Say hello to the ultimate cozy comfort food with this classic pot roast recipe. We’re talking about beef so tender it practically falls apart, alongside perfectly roasted and caramelized veggies and a broth that’s pure liquid gold. This dinner is a flavor-packed, slow-cooked masterpiece!
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This recipe is…
This pot roast recipe is the definition of timeless comfort food. Imagine a tender cut of beef, seared and then slow cooked to perfection, mingling with soft, caramelized potatoes, carrots, and onions, all bathed in a broth that’ll have you reaching for seconds before you even finish the first plate.
While this meal looks, sounds, and IS impressive, one of the very best parts of the recipe is that it is a cinch to pull together. You’ll need several hours to get it done, but there is very little hands-on effort required!
Looking for more luscious roast recipes that’ll impress? We’ve got you. This Instant Pot balsamic beef roast utilizes the Instant Pot to shave a considerable amount of time off of a typical roast cooking time, this herb crusted prime rib roast is SPECIAL, and this balsamic pork loin roast recipe makes for the juiciest, most delicious pork loin recipe ever.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easy – this is the kind of recipe that will make anyone (even the most inexperienced of cooks) feel like an absolute kitchen wizard. It’s so easy and yields the most delicious, tender, juicy, results.
- It’s classic and comforting – pot roast goes WAY back on the comfort food timeline! It’s classic, delicious, and comforting.
Classic Pot Roast Recipe Ingredients
This recipe calls for all of the typical pot roast ingredients, but be sure to read through the ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below for our best tips and suggestions on a few of them.
- Chuck roast – a chuck roast is going to yield the most tender finished product, so if you see one at the store, grab it! If you can’t find a chuck roast, any other beef roast will work just fine.
- Ghee – because we’re searing the roast at such a high temperature, it’s important to use ghee here. It won’t smoke or burn!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Omit the potatoes – if you’d rather swap the potatoes for a different starch (like rice or mashed potatoes), feel free to omit them from the roast and make the other starchy side separately.
How to Make a Pot Roast
The process is incredibly easy! In fact, it’s only THREE steps (including plating/serving your roast). Follow along below for the full how-to.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Add the ghee to a heavy bottomed or enameled cast iron pot over medium high heat. Season the roast with salt, then sear it over high heat on one side for 4 minutes, flip over, and remove the pot from heat.
Step 2: Nestle the potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic around the seared roast. Pour the broth in until it reaches halfway up the roast, then top the roast with fresh thyme. Cover with lid and bake at 325°F for 3 hours (for 3 or less pounds) or 4 hours (for 4 pounds or more).
Step 3: Serve with pan drippings over top of the meat and veggies, and season with additional salt and pepper or a squeeze of lemon, if desired.
Recipe Tips
- If you find that your roasts are really tough, try to only buy chuck roast. Chuck roast will be the most tender. Bone in or boneless will both work, but you will probably get more bang for your buck with boneless.
- Don’t trim your roast! The fat will help add to the flavor of the final dish.
- Don’t skip the searing, and be sure to sear in ghee (vs. oil or butter). To get a really good sear on steak, you want the temperature to be really high, and ghee won’t smoke or burn.
- Don’t overdo the broth. You’ll want to pour enough broth so that it reaches halfway up the roast, but don’t cover the top of the roast with broth. If your roast is too soupy and not caramelized, you’re adding too much broth.
- Bonus flavor tip: after you brown your roast, pull it out and set it aside, and char the carrots and onions in the bottom of the pot. Then remove the veggies and add the roast to the pot (it needs to touch the bottom of the pot), nestle in the veggies, and bake as directed.
How to Serve
Serve your roast alongside the potatoes, carrots, and onions, and then top everything with the pan drippings. If you’d like to include a simple green salad in your meal, this lemon arugula salad would be perfect.
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover roast and veggies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat, either pop a serving in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or reheat in a skillet over medium heat for 7-8 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve found that covering the roast halfway with broth makes for the most tender roast while still allowing it to really caramelize on top. Too many times, people cover their entire roast in liquid and the final product is soupy.
Your roast should be touching the bottom of the pot, with the veggies nestled around it. This will allow for the meat (vs. the veggies) to make the most contact with the hottest part of the pot, making for both a tender roast and perfectly cooked veggies.
This recipe calls for adding the veggies to the pot after the roast is seared. They’ll spend the entire cooking time in the oven alongside the roast.
More Favorite Roast Recipes
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Classic Pot Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 3-5 pound beef chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 pounds red potatoes, chopped into wedges
- 1 yellow onion, cut into 8 sections
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2-3 cups beef broth
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and season the roast with salt.
- Add the ghee to a heavy bottomed or enameled cast iron pot (6 quart) over high heat. Once hot, sear the roast over high heat on one side for 4 minutes, then flip over and remove the pot from the heat.
- Nestle the potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic around the seared roast. Pour the broth in until it reaches halfway up the roast, then top the roast with fresh thyme. Cover with lid and bake at 325°F for 3 hours (for 3 or less pounds) or 4 hours (for 4 pounds or more).
- Serve with pan drippings over top of the meat and veggies, and season with additional salt and pepper or a squeeze of lemon, if desired.
Recipe Notes
- If you find that your roasts are really tough, try to only buy chuck roast. Chuck roast will be the most tender. Bone in or boneless will both work, but you will probably get more bang for your buck with boneless.
- Don’t trim your roast! The fat will help add to the flavor of the final dish.
- Don’t skip the searing, and be sure to sear in ghee (vs. oil or butter). To get a really good sear on steak, you want the temperature to be really high, and ghee won’t smoke or burn.
- Don’t overdo the broth. You’ll want to pour enough broth so that it reaches halfway up the roast, but don’t cover the top of the roast with broth. If your roast is too soupy and not caramelized, you’re adding too much broth.
- Bonus flavor tip: after you brown your roast, pull it out and set it aside, and char the carrots and onions in the bottom of the pot. Then remove the veggies and add the roast to the pot (it needs to touch the bottom of the pot), nestle in the veggies, and bake as directed.
Nutrition
Are you able to make this in a slow cookerbas well?