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
Season beef well with salt and pepper
Sear beef aggressively – this is KEY for flavour in the broth and the beef!
Sauté onion and garlic, then deglaze* the skillet or pot with red wine (or water or broth);
Tip everything into a slow cooker, instant pot / pressure cooker or casserole pot for oven along with beef broth, carrots and celery;
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;
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
You are one saucy lady Nagi. I love that all your recipes have matching sauces. I made this recipe with the cornbread muffins and i will be making them again and again and again…..😋
Hey Nagi, am cooking this right now, but am a bit confused. In your recipe you advise to add wine to onions & garlic and add carrots and celery later to slow cooker, but in the video, you add carrots and celery to the onion and then wine. I’ve done as per video, so hope this is the right way. Thank you, looking forward to tasting.
So good!
Wow. I finally found a pot roast recipe that is outstanding. I compared slow cooker to oven method and oven won!!! Thank you for another great recipe.
Can I omit the vegies, as I prefer to serve with crispy roast vegies cooked in the oven. Or do I need the vegies for the flavour in the slow cooker? Thanks
Hi Elise, you could leave the potatoes out but the other veggies impart flavour into this recipe so are needed here. N x
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. It was the perfect meal for a rainy, autumn Sunday. Brings back many happy memories of Sunday dinner at my grandparents’ home.
I should that I’ve been married 39 years and my husband said this is the best pot roast I’ve ever made.
I made this for dinner last night and it was a huge hit ! My family absolutely loved it. The flavour of the gravy was out of this world delicious!! This will always be my go to recipe for pot roast. Thank you so much Nagi for all you do 🙂
Delicious! Love this recipe and so do my kids. Meat comes out meltingly tender.
I’ve tried thickening the sauce with psyllium husk to lower carbs but didn’t like the texture so in future will stick with flour or may reduce the sauce through heat and taking the lid off. If anyone has other suggestions, I’m all ears.
I also don’t add potatoes (again lowering carbs), instead I roast them separately and serve with the dish for those that want them.
Highly recommend!
Made this for a family lunch today and it was delish, super tender and tasty. The only change I made was to add in halved mushrooms together with the potatoes otherwise followed the recipe exact. 10 stars!! Next on my list is the brisket with bbq sauce 🙂
I’m wanting to try this recipe for Christmas lunch but as it takes so long to cook I wondered if I could do all the prep the night before and then switch on the slow cooker in the morning. Would that take anything away from the taste?
Hi Saima. I’m pretty sure this comment was for Nagi not me 🙂
The comment below asks about searing the night before and putting everything in the next morning which Nagi said is fine. Would that work for you? That and maybe having most of the veggies prepped the night before.. I’m not a pro but I wouldn’t think having everything soaking in the liquid overnight in a cold slow cooker would be a good idea but that’s just my personal opinion. Hopefully Nagi sees your question and is able to answer 🙂
Wishing you and your family a merry Christmas, a delicious Christmas lunch and a blessed 2021
Thanks for coming back to me Priscilla. I’m so silly I didn’t realise I’d messaged you instead. I think you’re right and will go with what you say.
I wish you and all your family a very merry Xmas and lovely new year. Stay safe much love saima x
Can I sear the meat the night before, and then put everything in the crock pot the next morning for dinner? Or will doing this diminish the flavor?
Hi Juliana, you can do that if you prefer! N x
I am currently making a pot roast in my crockpot now and used your recipe to remind me what to do as it has been years since I’ve done one! Had no celery, forgot the flour but have heaps of carrots and potato, opened up a Clare Valley Cab to deglaze the pan …the kitchen smells amazing! Looking forward to getting stuck into this winter warmer! Blessed be!
As usual, a delicious recipe Nagi. I made this in the oven with brisket for us and my regular Saturday night meal for elderly neighbours. They raved about the flavour and hubby said it was one of my best one pot meals yet! Absolutely easy and flavoursome. Many thanks for making me look good. Again! Neighbours call me a gourmet chef, hahaha. Hugs to the gorgeous Dozer. Kate xx
Hi Nagi,
Love your stuff. Every one Ive tried, bang, looks like you’ve shown it and tastes great(I’m sure not as scrumptious as yours).
If you have a restaurant, let us all know. Will be great to check it out, and I’m sure I speak for a fair few of your culniray followers.
cheers
I would love to make this slow cooker pot roast for a Sunday dinner. I have Angus brisket will that work? and should I prepare the brisket? I have not cooked with brisket before. Please and thank you. Love all your recipes and so doe’s my husband and two growing boy’s.
Made this recipe last weekend. First time using my slow cooker and I was so nervous!!! Was a hit with everyone and we enjoyed it just as much the next day. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Also a fellow Northern Beaches girl 🙂
I think I opened my lid a little bit too much so will trust the process more next time!!
Great recipe, awesome sauce (strained and thickened with cornflour), accompanied with roast carrots, potatoes pumpkin and peas. Love your work Nagi !!
Made this for dinner tonight, I accidentally put in an extra cup of beef broth, didn’t realise until time to put potatoes in. The liquid was thin so I took the beef out and blitzed the liquid with the veggies and then put the meat back in with potatoes and another lot of carrots. Sauce thickened, meat was divine and potatoes and carrots were to die for. Thankyou Nagi! Chicken marinating for doner kebabs tomorrow night. Can’t wait!
That’s great to hear Nada, I’m so glad you salvaged it! N x
Can I make this in my slow cooker instead? What temp low or high? How long? I plan on searing it first of course.
Hi Krista – you can, all the directions are in the recipe instructions. N x
I have a 2 pound rolled roast. I’m hoping to have this done in 2-2 1/2 hours, but I don’t have an oven-proof dutch oven. I put it in my crock pot on high. Has anyone done this? How long on high? Or should I plan on staying up late, and switch to low? No potatoes.
This is truly the best pot roast I have ever made! The way that gravy turns out so perfect is like magic. Yum!
Awesome Crystal!!! N x