Here we have a comfort food classic! An easy and delicious pot roast that’s cooked low and slow on the stovetop until it’s fall-apart tender. This pot roast is Sunday Dinner worthy with very little fuss.
There’s no need for side dishes with this pot roast dinner. The sides are cooked with the roast, carrots and tender small red potatoes make this a meal. Ok, maybe a nice piece of crusty bread on the side to soak up the delicious sauce is perfect too.
What is Pot Roast?
Pot roast is a braised, beef roast that is quickly browned then cooked on low heat in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid. Usually affordable, tough cuts of meat are used for pot roast. Slow cooking the meat time breaks down the connective tissue and meat becomes fall-apart tender.
What is the Best Meat for Pot Roast?
Popular cuts used to make pot roast include:
- Chuck, chuck roast and boneless chuck roast comes from the shoulder of the cow. We use a 3½ pound boneless chuck pot roast for this recipe.
- 7-Bone Steak or 7-Bone Roast also comes from the shoulder area of the cow. It’s made by doing a cross cut of the shoulder blade.
- Brisket is cut from the breast section of the animal.
- Beef Round comes from the rear leg of the cow. The round cut is divided into separate sections which include top round and bottom round.
Alright, now that we know what a pot roast is, let’s get to cooking!
To make this pot roast recipe you will need
- 3 – 3½ pound Chuck Pot Roast, Boneless
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion, finely diced
- 1 Celery Rib, Diced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Dried Rosemary
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ cup Red Wine
- 2-3 cups Beef Broth
- 2-3 Carrots, cut into ½ inch rounds (about 1 – 1½ cups)
- 1 pound Small Red Potatoes
You will also need
Large, Heavy Pot like an Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Prep Work
The prep work for this pot roast recipe is simple, and don’t be put off by the long cooking time; it’s really easy to make.
- Start by removing any large pieces of fat from around the roast. If the piece of fat isn’t large or thick, leave it for flavor.
- Let the meat sit out of the refrigerator while you prep the rest of the ingredients, provided that it’s cool in your kitchen.
- Season the roast with the salt and pepper.
- Dice the onions and celery. Slice the carrots and mince the garlic. That’s it for the knife work.
- Measure out the spices and the remaining ingredients.
Cook’s note: For the potatoes, try to choose small red potatoes and avoid cutting them in half or quarters. With the long cooking time the whole potatoes will hold their shape, but if they’re cut they will fall apart.
Brown the pot roast
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Make sure to use a pot that’s large enough to fit the roast and arrange the carrots and potatoes around it. We used a 7 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven and everything fit, but it was snug.
When the oil is hot, add the pot roast. Cook the meat for 5-6 minutes, or until browned. The meat will release from the pot when a nice crust forms on the outside. If it is hard lift and is sticking to the pot, give it another minute or so.
Turn the roast and cook for another 5-6 minutes until it’s browned on both sides. Searing the roast prior to braising it really develops flavor for this dish.
Take the pot off the heat. I like to slide it over to an empty burner instead of carrying around this super heavy pot.
Remove the roast from the pot and place on a pan or a large platter. Keep the meat warm by loosely covering it with aluminum foil and/or place it in the microwave or oven. The meat will stay nice and warm away from drafts.
Make a flavor base
Do not wash the pot. Place it back over medium heat. Add the onions and the celery to the pot. Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Next, add the garlic, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and oregano to the pot. Stir the ingredients well to combine and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add the red wine to the pot and stir while gently scrapping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking until most of the wine has cooked out, about 1-2 minutes.
If you don’t drink wine or don’t have any on hand, use beef broth instead and follow the same instructions.
Here’s a frugal tip: I’m not a huge wine drinker, but I do like cooking with it every once in a while. I just can’t bring myself to open a whole bottle of wine for a ¼ or ½ a cup. Instead, I buy little bottles of wine.
They come 4 to a pack in small plastic bottles. They’re made for picnics and such. Once the bottle is opened it keeps really well in the refrigerator, until I need a little more wine for another dish.
Cook the pot roast low and slow
Return the roast to the pot, along with any juices collected in the pan. Add enough beef broth to cover the pot roast by half. The broth should be at least halfway up the thickest part of the roast.
Next, arrange the potatoes and the carrots around the roast.
Allow the beef broth to come to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.
Cook the pot roast for approximately 3 hours or until it falls apart when a fork is inserted and twisted. Keep the liquid at a simmer. If it’s boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit. If it’s not simmering, raise it.
Check on the roast every ½ hour or so, especially after raising or lowering the heat to make sure the liquid is simmering how we want it.
Serve the pot roast with the carrots and potatoes and enjoy!
You may also like these comfort food recipes:
- Steak and Mushrooms
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Cuban Style Beef Soup (Sopa de Res)
- Soba Noodle Chicken Soup
- Cuban Chicken Soup
Stovetop Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 – 3½ pound Chuck Pot Roast Boneless
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion finely diced
- 1 Celery Rib Diced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Dried Rosemary
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ cup Red Wine
- 2-3 cups Beef Broth
- 2-3 Carrots cut into ½ inch rounds (about 1 – 1½ cups)
- 1 pound Small Red Potatoes
Instructions
- Trim any large pieces of fat from around the roast.
- Let the meat sit out at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, provided that it’s cool in your kitchen.
- Season the roast with the salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the chuck pot roast. Cook the meat for 5-6 minutes, or until browned.
- Turn the roast and cook for another 5-6 minutes until it’s browned on both sides.
- Take the pot off the heat. Remove the roast from the pot and place on a pan or a large platter. Keep the meat warm by loosely covering it with aluminum foil and/or place it in the microwave or oven.
- Do not wash the pot. Place it back over medium heat. Add the onions and the celery to the pot. Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Next, add the garlic, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and oregano to the pot. Stir the ingredients well to combine and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the red wine to the pot and stir while gently scrapping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking until most of the wine has cooked out, about 1-2 minutes.
- Return the roast to the pot, along with any juices collected.
- Add enough beef broth to cover the pot roast by half. The broth should be halfway up the thickest part of the roast.
- Arrange the potatoes and the carrots around the roast.
- Allow the beef broth to come to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.
- Cook the pot roast for approximately 3 hours or until it falls apart when a fork is inserted and twisted. Keep the liquid at a simmer. If it’s boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit. If it’s not simmering, raise it.
- Check on the roast every ½ hour or so, especially after raising or lowering the heat to make sure the liquid is simmering how we want it.
- Serve the pot roast with the carrots and potatoes.
Millie A.
Wow! I made this for dinner on Christmas Day. Everyone was raving over it. Made the recipe just as it states. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe. I give it
10 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating!! 😋
Elizabeth
Hi Millie,
I am so happy you enjoyed it for your Christmas celebration. Thank you for your kind words. Have a wonderful New Year!
Kalypso
I made it and tried to do it just like you wrote it. Perfect . I didn’t have wine so I used half a can of beer but the rest was beef broth. I forgot the celery but that was okay and used thyme and not rosemary and one bay leaf. It was fantastic!
Elizabeth
Sounds delicious! Happy you enjoyed it.
Renee
Ok, I’m not a beef eater, but my husband is. I am a good cook, but had only ever made pot roast the way my mother did…..put the meat in a pan, dump a packet of Lipton’s Inion Soup on it, add some water, and voila. My husband asked me to make roast like his mother and grandmother did. What? I don’t know how to do that! I found your recipe. Tweaked it a bit based on what I had on hand. My husband was blown away. He said his mother and grandmother would have been proud. This is now MY “family” roast recipe to be passed on. THANK YOU!!
Elizabeth
Hi Renee,
I’m so happy to hear that! Make notes of the tweaks you made while they are fresh in your mind so you can recreate it. So glad you all enjoyed it.
Dorothy
Hi! This was so good. I didn’t add potatoes and carrots to the pot until 1 hour passed. I like the veggies a little less cooked. The aroma smelled amazing and it tasted even better! Thank you!
Elizabeth
Hi Dorothy, happy you enjoyed it!
Bonnie Maclachlan
I tried this for the first time today. It tastes so much better than my old standby recipe! The whole family loved it! I will make it again.
Elizabeth
Hi Bonnie,
Thank you for your kind comment, I’m happy you all enjoyed it!
Ann
This is real good. My fiance agrees as well. I didn’t add celery and rosemary (my preference) but still came out good. This was the first cooking I’ve done for my fiance to ask for seconds. Definitely saving this recipe and cooking it again for him.
Elizabeth
Hi Ann,
So happy you both enjoyed it!
Jannetta
I added extra garlic, more carrots, and English peas at the very end. It was so good. I added more like a half a cup of Malbec for the wine. Amazing to cook with and drink!
Making this for a new male friend and I know it will work. He has admitted to being a beef lover and a comfort food lover. I flipped a coin on whether to make lasagna or pot roast. Pot roast won.
Elizabeth
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, best of luck to you!
Mark Besting
OMG, the best I have had since my Mom made pot roast 25 years (or more) ago! Brought back fond memories of her. Thank you.
Elizabeth
Hi Mark, thank you for your kind comment. One of my favorite things about food is the memories it can elicit. I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Skvermil
This is the best roast I have ever made. Thank you for sharing!
Elizabeth
Thank you for your kind review, I’m very happy you enjoyed it!
Kim
I flour the roast beef browning it. It really gives it an extra-good flavor. I also add a package of onion soup mix and one can of cream of mushroom soup. The gravy is fantastic!!!
Emma
SO GOOD! My toddler ate it up so quickly & asked for seconds, & thirds! We will definitely make this again – thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Elizabeth
Thank you for your kind comment. I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed it!
ADSH
turned out amazing – made it for my girlfriend. she was in love
Elizabeth
Glad you enjoyed it!
jim lowe
ADSH, be careful. I cooked a few meals for my new girlfriend. She stuck around for 28 years!
Christina Steenbakker
We loved it!!! Beat pot roast I have ever had and I am 47 and live in the Midwest. It is usually really dry with water instead of wine…. This was my first time making it. A request of my new mate.
Elizabeth
So glad you enjoyed it!
Grammasue
I love your recipes!!! This roast is exactly the same as my mother used to make and sooo good. The only thing I leave out is the tomato paste (personal taste) She made stew very similarly and added celery and carrots and additional tomato paste. I enjoy your recipes a lot and thank you so much for sharing!
Elizabeth
Thank you, I’m so happy you enjoy them!
Natasha M
This is a fantastic recipe!! I added 5 or 6 Jamaican Allspice berries and the flavor was amazing.
#foodgasm
Shari
I was so thrilled to see a recipe for pot roast cooked on the stovetop. We love a good pot roast especially on a Sunday but living in So. California it is just too hot in the summer months to have the oven on for 3 hours and that is the only way I knew of to get a real tender roast. This recipe was so easy to follow and I was able to give my hubby a Sunday dinner that didn’t heat up our whole house! Thank you so much!
Elizabeth
Hi Shari,
Know exactly how you feel I’m in Miami and it is hot!. So happy you enjoyed it and thanks for stopping by.
Jill
This recipe is wonderful. It reminds me of the pot roast my grandmother used to make, always delicious.. My husband and I have enjoyed it many times. The left overs are great for beef stroganoff stroganoff.
TC Mueller
Great! I accidentally threw in a small can full of tomato paste vs a tblspn. It was still good but I did end up adding a lot more broth. I used mini gold potatoes-Yummy! I also cut the roast into three separate pieces because I didn’t half 3.5 hours to simmer it. In under 3 hours this was Perfection and my picky kids loved it!
Linda DORAN
I thought it turned out great. My Dutch Oven is only a 5 qt so I made it smaller. The meat wasn’t dry like it is sometimes.
Elizabeth
Hi Linda, I’m really happy you enjoyed it!
Sharon
This recipe tastes outstanding (my husband LOVED it) and the directions are very well written. Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth
Hi Sharon, thank you for your kind comment. I’m really happy you enjoyed it.
Gail W
This is very similar to my pot roast recipe, except I use a 26 oz. can of diced tomatoes, in place of the tomato paste & wine. I usually cook green beans as a side dish. Best part of it is if there are any leftovers, I cut up the meat and the potatoes into bite sized pieces, add the leftover green beans, add some beef broth or wine, and it makes an excellent soup.