Classic Pot Roast Recipe

Listen, my mama made more pot roast for Sunday suppers than I can ever count. And I never got tired of it! This classic Pot Roast recipe has all those feels of the old school classic. That meat gets braised in a low oven temp so it gets fall apart tender and absorbs all the bomb flavorful gravy. Mix in the veggies and you have the ultimate comfort. Next level. Thanks On Ty’s Plate for sharing.

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A large dutch oven filled with classic pot roast ready to enjoy with a wooden spoon digging in

How to Make Pot Roast

A roast in a dutch oven being seared

Step 1: Toss together the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, and black pepper. Pat the beef dry with paper towel and season the beef on all sides with the spice mixture. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven and sear the roast to form a mice crust. Remove the meat and add the last tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Sear the other side until crusted. About 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside on a rimmed dish.

Veggies in a food processor pulsed

Step 2: In a food processor add the chopped celery, carrot, onion, and garlic cloves. Pulse the vegetables to finely chop into a mirepoix. Don’t over process it.

Sauteed veggies in a dutch oven with tomatoes and herbs

Step 3: Add the butter to the dutch and sauté the mirepoix garlic mixture until fragrant; 1-2 minutes. Add the diced tomato, tomato paste, dijon mustard, salt, sugar, bay leaves and dried herbs. Stir well and cook another 5-6 minutes.

Roast added to a dutch oven with sauces simmering

Step 4: Deglaze the pot with the wine. Scrape to loosen the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and stir. Return the roast and the collected juices from the dish to the pot. Place the lid to cover the Dutch and put it into the oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Carrots, potatoes and mushrooms in a dutch oven with a pot roast

Step 5: Remove the pot after 2 1/2 hours, add the potatoes, carrots, quartered onion, and mushrooms around the roast into the liquid.

Cooked pot roast after braising for hours

Step 6: Return the pot to the oven for another 1 hour and 45 minutes. Take it out of the oven when the roast is falling apart and the vegetables will be very tender. Discard the bay leaves.

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Beef shredded in a white bowl

Step 7: Remove the meat from the pot into a dish large enough to shred it. Shred the meat with two forks.

Finished pot roast recipe in a dutch oven ready to enjoy

Step 8: If gravy is desired, make a slurry with 2-3 tbsp of cornstarch and 2-3 tbsp of the braising liquid. Pour it back into the pot and stir it in. Heat the stovetop to medium and allow the sauce to thicken. About 3 minutes. Turn off the stove and add the meat back to pot.

A large dutch oven filled with classic pot roast ready to enjoy with a wooden spoon digging in

Pot Roast Recipe

This pot roast recipe is slowly braised in the most incredible liquids and flavorful spices until so tender it literally falls apart! 
4.09 from 34 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 2-4 lb chuck roast
  • 1 1/2 lb Red potatoes quartered
  • 3/4 large white onion quartered
  • 2 cups baby carrots
  • 6 oz white mushrooms sliced (can go up to 8 oz)
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the Braising Liquid

  • 4 cups beef or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup marsala wine
  • 2 roma tomatoes diced
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 2 celery stalks chopped
  • 1/4 large white onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup dijon mustard
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Toss together the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, and black pepper. Pat the beef dry with paper towel and season the beef on all sides with the spice mixture.
  • Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven and sear the roast to form a mice crust. Remove the meat and add the last tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Sear the other side until crusted. About 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside on a rimmed dish.

For the Braising Liquid

  • In a food processor add the chopped celery, carrot, onion, and garlic cloves. Pulse the vegetables to finely chop into a mirepoix. Don’t over process it. There should be very little if any liquid from the vegetable.
  • Add the butter to the dutch and sauté the mirepoix garlic mixture until fragrant; 1-2 minutes. Add the diced tomato, tomato paste, dijon mustard, salt, sugar, bay leaves and dried herbs. Stir well and cook another 5-6 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the wine. Scrape to loosen the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and stir.
  • Return the roast and the collected juices from the dish to the pot. Place the lid to cover the Dutch and put it into the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the pot after 2 1/2 hours, add the potatoes, carrots, quartered onion, and mushrooms around the roast into the liquid.
  • Return the pot to the oven for another 1 hour and 45 minutes. Take it out of the oven when the roast is falling apart and the vegetables will be very tender. Discard the bay leaves. Remove the meat from the pot into a dish large enough to shred it. Shred the meat with two forks.
  • If gravy is desired, make a slurry with 2-3 tbsp of cornstarch and 2-3 tbsp of the braising liquid. Pour it back into the pot and stir it in. Heat the stovetop to medium and allow the sauce to thicken. About 3 minutes. Turn off the stove and add the meat back to pot.
  • Serve with bread or dinner rolls and tons of butter!

Notes

You can pretty much use any thick cut of beef because this cooking method will tenderize it for you. Boneless cuts of meat makes for a relatively faster cook time. But if you have beef with the bone still in you can definitely still use it. You may have to extend the cooking time. 

How to Store Pot Roast 

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 1430mg | Potassium: 1313mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 6121IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 4mg
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Recipe Tips

  1. Right cut of meat: I use chuck roast because it’s affordable to me. You can pretty much use any thick cut of beef because this cooking method will tenderize it for you. Boneless cuts of meat makes for a relatively faster cook time. But if you have beef with the bone still in you can definitely still use it. You may have to extend the cooking time. 
  2. Extra liquid: Have a little extra stock or wine on hand just in case. The worst thing you could do to this dish is add water. It will dilute the flavor. 
  3. Use fresh vegetables: I’m a fan of using frozen veggies in most cases. This is not one of them. The frozen veggies will be less firm and will over cook quickly turning into mush. We don’t want mushy vegetables. 
  4. Give it all the time it needs: the first couple of hours will cook the roast through. But the goal is to make it soft and tender. Follow the cooking times as a guide. Add a little time more if need be. A four pound roast will require more time than a tow pound roast. Adjust accordingly. 
  5. Let it marinate: once the roast is done and you’ve shredded it, put it back into the sauce/gravy. It must continue to soak up the goodness. Otherwise you will be left with dry pale beef that no one will eat. 
A large white plate of pot roast ready to enjoy

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Filed Under:  Beef and Lamb, Comfort Food, Dinner, Main Dishes, Oven

Comments

  1. Holy Cow, this pot roast is PERFECT. It was the first snow of the season in the Midwest and this warmed the house, smelled phenomenal and melted in your mouth. Only modification I made was to use cab sauv instead of Marsala wine because I had it. My family loved it, and our 84 year old neighbor had three helpings. Thank you for sharing.

  2. Can I make this in my crock pot? Low temperature, 3-4
    hours? Please advise on cooking time.., thank you.
    Joanie t.

  3. Making this today ! I will let you know how it turns out – The only thing I did not add was the sugar – I love all your recipes and make them all the time!

  4. Would love instructions on how to do this recipe in a slow cooker so I can use my oven for baking your sugar cookies!

  5. This sounds delicious! A great recipe for the pandemic, since I have to hang out at home anyway. And today is a good day! So happy about the election outcome. Just had to say it.

  6. I love pot roast and have a few favorite recipes that have served me well over the years. But THIS one has just pushed them all to the back of my recipe collection. It is fabulous and company-worthy and will disappear from your family’s and guests plates. The meat is so tender and the sauce is delicious. My daughter and I made the roast last weekend and we and 15-year-old twins (her daughters, my grand-daughters) devoured it, and enjoyed it again a few days later in a rice bowl. Thank you Tynia and Jocelyn!

    1. It does further down the page. I show it both whole and shredded.

4.09 from 34 votes (24 ratings without comment)

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