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Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes

Posted on Last updated: Categories Beef, Classic Southern, Low Carb, Main Dishes, One Pan, The Lighter Side

By: Author Rachel Ballard

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. 

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a dutch oven with a cooked pot roast surrounded by potatoes and carrots on a table

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.

a fork twisting out a piece of tender meat in the dutch oven

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.

>>This is not a rare roast beef recipe. Please take note.<<

I’ve gotten a bit of hate mail from some confused home cooks who make this and then yell that their roast is overcooked at the halfway point.

This is not oven roasted rare roast beef and at no point should you be taking its temperature.

This is a pot roast that’s braised–a technique that uses moisture and long cook times to break down tough cuts of meat like a chuck roast until it falls apart. If you want a rare roast beef, you want a recipe like this one.

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.

a fork twisting out a piece of tender meat in the dutch oven

Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes

Fork tender and juicy right from your dutch oven, this classic post roast with carrots and potatoes is a meal in one pan and perfect for your next Sunday supper. 
4.74 from 87 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 498kcal
Author: Rachel Ballard

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. 

Notes

Please read the post for an explanation of the difference between a pot roast and a rare oven roast beef. Make sure this is the type of roast you want to make before continuing.

Nutrition

Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 1156mg | Potassium: 1563mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 10043IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 5mg

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