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
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I made this last night and my family LOVED it!! The beef was so tender and seasoned perfectly and the veggies were so flavorful!! (Also, lets talk about the aroma that filled the house for 8 hours!!) YUM!! Thanks again!!
I’m so glad it was a hit Tanya! – I can just smell it now… YUM! N x
Hello,
If im using the oven, can I put in on a lower temp say 100 degrees Celsius and cook it longer like 5 – 6 hours instead of 3?
Thanks,
Connor
Hi Connor, directions for cooking in the oven are in the recipe notes 🙂 Enjoy! N x
That was wonderful. Made enough for several meals for me and the freezer. Made mine in my pressure cooker so thank you for including those times as well. The only thing l changed was, as I’m not a fan of thick gravy, l used less flour aiming for more jus than gravy. Will use your quantity next time though as mine was a little thin. Think yours would have been just right.
Hi Niki, I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi, Made this one yesterday for our dinner last night and I’d have to say it’s “The Bomb”. Absolutely succulent and the vegies were gorgeous. Since there’s only the two of us we have leftovers for dinner tonight and I’m serving it with a lovely green salad. Just wish I could post a pic of last nights with baked pumpkin, parsnip and I also baked the potatoes too instead of in the slow cooker and added cauli bake also a few sprouts. Boy! did we have a feast.
Sounds great Josephine!! N x
Im thrilled I got 4 for 1 recipes out of Nagis Pot Roast recipe to feed 4 ! I made Nagis Beef Rendang with leftover beef then I made Nagis Ramen noodles with half of the leftover gravy (with the carrots and onions) then I used the other half of gravy to make cabbage wedges in tin foil (still with carrots and onions) all for 4 !! they were all amazing ! Thank you Nagi !
Woah this is great N!!!
Thanks Nagi. Another knock out recipe. Found the cut of beef I used, that I needed to skim the fat off the top and I pulled the spuds out and mashed them instead for something different.
Can’t get over how easy it was for such great results! ❤️
Happy Easter to you and Dozer 🐣
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Kyra! N x
Made this in the pressure cooker for our Easter dinner, it was fantastic! My partner said it was the best gravy he’s ever had. I skipped adding the potatoes as I made your potatoes au gratin as a side dish. Fab!
YUM!!! Sounds perfect Sydney! N x
What size is the slow cooker you used for this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Mark, the cooker I used has a 6L capacity. N X
Which type of red wine did you use? Thanks 🙂
I’m borderline obsessed with your recipes Nagi! I’ve made so many and they’ve all turned out brilliantly. I’ve just made the pot roast, and the only tweak I made was to add two teaspoons of Dijon Mustard to the sauce and a lge Bayleaf during the potato stage (at the 3 hr mark – slow cooker version) I took the Bayleaf out after 1.5 hrs, and the gravy is delish!!! Thank you for all your great work ❤
Could I substitute the beef for lamb leg? I’ve been to three different grocers and none have a cut of beef I could use.
This was a very delicious meal
Thanks so much for the great feedback Lorraine! N x
Oh. My. LANTA!!!! BEST beef roast EVER!! I have to double+ this for my family of 5 or we run out! Love that when you take out the meat and veggies, your gravy is already made! Sooooo tender and yummy! I do cut my carrots quite large so they aren’t so mushy at the end.
The best (and easiest) pot roast I’ve had in a long time-possibly forever. Thank you Nagi!!!❤️❤️❤️
I’m so glad you love it!! Thanks smooch for the feedback 🙂
Hi. I cant seem to find the instructions specific to the quick pot? From frozen would be even better. I’ve done this 3 times in the oven and it’s incredible.
Hi Carrie, I’m unsure what you mean? Instructions for pressure cooking (InstaPot) are in step 8 of the instructions. You should always thaw meat before cooking – never cook from frozen 🙂 N x
I found this recipe very confusing to follow.. but it’s on the stove now, so I will follow up with review when it’s done!
Hi Joyce, sorry you found it confusing – try watching the video as well if you need help with any of the steps. N x
So I am 4/4 using your recipes. I can never get my pot roast to have enough flavor. This one was perfect!
Wahoo!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Sheila! N x
Hi Nagi,
Could I do this in the slow cooker using to flat thick pieces of Chuck steak from the Supermarket?
Hi Nagi, big fan! Question can I prep everything and stick it in the fridge to cook the next morning?
Hi Denise, you sure can – they may not take as long to cook though, so keep an eye on it! N x
Looking good
Thanks Suzi!
They all sound so ‘yummy’
Do you have a Mediterranean recipes? For
My husband needs this for Dementia
Just got this in the slow cooker for dinner tonight. I’ve made this recipe a few times and it’s perfect every time. Love your blog and absolute love every recipe I’ve made.
Thanks so much Cass, enjoy dinner! N x
You don’t say what type of red wine you’re using?
It’s in the ingredients – a dry red wine 🙂