This is the perfect pot roast recipe for comfort cooking at its best. Chuck roast is slow cooked in the oven with potatoes and vegetables until fork tender, then served with delicious gravy.
This pot roast recipe is foolproof, you literally can’t mess it up. Fresh ingredients (no packets!), tender beef, and lots of veggies smothered in gravy—it deserves a permanent spot in your recipe rotation.
For this recipe (which uses the technique of braising), skip the thermometer and go by feel. Insert a fork into the roast and twist it slightly—it should be very tender, have very little resistance, and come apart easily.
If the meat isn’t fork-tender, cover it and cook for 20 to 30 minutes longer, then check it again.
What can I cook it in if I don’t have a Dutch Oven?
You can use additional beef broth in place of wine.
Cooking times can vary depending on the size and type of roast you purchase. Here are approximate cooking times for pot roast in the oven:
– Cook a 3 lb. roast for a total of 3-3.5 hours
– Cook a 4 lb. roast for a total of 3.5-4 hours
– Cook a 5 lb. roast for a total of 4.5-5 hours
This can be made in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. The slow cooker has less evaporation, so reduce the broth to 1 cup and the wine to ½ cup.
I recommend searing the roast for extra flavor. You can certainly skip the searing if you’d like.
More Chuck Roast Favorites
I make this pot roast recipe with chuck roast because it’s so buttery and tender. Here are a few other favorites for chuck.
Pot Roast Recipe
This pot roast is slow-cooked with potatoes and veggies to savory, tender perfection.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 to 4 pounds chuck roast or rump roast
- 1 large yellow onion chopped, or two small onions
- 4 carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 ribs celery cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 1 pound baby potatoes or chopped red potatoes
- 2 cups beef broth or as needed
- 1 cup red wine *see note
- 4 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
For the Gravy
- all-purpose flour or cornstarch, see notes
- butter optional
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Preheat oven to 300°F.
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Season roast with salt and pepper.
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In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on each side until browned, about 4 minutes per side adding more oil if needed.
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Arrange onions around the roast. Combine broth, wine, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Pour over the roast. Add bay leaf.
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Bring just to a simmer on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Once the broth is simmering, cover and place in the oven and cook 2 hours.
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Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, and cook an additional 2 hours (for a 4 lb. roast) or until the roast and potatoes are fork-tender.
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Discard bay leaf. Gently pull beef into large pieces with a fork or slice into thick pieces. Serve with juices or make gravy (below) if desired.
- Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour with 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth.
- Remove beef and vegetables from the pot. Use a gravy separator or a spoon to separate the fat from the drippings.
- Bring the remaining broth/drippings to a boil and whisk in the slurry mixture a little bit at a time until thickened. Add extra broth if needed.
- Season with salt & pepper to taste.
To make gravy with a roux, add 4 tablespoons flour and 4 tablespoons butter to a saucepan and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually add 3 to 4 cups of the skimmed drippings, whisking after each addition until smooth. Let boil 1 minute and season with additional salt and pepper.Store leftovers up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Calories: 418 | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 1119mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5171IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
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