Share
Classic Pot Roast recipe old school style. It may not be a slow cooker recipe, but it’s still an easy pot roast recipe that results in the best flavor and the most tender meat.
I’m sure like most of you, the pandemic has our daily life upside down and sideways, so you’re probably thinking this is definitely going to cut into your Tiger King viewing time. I’m not going to lie, it most definitely will—but remember this is an easy pot roast recipe, so just queue up your favorite Spotify playlist and get to work.
Think of this way, this recipe feeds an army, so make this on Saturday and you’ll have left overs through the weekend. And if your boys are anything like mine and object to repeat meals, they have options. Ladle this over a rotation of rice, creamy polenta or egg noodles—see, totally not the same. If you still run into resistance, let them make their own PB&J sandwiches and blend the pot roast for a protein shake and tell them no one leaves the table until plates are cleared and glasses are emptied.
Or if you are feeling kind, freeze half of it and save it for another day that you have dinner duties. Alternately, you can halve the recipe if your freezer is full and your kids don’t like PB&J sandwiches.
Now that we have all that out of the way, let’s get down to the details.
- Method: Yes, I’ve gone pretty old school on this recipe and bypassed the slow cooker. Trust me when I tell you it’s worth the extra effort to do the same. This recipe tested with the slow cooker came up short on flavor and the meat wasn’t nearly as tender. It was almost like I was working with two different recipes. Sure it’s easier, but easier isn’t always better—and it is especially true of pot roast.
- Meat: Chuck roast is the way the way to go. The longer you cook it the more tender it becomes and the more flavorful it becomes. But during this quarantine time, if you can’t find chuck roast, bottom round roast will work. As a side note, my 13-year old actually prefers the latter for the texture since it’s still tender but doesn’t fall apart so easily and he says it tastes “closer to steak.”
- Aromatics: Don’t skip sautéing the onions, celery, and carrots. Like most soups, stews and braises of any sorts, this is a crucial step for flavoring. The fancy term for it is mirepoix. For this recipe, or any recipe that starts with a mirepoix, make sure to utilize the celery leaves. Most people discard them, but they pack a lot of flavor you don’t want to trash. That may go against the classic idea of mirepoix, but this is cooking, not science, so do what tastes best to you.
- Cook time: It’s a guide. The pot roast is ready when the meat is soft, tender and easily falls apart. Depending on how thick your roast is and the shape of your roast, some parts may become more tender and fall apart before another. The takeaway here is, try to buy one that is most uniform in shape and cook it longer if needed. Contrary to other methods of meat cooking and cuts of meat, slow roasting a chuck roast benefits from a long cook time and is nearly impossible to cook too long. In fact, if the meat is tough, most likely it just needs to be cooked longer. It’s not that the meat is under cooked, it just needs more time to tenderize.
This is one of those meals (like most soups) that tastes better the next day. I don’t know the science behind why that is. I just know that this taste 10x better once it sits overnight.
This recipe seems labor intensive, but it’s not hard to do – it’s an easy pot roast recipe to pull off. Yes, it’s a few more steps than throwing it all in a slow cooker, but the payoff is there, so plan a weekend day to make this and you’re set for a few days.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3½ to 4 lbs. chuck roast
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- flour
- 1 large onion
- 5 garlic gloves, peeled and smashed
- 2 cups celery
- 2 cups green onions (leeks will work too)
- 2 cups carrots (white and green parts)
- 2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 28oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoons Worchestire sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 stems of thyme
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 lb. baby Dutch yellow potatoes
- 1 lb. baby carrots
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Combine 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Season the meat on both sides with the salt and pepper mixture. Dredge the whole roast in flour. In a 6 quart Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil until it starts to shimmer. Add the meat to the hot oil and sear until nicely browned. about, 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat for other side and ends. Remove the roast and set aside on a large plate.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the onions, garlic, celery, green onions, carrots, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, Worchestire sauce tomato paste, thyme and rosemary. Put the roast back into the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiled place the lid on top and transfer to the oven.
- Cook pot roast in the oven at 350F for one hour.
- Turn down the heat to 250F and cook for another 2½ to 3 hours. Remove from oven. Transfer roast to a cutting board. Remove the solids with a strainer and transfer it a food processor fitted with a blade (or transfer to a blender), puree the solids until smooth. Place the puree back into the pot. Whisk together 2 tablespoons flour in 3 tablespoons of water until fully combined, then pour it into sauce. Add the butter to the sauce as well; simmer and stir for 2 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots to sauce, bring to a boil. Once boiled turn down heat and add to roast back to the pot and let simmer for 45 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are fork tender. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over egg noodles or creamy polenta.
Leave a comment & rate this recipe
If you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and review. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. Your support means a great deal to me.
8 comments to "Easy Pot Roast Recipe "
Mary Ann @ the beach house kic
April 26, 2020 AT 12:12AM
We’d really enjoy this meal Matt! It’s one of Tom’s favorites. And leftovers are even better!
I don’t really like pot roast, it’s about the texture, but I love this recipe, if that makes sense. And nothing wrong at all with cooking the old fashioned way!
I don’t really like pot roast, it’s about the texture, but I love this recipe, if that makes sense. And nothing wrong at all with cooking the old fashioned way!
We love pot roasts in this house, and stews and casseroles – especially now that the weather is starting to cool down. I love when the meat is so tender it simply falls apart – and this looks absolutely perfect, Matt! Thanks for sharing.
We love pot roasts in this house, and stews and casseroles – especially now that the weather is starting to cool down. I love when the meat is so tender it simply falls apart – and this looks absolutely perfect, Matt! Thanks for sharing.
i love the picture!
the recipe sounds amazing. its a shame i will have to wait for fall to make this.
i will go with the bottom round as your son suggests.
i came across your blog quite by acident while looking for a taquito recipi. made one with pulled pork that was so yummy baked in the oven.
as it is in the 60’s i may make your pizza. of course i will have to turn it into a gluten free crust.
thank you for your recipes.
my gluten and lactose free blog can be found by typing in mrs. gabby’s kitchen into your browser.
Lucinda
August 2, 2022 AT 11:39AM
What exactly goes into the food processor? This recipe just says remove the meat & move the “solids” to the processor. Yet, I see in the pic, the potatoes did not go thru the processor? Carrots? (Also typos.)
FAQs
I opt for basil, thyme, paprika, dried bay leaves, and black pepper. These add a lovely, almost Italian-inspired flavor to this pot roast recipe. Veggies. Including onions, garlic, carrots, and potatoes (all of which are also in my beef stew!).
Does pot roast get more tender the longer you cook it? ›
Yes, pot roast absolutely becomes more tender the longer it cooks. Roasts are generally made from tougher cuts of meat, such as chuck or brisket, which contain a lot of collagen, connective tissue, and fat. These tougher tissues require a long cooking time to break down and for the collagen to converts into gelatin.
What not to do to pot roast? ›
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking Pot Roast
- Using the wrong roast.
- Not browning the roast.
- Deglazing with just broth.
- Cooking the vegetables too long.
- Not thickening the gravy.
The best meat for pot roast is a beef cut with abundant connective tissue, like chuck roast, beef brisket or bottom round roast. This connective tissue called collagen is what makes pot roast melt-in-your-mouth tender.
What is the secret to a perfect roast? ›
The secret to making tender roast beef:
It's all about cooking low and slow. With a cut of meat like this, a longer cook time will give you better, more tender results. Ideally, all roasted meats would be seared on all sides in a hot skillet to develop a golden, delicious crust.
Why add tomato paste to pot roast? ›
Parsnips and potatoes round out the vegetable portion of the roast, while the addition of garlic, tomato paste, and vinegar in the sauce add an incredible depth of flavor.
Why is my roast still tough after 7 hours? ›
There are several reasons why this could have happened even after so much cooking. First, your choice of a rump roast could be a factor since cuts from the hind quarter are very muscular and, since muscles are the most resistant to breaking, this cut is quite stubborn when it comes to becoming tender.
Do potatoes go on top or bottom of roast? ›
directions. Put potatoes, carrots and onion on bottom of crockpot. Place the roast on top, fat side up. Pour in water or beef broth.
When to add potatoes to pot roast? ›
Place the roast on top of the onions and season with the salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of the broth or water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer on low for 2 hours. Add the potatoes, carrots, and quartered onions and cover and slowly simmer for 1 hour longer.
Should I wait to add vegetables to pot roast? ›
Cook several hours until fork tender, this may take from for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, or longer, depending on the size of your roast. Check once or twice to make sure that the liquids haven't cooked down too much. If so, add a bit more stock. After the first 2 1/2 hours, add the vegetables all around the meat.
It's delicious both ways. If you want to give your crock-pot a whirl, here's a slow cooker pot roast recipe for you. But pot roast is plenty easy to make in the oven! You do all the browning and roasting all in the same pot and it requires less time than in a slow cooker roast.
Should pot roast be completely covered in liquid? ›
Just remember there is no need to fully submerge your roast in liquid -- a little goes a long way to making a moist and fork-tender pot roast.
How can I add flavor to my pot roast? ›
Pot Roast Seasoning
- Fresh garlic. Any excuse to use fresh garlic!
- Fresh thyme. Yes, you could make a pot roast without herbs. ...
- Italian seasoning. A blend of dried herbs like oregano, marjoram and rosemary, Italian herb seasoning is a lot of bang-for-buck here.
Just be sure it's low sodium. I love a mix of carrots, parsnips, and potatoes for this pot roast. Carrots and potatoes are enough if you don't care for parsnips. Use regular all purpose flour to coat the beef if gluten is no issue for you.
What thickens a pot roast? ›
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.
How do you make a pot roast not bland? ›
Worcestershire sauce: adds a depth of complex savory, slightly tangy flavor. Soy sauce: is my secret weapon, I even add it to my marinara sauce! It adds additional salty, savory flavor and helps tenderize the beef. Use reduced sodium or the chuck roast beef will be too salty.
What herbs and spices go best with roast beef? ›
Dried Herbs for Beef. Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Sage, and Bay leaves are the best dried herbs to use when cooking beef. To use dried herbs with beef, you should consider which ones you want to include in your recipe and when you should add them.
Should you season pot roast before cooking? ›
Season the roast for at least 40 minutes and up to overnight before cooking. If you have the time, you should always strive to get your roast seasoned the night before roasting to let the flavor really sink in.
