This Dutch Oven Pot Roast is the juiciest pot roast! The beef becomes fall-apart tender with a low and slow cooking method. It's the perfect hearty meal for the whole family. Simple to prepare, and always satisfying!
We love a hearty and comforting one-pot dinner around here - especially when it's cold and blustery! With so few dishes, and the perfect blend of tender meat, veggies, and potatoes in a red wine pan sauce - you can't go wrong.
Need more dinner inspiration? You'll also love this melt in your mouth roast beef with gravy, this Instant Pot beef bourguignon recipe, this quick and easy bavette steak recipe, and this slow cooker sirloin tip roast recipe.
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- The perfect tender roast - This is a classic dutch oven pot roast recipe. It takes minimal effort, just time! By the time your roast is done, you'll have incredibly juicy, tender, and flavorful beef to enjoy, all in one pot!
- Made with simple ingredients - Most likely you already have what you need on hand for this recipe, and anything you don't have can be found at your local grocery store.
- One pot meal & hand off method - As we mentioned, you only need one large dutch oven and a little patience. Everything else about this recipe is very hands off, giving you time to work on other things.
- A family favorite - Pot roast always makes for a delicious meal that everyone will enjoy.
- Major comfort food - When chilly weather rolls in, this is a great recipe to have on hand. Healthy, hearty, and majorly comforting. It's a huge winner!
- Naturally gluten-free - This recipe will suit multiple diet types since it's made with wholesome ingredients that are already gluten-free. It can also be made dairy free with a simple swap.
🥩Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Beef roast - Boneless beef chuck roast or a rump roast (also known as beef round roast) will work perfectly, as they can be left unattended for long periods of time when cooking to get tender without any fuss. Many cuts of beef will work to make a juicy pot roast
- Kosher salt & black pepper
- Dried seasonings - We used a mixture of onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika for extra flavor.
- Unsalted butter & olive oil
- Fresh herbs of choice - We like using fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and parsley.
- Tomato paste
- Onions & garlic
- Potatoes - Use something that will hold up well to cooking for a long time. We prefer to use yellow baby potatoes or red potatoes. They hold their shape well, and you don't need to peel them.
- Carrots - Peeled and cut into roughly 2-inch chunks. You can also use baby carrots.
- Celery
- Red wine - Dry red wine. Use something you enjoy drinking, but it doesn't need to be expensive.
- Beef stock
- Bay leaves
- Worcestershire sauce
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here's a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this sauce.
- Swap beef stock for beef broth - You can even add beef bone broth for added protein and nutrients.
- No red wine - You can use all beef stock or broth in place of red wine if you prefer.
- More vegetables- Feel free to add more veggies to make this dish even more packed with good stuff. Try adding more carrots and celery, or even include some cauliflower, bell peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, or jalapeños for a little kick.
- Dairy free - Use all olive oil instead of olive oil and butter.
- Add bacon - If you love bacon, feel free to add some to this yummy recipe by frying it in the dutch oven before cooking the vegetables.
- Add a splash of vinegar - Feel free to add a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar to cut through the richness of this dish. Add it slowly, and taste as you go.
- Slightly spicy - Add some red pepper flakes and/or cayenne pepper for a little bit of heat!
- Thicker pan sauce - You can always make the pan sauce a little thicker by adding flour, cornstarch, or xanthan gum.
🔪Prep work
- Peel and chop the carrots.
- Cut celery and onions into large pieces.
- Halve the potatoes.
- Mince garlic.
- Dry off the beef with a paper towel.
- Heat your dutch oven over medium heat on the stove top.
- Measure out all remaining ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
📋Instructions
Season the beef with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and all of the garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika on all sides. (Image 1)
Add the olive oil to the hot dutch oven, followed by the chuck roast. Sear for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown. The meat doesn't need to be cooked through. It will finish cooking in the oven. You don't have to sear the edges of the meat but you can if you like. (Image 2) Remove from the skillet, and set aside.
Add the butter to the dutch oven, then add onions with a pinch of salt. Cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes, and if it begins to brown too quickly, add some beef stock to deglaze, and scrap the bottom of the pan to get any brown bits off the bottom. Once translucent, add tomato paste and garlic. (Image 3)
Cook, stirring often for 1-2 minutes until the tomato paste deepens in color. (Image 4)
Deglaze with red wine and beef stock, and add Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then bring to a low boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get the browned bits. (Image 5)
Add back the beef with all of its juices, (Image 6) then cover, and roast for 2.5 hours in the oven.
Remove from the oven. (Image 7)
Add in the potatoes, celery, and carrots with lots of salt and pepper. (Image 8)
Cover again, then return to the oven for another 1 - 1.5 hours, or until the potatoes are soft, and the meat is falling apart tender. Discard the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprigs. (Image 9)
✨Pro tip: The length of time you need to cook the pot roast will depend on how much the meat weighs. In general, you will need to cook it for about 40 minutes per pound at 300°F.
Use forks to shred the beef into large chunks. Garnish with more herbs, salt, and pepper, then dig in!
✨Tips & tricks
- Cook low and slow. Lean cuts of beef like chuck roast need to cook for a long time before they become nice and tender.
- Don't overcook the veggies. Adding the vegetables about halfway through may feel like an extra step, but it ensures that they won't turn to mush while the meat has a chance to start tenderizing.
- Don't skip browning the meat. Again, this may feel like an extra step, but browning the meat helps lock in the moisture while the beef roasts. This makes for supremely tender beef!
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
For best results, you can store the veggies and meat separately from the braising liquid in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To freeze, store the different components separately for the best texture when reheating. Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
You haven't cooked the meat long enough. In general, tough cuts of meat like chuck roast need to cook for about 30-45 minutes per pound in a 300°F oven.
More Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Dutch Oven Pot Roast
Equipment
- large dutch oven (6-quart capacity or larger)
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chuck roast
- 2-3 tablespoons kosher salt, divided (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons black pepper, divided (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder (optional)
- 2 teaspoons onion powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, sliced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 cup dry red wine (see notes)
- 3 bay leaves
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 1.5 pounds yellow baby potatoes, washed and halved
- 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1.5 - 2-inch pieces
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 1.5 - 2-inch pieces
- garnish with parsley, rosemary, and thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and preheat a dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat. Season the beef with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and all of the garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika on all sides.
- Add the olive oil to the hot dutch oven, followed by the chuck roast. Sear for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from the skillet, and set aside.
- Add the butter to the dutch oven, then add onions with a pinch of salt. Cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes, and if it begins to brown too quickly, add some beef stock to deglaze, and scrap the bottom of the pan to get any brown bits off the bottom. Once translucent, add tomato paste and garlic. Cook, stirring often for 1-2 minutes until the tomato paste deepens in color, then deglaze with red wine, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then bring to a low boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get the browned bits. Add back the beef with all of its juices, then cover, and roast for 2.5 hours in the oven.
- Remove from the oven to add in the potatoes, celery, and carrots with lots of salt and pepper. Cover again, then return to the oven for another 1 - 1.5 hours, or until the potatoes are soft, and the meat is falling apart tender. Discard the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and rosemary sprigs.
- Garnish with more thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!
- Store leftovers in separate containers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Wine. Choose something you'd like to drink, but it doesn't need to be expensive. We'd recommend a dry red, like a cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, or pinot noir.
- Cook low and slow. Inexpensive cuts of meat like chuck roast have lots of flavor, but are naturally tougher, and will take longer to become tender.
- Don't overcook the veggies. Adding the vegetables later on will ensure they don't turn to mush while the meat tenderizes.
- Don't overcook the veggies. Adding the vegetables about halfway through may feel like an extra step, but it ensures that they won't turn to mush while the meat has a chance to start tenderizing.
- Don't skip browning the meat. Again, this may feel like an extra step, but browning the meat helps lock in the moisture while the beef roasts. This makes for supremely tender beef!
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