Dutch Oven Pot Roast is worth the wait! It’s very easy to make this wholesome one-pot dinner for the ultimate cold-weather comfort food!
Nothing beats the warm and cozy feeling you get eating a classic Dutch Oven Pot Roast! This all-day cook is super simple and fills your house with the most amazing smells. Like my pork roast recipe, let the oven do all the work while enjoying a Sunday at home with your family.
DUTCH OVEN POT ROAST
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You can make pot roast in an Instant Pot or Crockpot, but you get a better flavor if you can wait a few hours. This recipe is also a great way to use some leftover root vegetables for this one-pot meal that feeds an army.
I debated whether I should make a standard slow cooker version where you throw everything in the pot and then walk away. I decided I’m going to deliver a pot roast recipe in a Dutch oven that’s the very best old-fashioned and absolutely delicious meal.
Pot Roast Ingredients
CHUCK ROAST: Cheaper cuts of beef are perfect for pot roast because they tenderize as they slow cook. I use a bone-in chuck roast for this Dutch oven pot roast with gravy because it’s more flavorful and tender, but boneless also works.
VEGETABLES: The three big vegetables I add with my pot roast are yellow potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. If you’ve never had a parsnip, I think it tastes a bit like a carrot but it has a texture similar to that of a fresh artichoke heart. Together, this makes for an unbelievable family dinner!
Let it all simmer with some beef stock, red wine, thyme, and bay leaves for the heartiest one-pot dinner.
How to Cook Pot Roast in a Dutch Oven
- First, season your roast sear it on all sides in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with some olive oil. Try not to move it during each sear for a beautiful brown char.
- Once it’s seared off, remove the roast and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and sear them until they’re slightly browned (you can add a little more oil to the pan if needed). Then add the flour and stir.
- Now, add the beef broth and wine. Be sure to scrape the bottom while your stir to get all the flavorful bits off the bottom! Bring it to a boil and add all the seasonings, the seared roast, and any juices from its resting plate.
- Then, cover the Dutch oven and roast in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
- After the initial cooking time, turn the meat and add the carrots, potatoes, and parsnips. You want everything covered in liquid if you can. Continue roasting until the veggies are cooked to your liking, about 1 1/2 hours more. Then remove and discard the bay leaves before removing your roast from the pot for serving.
To serve the best Dutch oven pot roast, remove any bones or excess fat and shred the meat into large chunks. Top the meat with your roasted vegetables and homemade gravy. I also like to serve this with a green salad and crunchy bread to get all the gravy!
Can You Roast Meat in a Dutch Oven?
A Dutch oven is a great heavy-bottom pot that’s good for most large meals. It evenly distributes heat and can safely simmer for hours.
Most people use enamel-coated cast iron Dutch ovens for large soups and stews, but I love to roast meat in mine! It gives you a delicious char that you can’t get with a slow cooker pot roast recipe.
The beauty of a Dutch oven versus a roasting pan, which could also work for pot roast, is it comes with a lid that helps the meat self-baste during cooking so it doesn’t dry out.
If you wanted to dry roast in a Dutch oven, you can leave off the lid! It’s great for roasting chicken and veggies without fearing a spill in your oven.
Is a Chuck Roast the Same Thing as a Pot Roast?
There are so many roasts, it’s hard to keep them straight!
A chuck roast is a cut of beef that is typically used for a pot roast recipe. It can also be called shoulder steak, chuck seven-bone pot roast, or beef chuck arm, too.
A pot roast, however, is a way of braising beef for hours in liquid, usually with veggies, so that it becomes super tender. Cooking pot roast in a Dutch oven is one of the best ways to do it.
You want a tough meat for pot roast, which is why chuck roast is the most popular cut! Brisket and round roasts also can hold up to simmering all day.
More Amazing One Pot Recipes
- One Pot Pad Thai
- One Pot Alfredo Pasta
- Chicken Broccoli Rice in One Pot
- One Pot Turkey Rice
- One Pot Mexican Chicken
- More MAIN DISH recipes…
Tools used to make this Dutch Oven Pot Roast recipe
Dutch oven: A Dutch oven is one of my favorite pots! It’s great for roasting, soups, and even bread. A good Dutch oven can last a lifetime if cared for correctly.
Cutting board: I like to use this cutting board both to rest the pot roast after searing and to shred it at the end. Even more ways to save on dish duty!
*This post originally posted on 02/15/2015.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chuck roast (bone-in recommended)
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced thick
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon red wine (you can add up to 1/4 cup)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 large carrots peeled & cut at diagonal into bite-sized pieces
- 2 large parsnips peeled & cut at diagonal into bite-sized pieces
- 1 ½ pounds baby yellow potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Pat meat dry with paper towels. Coat both sides of the roast with 1 tablespoon salt.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook meat for 10 minutes on each side, taking care not to move it around. This will create a nice sear. (I highly recommend turning on your vent, as things can get smokey.) Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside on a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon oil and sliced onions. Cook onions until slightly brown, stirring occasionally. It will take about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the flour, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the beef broth and wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the dutch oven to get all those yummy bits mixed in. Bring to come to a boil.
- Add 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaves. Put roast back in the dutch oven along with any juices from the plate. Cover the pot with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
- Carefully remove lid and turn the meat. Add the carrots, parsnips, and potatoes. Push them into the liquid as best you can. (You may need to mix them around halfway through their cooking to ensure they get submerged at some point.)
- Cook for another 1 1/2 hours until vegetables are fork-tender, but not falling apart. Remove bay leaves and discard.
- Transfer meat to a cutting board and remove any fat and bone. Shred the meat into chunks. You can either return the meat to the pot or start plating. Add the vegetables and gravy on top. (You can strain the cooking liquid and use it to make a gravy, or just pour some of the liquid over your shredded roast.)
Nutrition
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https://maishakr.com/ says
What great substitutions!! Thank you for the tips Darrin.
D Teel says
One tablespoon of red wine? Would anyone miss it? I used one cup and then another cup into the cook.
Aubrey Cota says
It definitely adds that little bit of something! But hey feel free to add what you like into the recipe or the cook!!
Becca says
I’ve tried many pot roast recipes through the years but in my opinion this one is the very best. So flavorful and tender and not dry at all. I believe that cooking it in the gravy makes all the difference. I used a boneless pot roast only because that’s what I had on hand. I also increased the wine to 1/3 cup. Sooo delish!!
Aubrey Cota says
Yay, thank you!
Janet says
First time using a Dutch Oven that I received for Christmas. The meat came off the bone. I followed the recipe. Next time I would leave out the parsnip.Very yummy!!
Darrin says
I made this today. It was THE BEST! I did a few things different; no parsnips, but I added a jar of whole mushroom buttons and I dry marinaded the roast overnight with an ample amount of kosher salt. Rinsed it and followed recipe. This was my fourth try at pot roast. Three fails. This was amazing. Oh yeah, three cloves garlic at the halfway point of onion sauté. Thanks for the recipe! Better than my grandmother’s, and that’s saying something.
Darrin
Aubrey Cota says
What great substitutions!! Thank you for the tips Darrin.
Jennifer says
Turned out so yummy! Thanks for the recipe/instructions. I also substituted 1 cup of beef stock for a whole cup of red wine. The roast was fall apart, and the veggies were delish!!
Terry says
The best pot roast I have ever made. My wife loves it
Lindsey says
Every time I make this recipe it turns out amazing!! I pretty much follow the recipe exact, using fresh thyme, and just adding a bit more wine. Thanks for sharing.
Jennifer Jones Harrison says
Received a cast iron dutch oven for Christmas and made this for our first test recipe. Delish! The roast was incredibly tender and the sauce was really rich. I added a little extra thyme, used shallots instead of onion (personal preference) and swapped 1 cup of broth for 1 cup of red wine. Sooo yummy. Thanks!