Classic Pot Roast

Nothing is better than a pot roast cooking in the oven! In a world that loves one-dish meals, this recipe is truly the original one-pan meal. And it has such a rustic, no-frills presentation: the Dutch oven has a roast as the centerpiece and is filled with carrots and potatoes. Super simple but oh so delicious!

Growing up, my mom prepared this as a family favorite for Sunday dinners right after church. It was a perfect recipe to prepare before church and let cook while away. The roast is slowly cooked at a lower temperature until fork-tender. The carrots and potatoes are added towards the end of the roasting process, so they are not overcooked. The best part is the rich sauce that is created from all of the items cooking together.

The ingredients that make this such a classic

• Chuck roast is the best roast for a long cook time. The chuck is cut from the shoulder and is marbled with just enough fat to keep it moist and full of flavor.
• Onion, carrot, and celery are finely diced and start as the base of flavor for the sauce. During the roasting time, all of the drippings from the roast and vegetables create a rich sauce at the end.
• Tomato paste is the ingreident you’ll never know was added. A little bit of the paste cooks and caramilizes, adding a deep rich flavor to the sauce.
• Red wine cuts through the richness of the beef and provides some acidity to balance out the sauce. If you don’t want the wine, you can leave it out.
• Beef stock is the base liquid for the sauce that cooks during the roasting. Do not worry about having homemade stock as the concentrate works just as well.
• Worcestershire sauce is always that ingredients that seems miniscule but adds a huge flavor punch. A little bit goes a long ways.
• Carrots are cut large so they’re a good size for serving as the side. Cutting them too small would result in overcooked, mushy carrots. But a larger cut results in a perfect texture.
• Potatoes are for many the best part of any pot roast. Using smaller, bite-size potatoes naturally results in pre-portioned bites, but large potatoes can be cut into pieces and added as well. To avoid too much breakdown, use a denser potato like a Yukon gold.

Altogether, this pot roast is a one-pot staple that will make anyone feel like they’re part of the family. The meal is simple to put together and fills the entire house with a welcoming aroma. I think you’ll soon find that this recipe needs to be on permanent repeat during the winter!

More one pan recipes

Classic Pot Roast

4 hrs 15 mins

4.8

Pork Chops with Cabbage and Apples

2 hrs 50 mins

4.2

One Skillet Apricot Chicken with Orzo

1 hr

4.7

Overstuffed Herb Omelet

40 mins

Watch how to make this classic pot roast recipe

Classic Pot Roast

4.75 from 8 votes

There is nothing better than a one-pan set it and forget it recipe. And that's exactly what happens with this classic pot roast dish! The chuck roast is roasted with carrots and potatoes, creating a fall-apart tender meal!

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 4 hrs 10 mins

Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins

Servings 12 servings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share a Review

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb chuck roast
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 cup beef stock
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 lb carrots cut into large sticks
• 1 ½ lb small baking potatoes
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the entire chuck roast and set aside.
  1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tsp pepper, 3-4 lb chuck roast
• In an 8-quart Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté until soft and beginning to brown on the bottom of the Dutch oven, 6-8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until the paste forms a caramelized layer on the dutch oven, 3 minutes. Add the red wine, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce.
  2 tbsp butter, 1 cup diced onion, 1 cup diced celery, 1 cup diced carrot, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 cup red wine, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 3 cup beef stock
• Place the prepared chuck roast in the middle of the liquid in the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and roast in the preheated oven. The roast will take approximately 1 hour per pound of meat.
• Once the roast is nearing the fall-apart tender stage with about 1 hour remaining in roasting time, remove ¼ cup of the drippings and add the prepared carrots and potatoes. Then continue to roast until the carrots and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.
  1 ½ lb small baking potatoes, 2 lb carrots
• Remove the pan from the oven and remove the roast, carrots, and potatoes, leaving the sauce and drippings in the pan. Set the pan over medium heat. Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved cooled drippings. Stir this cornstarch slurry into the hot drippings and stir until slightly thickened like gravy. Serve with the roast and vegetables.
  1 tbsp cornstarch

Nutrition

Serving: 4ozCalories: 276kcalCarbohydrates: 21.7gProtein: 25.6gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2.9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2.8gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 72.1mgSodium: 607.1mgPotassium: 1115mgFiber: 4.3gSugar: 6.4gVitamin A: 740.6IUVitamin C: 12.5mgCalcium: 57.1mgIron: 3.7mg

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Difficulty Intermediate

Method Roasting

Share your results on Instagram

Follow @wyseguide and tag your photo with #thatssowyse. I love to see what you’re making and growing.