Classic Fall-Apart Pot Roast, Braised Low and Slow in the Oven
When I want pot roast, I want the real deal. Tender beef you can pull apart with a fork, soft potatoes and carrots, and a rich sauce that makes you go back for seconds.
While Instant Pot Pot Roast is my favorite quick option, there is nothing that beats a low and slow pot roast in the oven.
A covered Dutch oven at 300°F gives the roast gentle, even heat for hours, so the chuck breaks down into that melt-in-your-mouth texture without drying out.
After testing this one, a few things really stood out to me.
First, do not skip the sear. It adds so much flavor and color, and that golden crust carries right into the sauce.
Second, use a big enough pot. You need room around the roast to tuck in the potatoes and carrots later.
Third, don’t stress about the vegetables. They only need to be partially submerged, and it’s totally fine if they overlap.
Plan on about 4 1/2 hours start to finish, but almost all of it is hands-off oven time (music to my ears)!
Love chuck roast? Try Crock Pot French Onion Pot Roast or Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Beef Stew.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Beef chuck roast: chuck is the cut of beef you want for pot roast. It’s well marbled, so it turns tender and juicy after a long braise. I used a 4 to 5 pound boneless chuck roast.
- Red wine: Use a good red wine, something you’d actually drink. I love a red blend!
- Leek: Use the white and light green parts, chopped. Leeks can hide dirt between their layers, so rinse well after chopping.
- Celery and onion: Along with the leek, these make the soft, sweet base of the sauce.
- Low sodium beef broth and chicken bouillon: Low sodium broth lets you control the salt, and the bouillon cube adds a savory boost.
- Fresh thyme and rosemary: Whole branches, tied together with kitchen twine so they’re easy to pull out at the end. Just add the stems right to the pot if you don’t have it though!
- Petite potatoes and carrots: Petite yellow or gold potatoes can go in whole. Slice the carrots into large pieces on the bias so they hold up in the pot (too skinny and they can turn mushy).
- Cornstarch: A quick cornstarch slurry thickens the cooking liquid into a glossy red wine sauce at the end.
How to Make Pot Roast in the Oven
Step 1. Sear the beef: Pat the roast dry (this helps it sear well), then season generously and sear in a hot Dutch oven until deep golden. Don’t skip this! It adds so much flavor and color.
Step 2. Soften the aromatics: Cook the onion, celery, leek, and garlic in a little more oil until soft.
Step 3. Build the sauce and braise: Bring the wine to a boil, then stir in the tomato paste, broth, and bouillon, and tuck in the herb bundle. Nestle the roast into the liquid without covering it completely. Braise in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
Step 4. Add the potatoes and carrots: Tuck them around the roast. They only need to be partially submerged, and overlapping is fine. Cover and cook another 1 to 1/2 hours, until the beef hits 195 to 205°F and the vegetables are fork tender.
Step 6. Thicken and serve: Move the beef to a cutting board and pull out the herbs. Stir a cornstarch slurry into the hot liquid, then season to taste. Shred or slice the beef and serve with the vegetables and plenty of red wine sauce.
If you want to go all out, serve it with a kale apple salad and a few cottage cheese dinner rolls for soaking up every bit of sauce.
How to tell When Your Oven Pot Roast is Done
Pot roast is done when it’s tender, not when a timer goes off. Here’s what to look for!
- The beef reaches an internal temperature of 195 to 205°F. That’s a lot higher than you’d cook a steak, but it’s the range where the chuck breaks down and gets that fall-apart texture. (My beef internal temperature chart explains the difference.)
- The potatoes and carrots are fork tender.
- That last stretch of cooking can take anywhere from 1 to 1 1/2 hours after you add the vegetables, depending on your roast. Start checking at the 1 hour mark. If it’s not quite there, pop the lid back on and give it more time. Surprisingly, pulling it too early is what leaves pot roast tough.
How to Freeze and Reheat Pot Roast
This is a big roast, so leftovers are a given (and a good thing!).
To freeze: Pot roast freezes well for up to 3 months. Store it in an airtight container with plenty of the sauce so the beef stays juicy.
To thaw: Move it to the fridge overnight.
To reheat: Warm it in the oven at 350°F until heated through.
More Cozy Beef Dinners
Oven Pot Roast
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Ingredients
- 1 4-5 lb boneless beef chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil to taste
- 2 medium yellow onions sliced
- 4 celery stalks chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 leek white and light green parts, chopped (2 cups)
- 5 large garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 2 cups good red wine I used a red blend
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 3 branches fresh thyme
- 2 branches fresh rosemary
- 1 lb petite gold potatoes
- 4 medium carrots peeled and sliced into large pieces on the bias
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch + 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- Arrange the oven rack to lower third position. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven with a lid over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the roast and sear on each side until a deep golden crust forms, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate or cutting board.1 4-5 lb boneless beef chuck roast, 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, Olive oil to taste
- Add another 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the Dutch oven. Cook the onion, celery, leeks and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft and tender but not browned, 6-8 minutes.2 medium yellow onions, 4 celery stalks, 1 leek, 5 large garlic cloves
- Add the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomato paste, beef broth, and bouillon cube. Tie the thyme and rosemary with kitchen twine and place it in. You can add the stems directly to the pot if you don’t have twine.2 cups good red wine, 2 Tablespoons tomato paste, 3 cups low sodium beef broth, 1 chicken bouillon cube, 3 branches fresh thyme, 2 branches fresh rosemary
- Put the pot roast back in the pot, nestling it into the liquid. It shouldn’t be fully submerged. Bring to a boil and cover. Carefully transfer to the oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
- Remove the lid and nestle the potatoes around the roast, making sure they’re mostly submerged. Scatter the carrots next, doing your best to partially submerge them in the cooking liquid. Close the lid and continue to cook until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender and the internal temp of the meat reaches 195-205, another 1 to 1 1/2 hours.1 lb petite gold potatoes, 4 medium carrots
- Remove the meat to a cutting board and discard the herb bundle. Whisk the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to form a slurry and stir it into the cooking liquid to thicken. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Shred or slice the beef and add to a platter. Serve the pot roast with the vegetables in large bowls or plates with red wine sauce on top.1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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