Recipes Ingredients Meat & Poultry Beef Recipes Pot Roast 3.3 (881) The ultimate in cozy cooking, this tender pot roast is as easy as it is delicious. Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs 10 mins Total Time: 4 hrs 35 mins Servings: 8 Jump to recipe This pot roast recipe is not only delicious and comforting but also a cost-effective way to feed a crowd. It calls for well-marbled chuck roast, which ensures a tender result that’s not the least bit dry. A mixture of carrots, potatoes, and onions creates a built-in side dish while the savory cooking liquid—a blend of red wine, beef broth, tomato paste, and herbs—is just right for spooning on top. You’ll need to set aside about four hours for it to cook, but most of that is hands off. Perfect for a cool fall or winter night, this pot roast recipe is a favorite for good reason. What Is a Dutch Oven—and Why Every Home Cook Needs One Credit: Brie Goldman The Best Cut of Beef for This Recipe When it comes to braising, it's hard to beat chuck roast. It comes from the muscular shoulder and neck region of the cow, making it well suited to low and slow cooking. It has more fat and connective tissue than other inexpensive, large cuts of beef like rump roast and top round, and this keeps it from drying out as it cooks. Beyond pot roast, chuck roast is our pick for beef stew, hearty beef soups, and shredded beef for sandwiches. 3 Tips for a Perfect Pot Roast Season generously: To ensure your roast has plenty of flavor, be generous with the coarse salt and freshly-ground pepper when seasoning the meat. Sprinkle it on all parts of the roast, too, and not just the two larger, flat sides. Sear well: Browning the meat before braising is your first opportunity to build flavor. Before seasoning, pat the meat very well dry with paper towels so it sears—not steams—when it hits the hot pan. For the best sear, use a neutral oil with a high smoke point—like vegetable or grapeseed oil—not extra-virgin olive oil. Add vegetables later: Waiting to add the vegetables until the meat has braised for a few hours prevents them from becoming mushy. Put the carrots in first so they make direct contact with the liquid (they need the extra heat to become tender), then add the potatoes on top. To Deglaze or Not to Deglaze? To streamline this recipe, we add the aromatics and liquid to the pan with the beef still in there which eliminates the need to remove such a large cut of meat. That said, deglazing with wine and briefly sautéing the other ingredients builds even more flavor and makes for an extra-savory end product. If you'd like to deglaze, here's how to do it: Using two pairs of tongs, lift out the browned chuck roast and transfer it to a plate.Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, then add the wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of pan. Once reduced, stir in the tomato paste and thyme and cook for 30 seconds.Add the broth and bay leaves, then return the meat to the pan and nestle in the onions. Directions Credit: Brie Goldman Preheat oven; brown meat: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place in pan, and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Add stock, wine, onions, garlic, herbs and tomato paste: Turn meat fat side up. Add stock, wine, if using, onions, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir in tomato paste and bring to a simmer, Credit: Brie Goldman Alternatively, remove beef from pan, then cook garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine, scraping up brown bits, and reduce slightly; stir in tomato paste and thyme and cook briefly. Add broth and bay leaves, then return meat to pan and nestle in onions, tucking as many into the liquid as possible. Cover and cook in oven; add carrots and potatoes: Cover; put in the oven, and roast for 3 hours. Add carrots and then potatoes, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 1 hour more. Credit: Brie Goldman Slice and serve: Transfer the roast, carrots, and potatoes to a platter. With a spoon, skim the fat off the surface of the cooking liquid. Cut the roast into thick slices, and serve with the vegetables. Pass the pan juices separately. Credit: Brie Goldman How to Store and Reheat Leftover Pot Roast Leftover pot roast can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Add some of the braising liquid to the meat before storing to keep it moist. Reheat pot roast with braising liquid (or a few generous splashes of broth or water), covered, in a 325-degree Fahrenheit oven until hot throughout. What to Serve With Pot Roast Since this recipe features a built in starchy side, it can serve as a meal on its own, but we love it alongside a crisp green salad for a dose of freshness. Try it with these shredded Brussels sprouts, our crunchy kale-and-apple salad, or this pleasantly bitter endive recipe for a delicious contrast to the rich, succulent meat. 5 More Pot Roast Recipes to Try Martha's Favorite Pot Roast Recipe Pot Roast With Bacon and Vegetables Garlic Lover's Pot Roast Classic Pot Roast for the Slow Cooker Pressure-Cooker Pot Roast Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.