Dutch oven pot roast with carrots and potatoes gets juicy and fork tender right from the oven. If you have time to skip the slow cooker, it’s worth it for a melt in your mouth meal you’ll be happy to serve again and again.
If you’ve been around here any length of time, you know that I’m not a slow cooker person. I won’t rant–but just know that it doesn’t produce the kind of food we enjoy.
And it seems like the #1 food people want to make in a slow cooker is a pot roast. And a lot of pull it off. I’ve tried it but my meat comes out so dry at the end. Yes, it’s tender on some occasions but what’s the trade off? The meat has just been cooked to death.
That’s why I’m far and away a fan of a dutch oven pot roast. Dutch ovens are made from cast iron and retain and distribute heat really evenly. Plus the tight fitting lid allows moisture to stay inside for the most part and with a few tricks, makes the juiciest pot roast you’ve ever had.
This recipe probably won’t be something you make on a week night if you’re terribly busy–but save it for a weekend, or if you happen to have a snow day at home and you’ll be so glad you put it together.
Add those carrots and potatoes in the last hour of cooking and they are so soft when you’re ready to eat that they beg for a light mash with a little butter and salt.
Perfection.
Tips for a top-notch dutch oven pot roast
- Use a heavy cast iron dutch oven with a lid. This one is my favorite. or a good quality oven-safe pot with a tight lid. Just covering your meat in aluminum foil won’t really cut it.
- Sear your meat first over high heat to start the browning process. Browning meat equals flavor and we need that.
- Use a good beef broth with your meat, and check the level of the liquid around your dutch oven pot roast every hour to hour and a half. Add some water if it’s reduced too much.
- I prefer a chuck roast for this recipe, but a cheaper tougher cut could work if you’re willing to cook it longer.
- Add carrots and potatoes to the pot during the last 45 minutes to an hour of cook time so they absorb the broth and get good and soft.
Watch me make the full recipe on YouTube
These homemade rolls would be great on the side or my no-yeast quick version if you need something faster.
Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
- 1/2 red onion sliced
- 2 pound chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups beef broth
- 3 large russet potatoes peeled and sliced into 1-inch wedges
- 5 large carrots peeled and sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Put your dutch oven on the stove and heat it over high heat about 5 minutes to sear the meat. (Please watch your pot and monitor the heat. Your pot may only need 3 minutes or 4. Y'all stop trying to burn your houses down because I said 5 minutes) Add the oil and season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides. Add it to the pan. It should sizzle immediately.
- Reduce the heat to medium high, and let the meat sear on one side 5 minutes, then flip. Add the onions and cook 5 minutes more.
- Add the beef broth to the pot--it should come about halfway up the side of the meat.
- Cover and bake an hour and a half, then check the liquid in the pot. Add a cup or so of extra water if needed.
- Reduce the heat to 350 and bake an additional hour, and then add the carrots and potatoes. Bake covered 45 minutes longer or until the meat is tender and the potatoes and carrots are soft.
Marstar says
LOVE Dutch Oven pot roast!!! Added fresh rosemary and thyme. Also whole cloves of garlic. Deglazed with a little red wine before I added my beef bone broth. It’s a fan favorite for sure!
Lori says
Can’t wait to try it. It smells delicious! I added crushed garlic, celery, Italian seasoning, and tomato paste.
Danielle says
I had to put my pot roast in the freezer because I just ran out of time to cook it. Do I need to thaw fully or can I stick it in frozen and just cook it longer?
Rachel Ballard says
Hey Danielle, I’d thaw it back out. Trying to cook frozen meat is really hard and dangerous. It means the center will warm more slowly than the exterior creating a roast that cooks unevenly and could harbor bacteria as it takes longer to come to a safe temperature. It will also mean many hours in the oven beyond the basic 3 that this recipe takes. You’d be better off to re-thaw it (assuming it wasn’t totally thawed when you refroze it the first time which can be dangerous to do, too). I wish I could tell you to just toss it in the oven and let it go but the final result won’t be what you had hoped for. –Rachel
stephanie t says
I will never ever make pot roast in the slow cooker again. This is just fabulous!
Rachel Ballard says
And the crowd goes wild!!!! LOL way to go Stephanie! I’m with you on that. –Rachel
Gail says
Best ever, pot roast, after following recipe, using cast iron Dutch oven. I will never go back to using a crock pot.
Rachel Ballard says
Yes Gail! That was my goal–converting people away from that dreaded device. 😉 –Rachel
Robert Greenough says
Great Love , Thanks
Bill C says
This is a great recipe ..I add bit more garlic and tomato paste, but that’s just my preference.