My Classic Pot Roast with tender braised beef and chunky carrots and potatoes is loaded with comforting flavor and is easy to make. I like to use chuck roast for pot roast. It’s a relatively inexpensive cut of beef which makes it a real homerun!
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Pot Roast – Easy, Classic Comfort
I love that this recipe is simpler than beef bourguignon, stracatto, or sauerbraten, but just as hearty and delicious.
My classic pot roast (otherwise known as Yankee Pot Roast) is not only easy to make, but the methods I highlight below help yield maximum flavor, super tender beef, and the best pot roast sauce you’ve ever had!
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
Most ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Chuck roast. I use chuck roast because its fat profile makes it uniquely suited for pot roast but it also works well for Italian beef stew, steak pizzaiola, beef barley soup, and so many other recipes! You can also use leaner roasts such as rump roast, top round, and bottom round.
- Beef stock. I used my homemade beef stock for this recipe, but you can also use low-sodium store-bought beef stock, or make a quick stock using beef base, such as Better than Bullion brand.
- Red wine. Opt for a dry red wine such as cabernet, merlot, or chianti. If you can’t have alcohol, you can replace the wine with additional stock.
- Tomato paste. Canned or tubed paste adds great body to the pot roast.
- Worcestershire sauce. This adds great flavor to many beef recipes!
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make a Pot Roast
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set the rack to the middle of the oven allowing enough room to accommodate a Dutch oven and its lid. Using kitchen twine, tie up a 4-pound chuck roast, or ask your butcher to tie it up for you. Heat a large pan to medium heat, then pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan along with the chuck roast and sear until browned on all sides (about 15 minutes total). Remove from the pan and allow the roast to rest on a plate.
- Add 1/2 cup of homemade beef stock (or low sodium storebought beef stock) to the pan and use a flat wooden spoon to dislodge the brown bits from the pan. Add the pan sauce to a bowl with the remaining beef stock and set aside.
- Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat and add 1/4 cup of olive oil along with the onions and a pinch of salt and cook for about 10 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, then add 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour and mix for about 1 minute or until the white flour specks are gone.
- Add the beef stock, dry red wine, thyme (tied), bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot and bring to a boil while stirring to break up any clumps of flour.
- After 2 minutes of boiling, add the seared chuck roast to the pot. Cover the pot and place into the oven to braise for 1 1/2 hours.
- After 1 1/2 hours, remove the pot and uncover it. Quickly add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and cover again. Return it to the oven for another 2- 2 1/2 hours. After 2 1/2 hours or once the meat is fork tender, remove the pot from the oven.
- Transfer the pot roast, carrots, and potatoes to a serving plate and tent with foil. If desired, de-grease the sauce by using a ladle to remove the fat. By this point, the sauce will be quite thick thanks to the flour, but to make it even thicker, use an immersion blender or ladle the sauce into a countertop blender to blend the softened onions and a few potatoes. The roast can be shredded or cut into chunks and mixed with sauce before serving. Discard any large pieces of fat before serving, and season the carrots and potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the parsley, serve, and enjoy!
Top tips
- Tie the beef. Use kitchen twine to tie up the roast or ask your butcher to tie it for you. Doing so will create a more even shape of the roast which will allow for even searing and braising.
- Seperate pan for searing. For this large of a pot roast I like to use a searing pan since it will take about 15 minutes to effectively sear all of the sides. During this time the bottom of the pan might get overly black or burnt. When deglazing with part of the beef stock be sure to taste test it before adding the liquid back to the remaining stock. If it tastes burnt, don’t pour it back with the unused beef stock. After this step you can move on to cooking the recipe in a large Dutch oven.
- Use homemade stock. To achieve restaurant quality taste, I suggest using homemade beef stock. You’ll get superior results every time!
- Serving. I like to cut the pot roast into chunks and serve it on a plate with a few carrots and potatoes topped with the thickened pot roast sauce. If preferred, you can shred all the pot roast before serving and toss with the sauce.
More comforting beef recipes
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Classic Pot Roast Recipe
Classic pot roast is the ultimate comfort food dish. Tender braised beef, potatoes, and carrots marry together in the most flavorful sauce!
Ingredients
- 4 pound chuck roast tied
- 2 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil such as avocado, vegetable, etc.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions cut into large pieces
- 8 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups low-sodium beef stock divided
- 2 large bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 10 sprigs thyme tied
- 1 1/2 pounds red or small yellow potatoes cut into large chunks
- 2 pounds carrots cut into 3-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and set the rack in the middle of the oven to accommodate a Dutch oven with its lid.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels then season with salt and pepper. Add the neutral oil to the pan along with the chuck roast. Sear until browned on all sides (about 15 minutes total) then remove the roast to a plate.
- Add a 1/2 cup of beef stock to the pan and scrape off all of the browned bits. Taste the sauce to make sure it's not burnt. If it is, discard, otherwise pour the pan sauce into the same vessel as the remaining beef stock and set aside.
- Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat, add the olive oil and onions along with a pinch of salt, and cook until translucent (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes then add the flour and mix until all of the white specks have vanished (about 1 minute).
- Add the red wine, beef stock, thyme, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot and bring to a boil while stirring to break up any flour clumps. Boil for 2 minutes then turn off the heat and add the roast back to the pot and cover. Place into the oven to roast.
- After 1 1/2 hours, remove the pot and uncover it. Quickly add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and cover again. Return to the oven for another 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 200-210°F.
- Place the pot roast and veggies on a plate and tent with foil. Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme bundle from the Dutch oven.
- To de-grease the sauce, lay paper towels on top of the sauce to absorb the fat then discard or use a ladle to skim some of the fat.
- The sauce will usually be quite thick from the added flour, but for an even thicker sauce, simply use an immersion blender to blend the softened onions and a few potatoes. Alternatively, heat just the pot with the sauce over medium-high heat to reduce until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon. Or make a slurry of 2 tablespoons flour and 1/4 cup of water. Pour into the simmering sauce and stir for a few minutes until adequately thickened.
- The roast can be shredded or cut into chunks and mixed with the sauce. Any large pieces of fat can be discarded right before serving. Season the carrots and potatoes with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cut of beef. Chuck roast makes the best pot roast due to its unique fat profile, but other leaner roasts such as rump roast, top round, and bottom round can also be used.
- Sauce consistency. Many people will enjoy the pot roast sauce as is and will not need to make a thicker gravy. If you do enjoy a thicker sauce, by all means, follow the instructions to boil and/or add a slurry of flour and water.
- Seperate pan for searing. For this large of a pot roast I like to use a searing pan since it will take about 15 minutes to effectively sear all of the sides. During this time the bottom of the pan might get overly black or burnt. When deglazing with part of the beef stock be sure to taste test it before adding the liquid back to the remaining stock. If it tastes burnt, don’t pour it back with the unused beef stock. After this step you can move on to cooking the recipe in a large Dutch oven.
- Make-ahead. Pot roast is even better the next day. Simply let the roast cool then refrigerate the Dutch oven covered.
- Leftovers. Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 944kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.6g | Protein: 105.9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9.8g | Cholesterol: 305mg | Sodium: 1260mg | Potassium: 2115mg | Fiber: 8.6g | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 13mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Best pot roast I’ve ever had!
Best pot roast recipe. Came out exactly like the photos. Sauce was unbelievably good. Five stars are not enough. My wife found your recipe and I cooked it. First time I cooked a pot roast and it came out perfect. (More to your credit than mine)
Hi John, we’re so happy you enjoyed the pot roast and really appreciate the comment!
OMGsh! This is the first time I remember ever a recipe looking EXACTY like the picture. But as good as it looked, it tasted even better! 10 outta 10!
I’ve made several of your recipes and have yet to be disappointed. Sip and Feast is is quickly becoming my “go to” site when searching for delicious dishes—I especially like your straight-forward directions and easy-to-find ingredients.
Hi Corky, we are so happy you loved the potroast and appreciate the great comment!
Thank you for all these wonderful meals. We’ve ENJOYED many of your Italian recipes
Can you recommend one for bottom round pot roast in wine. I should have purchased a chuck roast . But, KK had a bottom round sale.what do you recommend, please
Many thanks from your neighbors due south
Hi Barb, thanks for the comment. See the ingredients section on chuck roast where Jim mentiones you can use bottom round for this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
This looks so amazing. I am sure it tastes as good as it looks.
Sip and Feast………I love your recipes…..especially anything with a chuck roast
BEST POT ROAST I HAVE EVER MADE. ADDED MUSHROOMS WITH THE CARROTS AND POTATOES…I HAD THEM SITTING AROUND.
Hi Rich, we’re so happy you enjoyed and thanks for the comment!
Can I substitute corn starch for flour? I have someone who cannot have gluten?
Hi Betsy, if you prefer to not use flour, you can make a slurry from cornstarch and add it at the end (see Jim’s comments in the FAQ “What’s the best way to thicken my pot roast sauce”).
Hi Jim and Tara. I’ve been following you when I saw a post of you on YouTube. You were cooking chicken in a stainless steel pan. I immediately went to madein and bought one!
This pot roast….heavenly. I’m 63 yrs young cooked for 8 kids made alot of pot roasts. Never ever have I made a more delicious one! The gravy was velvet. Had a hint of sweetness…only thing I added was shallots in place of some garlic. Thank you so much for a wonderful dish. You rock!!
Hi Judy, thanks for the comment and we’re so happy you loved the pot roast! Shallots sound like a great addition!
Thanks for the new year roast!
Happy new year 2024
All the best
Jimmer and Carol
We are so happy you enjoyed the pot roast! Happy New Year!
I usually use rump roast, love pot roast, looks delicious, I make mashed potatoes, but I do put carrots in. Thanks for your recipe. When I first did pot roast I used to use chuck. The rump came from my MIL, rest her soul🥰🙏🏼
Thank you Jim and Tara for this wonderful recipe! I made it the other night and it is the best pot roast recipe! Question: can you show how to tie the chuck roast? Lol, I am sure I didn’t do it right!
Hi Laura, thanks for the comment and we’re so happy you enjoyed! Jim didn’t get the tying on video, but essentially he was tying it in a way to ensure the roast had a uniform thickness. You can also ask your butcher to tie it for you in the future.
Jim, I’ve tried quite a few of your recipes and they have all been delish but I was not impressed with this pot roast at all. I followed it to the T and it was A LOT of work but my guest and I felt it was very lacking in flavor. I have a few family chuck roast recipes that are way easier and way more flavorful. The potatoes and carrots were good, tho, and cooked to perfection. Also, I have an extra large dutch oven and it was nowhere big enough for a 4 pd roast, 2 pds of carrots and all those potatoes…
Hi Loren, sorry to hear you didn’t have success with this one. I’m not sure what size Dutch oven you have but Jim used an 8 quart which worked well, as you can see in the video.
This is another outstanding recipe I’ve made from you. I used a bottom round roast that was 2.25 lb. Bake 3 hrs 45 min and the meat easily shredded. I used a merlot wine. I used a few less potatoes and carrots, added some chopped celery but kept all other recipe ingredients the same. My only other adjustment was to do everything in my Dutch oven. This might be the best recipe I’ve made from sip and feast, but that’s pretty tough to say since mostly all have been fabulous! Thanks for another awesome one!
Hi Lynn, we’re so happy you enjoyed the pot roast and really appreciate your comment!
Love Beef Stew and you make it similar to my Mother’s. I haven’t had this delicious meal since my teen years and I’m looking forward
to making it. I really never knew her secret, but you Nailed It! Thank you so much!👍
Hi Linda, thanks for the comment and hope you enjoy it!
Love this recipe!
Hi Maureen, we’re so happy you enjoyed the pot roast and thanks for the comment!
Jim, this is not an email about your recipes, as they are all over the moon and beyond delicious, and I love ❤️ your videos. no this is about the equipment that you have, namely your counter top burner. I have been looking for the one that you have but I don’t know the name of it or where I can find it. I have a glass top electric kitchen stove and I don’t think it gets me the results that you get…
Can you please 🙏 tell me the brand name and where to get it.,please and thank you so much.
Hi Luz, thanks for the comment and happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes. The burner is Iwatani and is available on Amazon.
Can this be successfully done in a slow cooker ?
Hi Oae, thanks for the comment. We haven’t tested it in a slow cooker but it would likely work. We just can’t advise on timing, etc. since it hasn’t been tested.
Very good! After it was cooking for a couple hours I realized I hadn’t used my little bowl of chopped garlic (either I missed that recipe step or it was left out of the recipe). I cooked the garlic for a minute in a bit of olive oil and dumped it in the Dutch oven. An hour later I realized I hadn’t used the wine. So I boiled the wine a minute and dumped that in too. It all worked out great and was delicious after a Sunday of football.
Hi Chris, we’re so happy you enjoyed and improvised with the garlic and wine. That’s what cooking is all about! Thanks so much for the comment.
Looks great going to try and make it this weekend. For leftovers would you store it all together in the fridge or keep the sauce separate?
Hi Mike, thanks for the comment. For leftovers you can store it all together. Hope you enjoy!