Dutch Oven Pot Roast (Fall-apart Tender)

This classic Dutch Oven Pot Roast is pure Midwest comfort food. There is really nothing better than a tender, melt in your mouth, oven braised chuck roast seasoned and served with carrots and onions!

Pot roast is one of the most requested dinners from my family.

I've been making pot roast in the oven for about as long as I can remember. It's one of those staple recipes that finds its way onto the menu often during the colder months. I love it because pot roasts are so easy to make in a dutch oven!

There are several other ways to cook a pot roast; stove top, slow cooker(Crock Pot), Instant Pot. But, there is just something about the flavor of a slow oven braised pot roast that can't be beat!

Chuck roasts are the best cut of beef for pot roast

As far as I'm concerned, the best cut of beef for pot roast is a chuck roast. You may find chuck roasts labeled as Chuck Eye Roast, Chuck Pot Roast, Chuck Roll Roast, or English Cut Chuck Roast (just to name a few) in your grocery store meat case. Chuck roasts are usually boneless.

Chuck Roasts are available and usually priced well year round, but when the weather gets colder, you'll often be able to find them on sale. (I purchased the one I used for this recipe for $4.99 a pound)

Since chuck roasts are cut from the shoulder and neck area of the cow, they contain a good amount of tough connective tissue. That means they need a slow braising method of cooking to break down the fibers and make them tender. Cooking the chuck roast in a dutch oven with liquid is a slow braising method of cooking and will produce fork tender meat.

When choosing a boneless chuck roast, look for marbling (white flecks) throughout the meat. Marbling will ensure a moist and tender pot roast. I also look for the Certified Angus Beef (r) brand label. Because of their standards, I know my pot roast will come out moist and fork tender every single time.

How to make a Dutch Oven Pot Roast

Begin by gathering up all the ingredients you need:

• Olive oil
• 2 to 3 pound chuck roast
• kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
• onion
• carrots
• garlic
• red wine or beer
• beef broth or stock 
• fresh or dried thyme
• dried bay leaves
• Large dutch oven (I like the enamel coated cast iron ones) 

Season the roast with salt and pepper, and let sit for about 30 minutes. This helps take the chill off the roast and allows the seasonings to be absorbed into the beef. 

Next, heat the oil in the dutch oven over medium high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the roast and brown on all sides. This is known as searing. You want a really nice, brown crust on the bottom for best results. Don't skip this step. Searing adds so much flavor! 

Once the chuck roast is seared on all side, remove from the dutch oven and set aside.  Add the carrots and onions to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Stir them around and let them get lightly browned. Again, browning adds flavor.

Add in the garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Pour the wine, beer, or 1 cup of beef stock (whichever you decide to use) into pan. Bring to boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add the rest of the beef broth (or stock) into the pan and push the onions and carrots to the sides and add the roast back in. Bring to a boil again and cover. Place in preheated oven and cook as directed below.

A word about potatoes: I'm not a huge fan of potatoes cooked with the pot roast, so I don't add them into the dutch oven with the roast.

If you would like to add peeled and cut potatoes to the roast, you can do so by following the directions in the recipe card below. Cut the potatoes in about 2" size and add them at the 1 1/2 hour mark of cooking. This will help to keep the potatoes from turning mushy.

You'll also find directions for making gravy in the printable recipe card below. We love gravy at our house and I almost always serve dutch oven pot roast with a huge serving of gravy!

Dutch oven pot roast, pot roast, pot roast recipe, Pot roast in oven

main course, beef

American

Yield: 8 servings

Author: Renee Paj

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 2 H & 30 MTotal time: 3 Hour

Tender beef pot roast braised with carrots and onions in a dutch oven. A classic comfort food favorite!

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 to 3 pound boneless, chuck roast
• 1 to 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
• 4 to 6 large carrots, cut diagonally into thirds
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
• 1 cup dry red wine, beer, or beef broth (or stock)
• 4 or 5 sprigs of fresh thyme ( or 1 tsp. dried thyme )
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 cups beef broth or stock

Instructions

1. Salt and pepper both sides of roast. Allow to sit at room temp for about 30 minutes
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over med-high heat. Brown roast on all sides. About 5 minutes each side. Remove roast from pan and set aside.
3. Add onions and carrots to pan, season with salt and pepper (to your liking) and saute until slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, stir and cook for one more minute.
5. Add thyme and bay leaves, pour in wine or beer (or 1 cup beef stock). Bring to boil, scrape up brown bits on bottom of pan as it comes to a boil.
6. Add in 2 cups of beef broth. Push carrots and onions to the side and add reserved roast back into pot.
7. Bring to boil again, then cover, and place in preheated oven.
8. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, then check to make sure there is enough liquid in the pot. (should be about 3/4 of the way to the top of the roast) Add more beef broth or water if needed.
9. Return to oven, and cook for another hour or so, covered, until the roast is fork tender.
10. Remove from oven and place roast on board or platter and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then cut or shred into serving sizes.
11. Remove thyme stems and bay leaves from veggies, and spoon carrots and onions around the roast to serve. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.

Notes

You can add peeled, cubed potatoes to the roast if you like. I personally, do not like potatoes cooked with the pot roast, so I usually make mashed potatoes with this meal. I suggest adding the potatoes at the 1 1/2 hour cooking time mark, otherwise, if they are added at the beginning, they can turn mushy. To Make Gravy: After removing the meat, veggies, bay leaves, and thyme stems from the pot, drain off the remaining liquid into a 4 cup glass measure. Skim off any fat that rises to the top. Set aside. To the pot. add 3 TBSP unsalted butter and melt over med high heat on stove. Sprinkle in 3 TBSP flour and whisk for 1 minute. Pour reserved liquid into the flour butter mixture and let it come to a boil. When thickened, take off heat and test for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve with roast.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

438.28

Fat (grams)

22.98 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

9.31 g

Carbs (grams)

12.15 g

Fiber (grams)

1.80 g

Net carbs

10.35 g

Sugar (grams)

4.32 g

Protein (grams)

38.02 g

Sodium (milligrams)

943.06 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

118.55 mg

Nutritional Information provided is an estimate.

https://www.reneeskitchenadventures.com/2011/01/classic-beef-pot-roast.html

Copyright © 2011 Renee's Kitchen Adventures

If you love Dutch Oven Pot Roast, don't forget to pin to your Pinterest boards and share on social media! 

More beef roasts you might enjoy!

• Eye of Round Roast
• Garlic Herb Beef Tenderloin Roast
• Slow Cooker BBQ Beef

*This recipe was originally posted on this blog on January, 2011. It's been updated with new photos, a printable recipe card, and better preparation instructions. Inspiration for this recipe came from Cooking Light. 

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