This easy pot roast recipe is tried and true. The slow cooked beef chuck is fall-apart tender and the vegetables are soft, soaked with rich beef stock, red wine, and fragrant rosemary, thyme, and bay. It’s a classic one pot recipe you’ll make over and over again! 575 calories or 11 WW points.

What is Pot Roast?

Pot roast isn’t a cut of meat itself. It’s a savory, braised beef dish made by browning the meat before cooking it “low and slow” in a covered casserole dish or Dutch oven. In most recipes, you will brown the roast on the stovetop first, then transfer it to the oven or a slow cooker.

To prevent the roast from drying out, you will add liquid (such as beef stock, broth, or water) to the bottom of the dish holding the roast. To this a complete complete meal, add chopped-up potatoes and vegetables to the dish, cooking it along with the roast.

Now, if this is your first time making a pot roast dinner, it can seem intimidating to cook but trust me, it’s relatively easy (see the step-by-step instructions below). Like other beef chuck recipes, this one doesn’t require you to be ultra-precise about timing. It will cook in anywhere from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours and you’ll know it’s done when the meat is tender enough that it can be pulled apart with a fork (so if it’s not there yet, let it keep cooking).

Which is the Best Cut of Meat for Pot Roast?

Choosing a cut of meat for your pot roast can be kind of counter-intuitive , because the tougher the cut, the better the pot roast.

You may be used to choosing tender, juicy steaks from the meat counter, but with pot roast, it’s the opposite. Tougher cuts of meat have lots of tough connective tissue, so when you cook the roast at a low temperature for a long period of time, the tissues soften.

Don’t rush the process! Allowing the meat to simmer for hours results in the tender, melt-in-your-mouth roast you’re after!

A boneless chuck roast is my favorite pick for pot roast. It has outstanding marbling, making the roast tender and juicy when braised. Cut from the shoulder just above the short rib, it is a tougher, albeit more affordable cut than those from the front part of the animal, like the sirloin or short loin.

Other cuts that are either the same (under a different name) or come from the same area are the chuck eye, blade roast, shoulder roast, shoulder steak, arm steak, arm roast, cross-rib roast, or seven-bone roast. Some butchers also sell the chuck generically labeled as “pot roast.”

How to Make Pot Roast

In a Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Season your beef chuck roast all over with salt and pepper and add it to the pan, browning it on all sides (about 15 minutes).

Add 1 chopped onion and 5 minced cloves of garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Add a cup of dry red wine (I like merlot or cabernet sauvignon). Bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned, crispy bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

Add 3 cups of low-sodium beef stock; bring to a boil.

Return the beef to the pan. Add sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, and 2 dried bay leaves.

Add a pound of chopped Yukon Gold potatoes and 4 chopped carrots. Cover, transfer the dish to the oven, and roast at 325 degrees F for 3.5-4 hours, until the beef is fork tender.

Easy Pot Roast Recipe: Frequently Asked Questions

My vegetables came out mushy. How do I prevent that? If you prefer firmer vegetables, add the potatoes and carrots about 1 to 1.5 hours before the roast is done instead of at the beginning. The beef needs the full 3.5 to 4 hours, but root vegetables only need about an hour to get tender.

Can I use a different wine? Yes. Any dry red wine works well. Merlot and cabernet sauvignon are the most common choices, but sherry and chianti have also worked well for readers. If you don’t cook with alcohol, substitute an equal amount of beef broth with a splash of red wine vinegar.

How long do leftovers keep? Leftovers will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavor actually improves overnight as the beef soaks up the braising liquid.

Can I use a different cut of beef? Yes. Chuck eye, blade roast, shoulder roast, arm roast, cross-rib roast, and seven-bone roast all come from the same area and work well. The key is choosing a tougher, well-marbled cut that benefits from long, slow cooking.

Can I make this in a slow cooker? Yes. Brown the beef and onions on the stovetop first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours until the beef is fork tender.

What Goes with Easy Pot Roast

This easy pot roast is a complete one-pot meal, but if you want to round it out with extra sides, here are some favorites:

• Perfect Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Charred Sesame Pecan Green Beans
• Tried and True Tender Cornbread
• Individual Scalloped Potatoes