- Mash It Up: While this recipe does have fingerling potatoes in the mix, serving that delish sauce over garlic mashed potatoes, sour cream mashed potatoes or even something unique like sweet potato mashed potatoes is a hit.
- Go Gritty: Folks don’t understand how incredible it is to serve that silky pot roast sauce over buttery grits or cheese grits. That’s some good eatin!
- Get Crusty: Sop that addictive sauce up with some crusty bread like this garlic no-knead bread, honey butter dinner rolls or classic garlic bread.
Recipe Substitutions
- Chuck Roast: Other cuts of meat that are great are also a rump roast or round roast.
- Fingerling Potatoes: You can replace the fingerlings with some baby red potatoes or cut up Yukon golds.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Use a soy sauce or oyster sauce as a nice sub.
- Beef Stock: Use a chicken stock or vegetable stock instead.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Gluten-Free: Swap the flour with the 1:1 gluten-free flour you love.
- Spice It Up: Just a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper in the sauce can add a nice kick.
- Suga, Suga: Add a bit of sweet flavor to your savory with some maple syrup or honey in the mix. I do something similar by adding brown sugar to my Mississippi Pot Roast recipe.
- Mushroom It Up: I love the meaty texture of mushrooms so it adds such earthy vibes to the mix when you toss some in with your roast.
Expert Tips and Tricks for Cooking a Pot Roast in a Dutch Oven
- Garlic It Up: Stuff garlic into the pockets of the roast. This will change the game on your pot roast adding an abundance of flavor deep inside the roast.
- Make a Seasoning Rub: Literally you can combine your fave seasonings into one bowl and liberally season your roast all over. And don’t be shy. A common mistake I see people make is not adding ENOUGH seasoning to the roast.
- Don’t Skip the Pesto Rub: This really sets this roast apart from any other roast recipe on my website. Feel free to add a jarred one like I use here from Barilla or even a homemade one. You can even spread some chimichurri on there too. Delish!
- Don’t Rush Your Roast: Chill out boos. You need to take your time because that roast needs to get super tender. You can also do this in a slow cooker or even a pressure cooker if you are starved for time but here I use a dutch oven which also ensures even heating. This roast will go for about 2 1/2- 3 hours.
How to Store Pot Roast in a Dutch Oven
Transfer any leftovers into an airtight container and pop in the fridge. You can heat it up on the stovetop in a pan by adding a splash of liquid if it looks a tad bit dry. The microwave is all good too if you wanna speed it up some.
How long will this roast recipe last in the fridge?
Leftovers will last in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Can I freeze leftovers??
You know it boos! You can freeze it for up to 2-3 months storing in a freezer bag releasing air and adding a date label. Just make sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need a tougher cut of meat that can withstand the long cook time. Grab a chuck roast (or chuck shoulder pot roast or shoulder steak). It’s fatty and has a wonderfully rich flavor. Other cuts of meat that are all good to use are also a rump roast and round roast.
Y’all don’t skip the searing step. It develops rich and deep flavor like none other. By caramelizing the surface of the meat, we lock in some real goodness boos.
Yep you know it boos! In fact, it actually tastes better the day after you make it. Just let it cool down and pop in the fridge. You can reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven.
More Beef Recipes
- Beef Stew
- Italian Beef
- Birria Tacos
- Beef Short Ribs
- Chipotle Short Ribs
- Neck Bones recipe
- Prime Rib
- Prosciutto Wrapped Roast
- Classic Pot Roast
- Italian Pot Roast
Dutch Oven Pot Roast
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I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Pot Roast
- 4 lbs chuck roast
- 9 garlic cloves
- 6 oz Genovese Pesto I used Barilly Creamy brand
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 large red onion chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups beef stock I used low sodium
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 8 oz fingerling potatoes halved
For the Gremolata Topping
- zest of 2 medium lemons
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
- 4 garlic cloves chopped fine
Instructions
For the Roast
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Take a small knife and make 9 1-inch deep pockets into the top of the roast, large enough to fit the garlic cloves in. Stuff the garlic cloves into each of the pockets and add ½ teaspoon of pesto to the top to cover the holes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and Italian seasoning until combined. Liberally season roast evenly all over. Next, pour flour over roast and dredge both sides evenly.
- Heat a dutch oven or medium sized pot with a lid over medium heat. Add the oil and sear the roast for 3 minutes on each side until brown. Remove the roast from the pot and spread ½ cup of Barilla Creamy Genovese pesto over the entire roast and set aside.
- Add carrots and onion and cook for 2 minutes, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot. Stir in the bay leaves, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and add the covered roast back into the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and bake for 3 hours and 30 minutes, add potatoes with 1 hour remaining. Roast should be fork tender. If not, continue baking.
For the Gremolata
- While the roast is in the oven, in a small bowl combine lemon zest, parsley and garlic. When ready to serve, garnish roast with gremolata and serve with vegetables.
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Made this for Sunday dinner and it was perfect. Very easy and delicious!
Hooray thank you so much!
Amazing! Have made 3x now and each time was a tasty success
Yay!
MAKING this for sundaY dinner 10/20/24
How was it?
I made this for my mom’s 70th birthday and she loved it!! We all THOUGHT it was so FLAVORFUL. I appreciated how easy the recipe was to follow. The meal turned out perfectly, and i loved the photos at the DIFFERENT steps and naming the pesto brand so i knew what to get. Will DEFINITELY make it again!
Oh wow!! Such an honor, thank you for making my recipe for your Mom for her big day!
I can’t wait to try this pot roast sensation recipe for my daughter.
I hope she loves it!