Pot Roast – fall apart beef, tender flavour infused vegetables and potatoes smothered in a rich gravy. It’s mouthwateringly good, yet simple to make, especially if you use a slow cooker. However, this beef pot roast recipe can be made in an instant pot, oven OR crockpot – pick which method works best for you!
Pot Roast
Confession: I wasn’t a fan of pot roast for most of my life. I just didn’t get it – the beef and vegetables were fine, but typically they are braised in just liquids that aren’t thickened in any way so the end result is like a watery broth.
Plenty of flavour in it, but when you pour it over the beef and vegetables, it doesn’t cling to it at all because it’s watery.
So I decided to change it and thicken the sauce using a touch of flour. So it’s more like a gravy. Now THAT’s a pot roast worthy of company, in my humble opinion!!!
If you love meltingly tender, slow cooked roast beef and deeply flavoured gravy, this pot roast recipe is for you!
How to make Pot Roast
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Season beef well with salt and pepper
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Sear beef aggressively – this is KEY for flavour in the broth and the beef!
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Sauté onion and garlic, then deglaze* the skillet or pot with red wine (or water or broth);
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Tip everything into a slow cooker, instant pot / pressure cooker or casserole pot for oven along with beef broth, carrots and celery;
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Sprinkle with dried rosemary and thyme then slow cook 8 hrs low, 55 min pressure cook on high, or oven 4 hours at 300°F/150°C;
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Add the potatoes partway through cooking and by the time the potatoes are cooked, the beef will be meltingly tender!
* Means simmering liquid and scraping bottom of pan to release the flavour stuck on the bottom of the pan from searing. It adds a ton of flavour into the cooking broth!
Best cut of beef for pot roast is chuck roast
The best beef for pot roast is Beef Chuck Roast. It’s an economical cut of beef that’s marbled with fat that needs to be slow cooked to breakdown the tough connective tissues so it becomes ultra tender to eat.
Chuck roast can be purchased in large pieces that are or aren’t rolled. You want to use rolled chuck roast for this recipe, otherwise the beef ends up all warped. Supermarkets and butchers should carry chuck roast that’s already rolled, otherwise, you can roll it yourself and tie with kitchen string or ask the butcher to do it for you.
It’s essentially a slow cooked Roast Beef!
The key point of difference with this pot roast recipe is that the braising liquid is thickened so it comes out like a deeply flavoured gravy rather than a watery broth which is how most pot roasts are made.
So it’s essentially a slow cooked Roast Beef that’s fall apart tender that comes with a gravy and tender flavour infused vegetables. Complete meal in one pot!
Because the beef needs to be mostly submerged in liquid while it slow cooks, you end up with lots and lots of liquid in the finished dish.
Which means, in my Pot Roast, you end up with lots and lots of very tasty gravy.
This is a sensational “problem” to have. Keep leftovers, drown your potatoes with them, toss through pasta (oh yes!!), serve it as a sauce for tomorrow night’s dinner. – Nagi x
PS Bread to mop your bowl clean wouldn’t go astray. Try these No Knead Dinner Rolls, a quick No Yeast Irish Bread or these moreish Cheese Muffins.
Watch how to make it
Note: My slow cooker looks like a pressure cooker because it’s a multi function slow cooker (but no, it’s not an Instant Pot!).
This pot roast recipe was originally published January 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters. No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare! 🙂
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Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 2 kg / 4 lb beef chuck roast , rolled (Note 1)
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion (large), cut into large dice
- 5 garlic cloves , peeled and smashed (Note 2a)
- 5 carrots , peeled and cut into 2.5cm/1" pieces
- 3 celery stalks , cut into 4 cm / 1.5" pieces
- 1 cup (250ml) dry red wine (sub with beef broth)
- 3 cups (750ml) beef broth , salt reduced
- 1/3 cup (50g) flour (plain / all purpose) (GF - Note 2b)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 750g / 1.5 lb potatoes , peeled and cut into 2.5 cm / 1" pieces
Instructions
- Pat beef dry with paper towels. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper all over.
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Brown aggressively all over - a deep dark brown crust is essential for flavour base! Should take about 7 minutes.
- Transfer beef to slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, add onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes until onion is browned.
- Add wine, reduce by half. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Mix together flour and about 1 cup of the broth. Lumps is fine. Pour into slow cooker.
- Add remaining broth, carrots, celery, rosemary and thyme into slow cooker.
- Cover and slow cook on LOW for 5 hours. (45 min pressure cook on HIGH, Note 3a for Oven and Stove)
- Add potato, slow cook on LOW for 3 hours. (10 min pressure cooker on HIGH, Note 3b)
- Remove beef. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice thickly.
- Adjust salt and pepper of Sauce to taste.
- Serve beef with vegetables and plenty of sauce! Bread also terrific for mopping up sauce - try these No Knead Dinner Rolls, No Yeast Irish Soda Bread or these fabulous Cheese Muffins.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More slow cooked beef recipes
Because nothing beats the flavour of beef cooked long and slow until it’s meltingly tender….
Life of Dozer
When the homeless man at the dog park isn’t at his car (usually off tending to the park grounds – best groundskeeper EVER!), I tie food to the boot of his van. Pot Roast, in this case!
And this is Dozer, trying to figure out if he can reach the bag. #SHAMELESS
Bonnie says
Can I use minced garlic instead of garlic cloves? How much should I use if I do minced garlic?
Nagi says
Hi Bonnie, 1 garlic clove usually equals about 1 teaspoon of minced – N x
Christine says
This looks sooooo good, I plan on making it this week. One question however. I am a bit confused on when the potatoes are to be added. Can you clarify, how long they need to be in the slow cooker? Thanks!
Nagi says
Hi Christine, if you’re slow cooking on low, the potatoes go in after the 5 hour mark and continue slow cooking for another 3 hours. I hope you love it – N x
Terrance M Bartlett says
I am going to make this tomorrow and I would like the gravy to be darker and thicker. Is there something I can add to get that?
Nagi says
Hi Terrance, sorry for the delay in replying, I would make this as per the instructions and thicken at the end with a slurry of 1 tsp corn flour and 1 tbls water. You will need to mix this in (after removing the meat) and bring to a simmer to thicken. You can add a small splash of dark soy to make the appearance darker – Love to know how it goes!
Taylor says
Hi! Love the recipe… currently making it now! Just wondering if you added the onion and garlic into the slow cooker after making the broth. Or did you throw that out? Just don’t want the flavour to be overpowering!! Thanks 🙂
Nagi says
Hi Taylor, sorry for the late reply, yes it all goes into the slow cooker ☺️
Cassandra says
Prepared it in the morning. Didn’t take much time to prepare (a half hour, about), and very little dishes to do afterwards. Once the pot roast was ready, the meat was falling apart. The vegetables were soft and flavorful. Me and my partner loved the recipe, we will definitely be making this again!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you loved it Cassandra!!!
Michelle says
Hello,
Can this recipe be made in a crockpot instead of a slow cooker?
Nagi says
Hi, yes use the same slow cooking instructions ☺️
Paulina says
Hi Nagi, I just made this roast and it is fantastic! I followed your detailed directions and I am happy to say the whole family loved it!
Richard says
Love your recipes gunna try this one on victims tomorrow night with fresh vegies
Nancy Du says
omg this was soooooo good Nagi. Thank you for the Awesome recipe! Wilder be making it again. My partner couldn’t stop making noises when he ate this. It was hhhrrmmmmm ,omg!, sooo good and other noises.
also love love the way you write
Carla says
I am so keen to try this on the weekend! you mention broth in steps 6 and 7 and i was wondering where this came from as it is only in ingredients list as a substitute?
Nagi says
Hi Carla, it’s there as an ingredient under the wine ☺️
Maria Molina says
Wow!! I just made this pot roast for my family and they were amazed at how good 👍it turned out. I know for sure this won’t be the last time we will be having this delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Maria!
Michelle says
Hi nagi I wondered if it’s ok to add some canned veggies to my pot roast along with carrots and potatoes. Jus sound yummier
Nagi says
You sure could Michelle, I’d add them towards the end so they don’t overcook.
dominique arper says
This looks delish! I can’t wait to try it with my family and my friends. Thanks for the share
Naomi says
Hi Nagi
Would omitting the onion and garlic have an impact on the end result.
I will use garlic/onion infused oil.
I hate the thought of my family having subpar food all because of my Low fodmap diet.
Thank you xx
Mare says
I just made this, it’s the best roast beef I’ve had!! Thanks for sharing your awesome recipe Nagi
Nagi says
Thanks so much!!
Aga says
If my roast is 7.5 lb, how long do I cook it in the crockpot for?
Nagi says
Hi Aga, I’d check at about 7 hours on low – just keep cooking until the meat is tender ❤️
Doris falzon says
This looks great l eill try it for sure.Thanks
Nagi says
I hope you love it Doris!
Aleisha says
This is amazing!! Second time cooking and it tastes absolutely fabulous
Nagi says
I’m so glad you love t Aleisha!
Helen says
What does it mean when the recipe says add red wine . Reduce by half
Nagi says
Hi Helen, when you add the red wine, simmer the liquid it so it evaporates and you have about half the quantity left – N x
Aleisha says
It means when it’s cooked the liquid will reduce in size, that’s when you know it’s ready to be added to the dish
Mel says
Thanks for so many fab recipes!! Can I add extra carrots at around 2 hours to go? And if I used less liquid so it’s only about 1/2 up the meat can I just turn it half way? Thanks heaps!!
Rachel says
Best roast i have made yet! Loved by all! Thank you!