Best Pot Roast

5 from 13 votes

This delicious Dutch oven pot roast combines tender beef, chunky vegetables, herbs, and savory gravy into one cozy, satisfying dinner.

Prep Time20

Cook Time4

Total Time4 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 478

Author: Candace

Equipment

Dutch oven

Ingredients

3½ to 4 pound chuck roast or inside blade roast or rump roast
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper divided
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2½ cups dry red wine
½ to 1 bunch parsley chopped
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt optional
3 cloves garlic halved
1 onion sliced or diced
6 to 8 carrots peeled and cut into thirds (large chunks), or baby carrots
10 to 12 potatoes * halved if small or cut in thirds if large
1 cup celery chopped
1 to 2 (28 ounce) cans canned whole tomatoes **including juice

Optional Slurry to Thicken Gravy

2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Rub roast with 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. In a Dutch oven (or large pot), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the roast, flipping on all sides until well browned (about 10 minutes).
To the pot add wine, parsley, thyme, salt if using, remaining 1 teaspoon of pepper, garlic cloves, onion, carrots, potatoes, and celery. Pour tomatoes over top.
Cover and bake for 3½ hours. Check for doneness by using a fork to see if the meat shreds easily and is tender. If the meat is not tender, bake for 30 more minutes.
Remove from oven, remove thyme sprigs, and place meat on a cutting board. Put vegetables in a dish and cover (if thickening gravy).
Pull meat with two forks, or slice against the grain. Serve with vegetables and juices or gravy.
To thicken gravy, place the Dutch oven on medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch and water slurry together and set aside. Once the liquid has reached a boil, stir the slurry and add about half to the liquid, whisking to thicken. Add more slurry until gravy reaches desired consistency.

Notes

*not large baby potatoes, they will get mushy

**Use 1 can for a more traditional pot roast. Use 2 cans for more of a tomato sauce. The additional liquid is also helpful for braising. You may not need the full 2 cans, but up to 2 cans can be used if your pot size allows for it.

Nutrition