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Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes

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.

Why choose a dutch oven over a slow cooker for 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.

Plan ahead for this dutch oven pot roast

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.

This roast takes 3 or so hours to cook in your oven.

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

What cut of beef is best for pot roast?

I almost always choose a chuck roast. Its marbling means the fat slowly melts during cooking and helps ensure the meat stays tender.

Other cuts that can work include a rump or round roast. They just don’t have the same marbling and are a bit tougher than chuck roasts so they may need a slightly longer cook time. Just cook it until a fork inserted in the meat will twist easily.

What’s the difference between pot roast and roast beef?

The pot roast method is different from that used to cook more tender cuts of beef such as “roast beef” (often top round or top sirloin) or prime rib.

Although both methods involve cooking relatively large pieces of meat until tender, there is a distinction in how it’s done. 

Pot roast is cooked covered for hours at a low temperature until the meat softens, not until it reaches a specific temperature.

Roast beef, on the other hand, is cooked uncovered until a meat thermometer inserted into the beef reads a specific temperature.

In other words, roast beef requires you to cook to a specific doneness while pot roast requires you to cook to a certain level of tenderness. Make sense?

Should pot roast be submerged in liquid?

When making a pot roast, the meat does not need to be completely submerged but you do want the cooking liquid to come at least ¾ of the way up the roast. Some choose to use beef broth while some choose to use water.

Either will do. Note that, if you do decide to use water, you will want to season a bit more heavily.

Regardless of your choice, you will end up with a delicious, rich beef broth at the end. I love saving mine and using it for soup and stews.

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 work.
  • Sear your meat first over high heat to start the browning process. Browning meat equals flavor and we need that.
  • 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.

When adding beef broth, know this

You can just use water on your roast if you want to. It will make its own wonderful beef broth as it simmers, but beef broth can be used too.
Choose a broth without additives, MSG or flavorings and never, ever use bouillon cubes or powders. They are so salty you could ruin your roast with them.

>>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.

Ingredients you can add for a pot roast flavor boost

A pot roast can handle a variety of different flavors. Try these options:

  • Swap part of the beef broth for red wine. Never use cooking wines.
  • Add herbs like thyme or rosemary. If you want to use these, put them in during the last hour of cooking or the heat destroys the essential oils and their flavor.
  • Toss in whole garlic cloves for a hint of flavor.
  • Baby or pearl onions are a simple addition. Buy a bag of the frozen ones and add them with the carrots and potatoes.
  • Swap the root vegetables for parsnips, turnips or sweet potatoes.

How to store leftover pot roast

If you find yourself with leftovers, allow the pot roast to cool completely before sealing it in an airtight container and storing it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

When you are ready to enjoy, reheat the desired portion on the stovetop over medium heat or in the oven, covered, at 300 degrees F until heated through.

I recommend adding a dash of beef broth, in either case, to help keep things moist.  

To freeze

You can also freeze leftover pot roast. After the meat has cooled completely, separate it from the veggies, shred it, transfer it to a ziplock bag or an airtight container, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

I do not recommend freezing the veggies as they will not reheat well.

When you are ready to enjoy the pot roast, reheat it as you would from refrigerated. Just tack on a bit of extra time.

What to serve with pot roast made in a dutch oven

Rolls are a staple with this recipe. Try one of these versions:

We love a horseradish cream sauce with our roasts. This one is a favorite though sometimes my recipe is as simple as some mayonnaise and ground horseradish. 😉

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. 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings 6 people
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: 498kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 35gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 1156mgPotassium: 1563mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 10043IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Tag us on Instagram @feastandfarm and hashtag it #feastandfarm
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

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499 Comments

    1. Hi Karen, well that’s a big roast. I’d say it may take 4 hours? You can cut it in half and it may cook more quickly that way. Just keep cooking it, checking the liquid level along the way until a fork will twist in the meat and it’s tender. That’s the only way to know it’s done. –Rachel

    1. This isn’t me being smart, but until it’s tender. I do 3-4 pound roasts on average and the recipe as written usually gets me to that fork tender point pretty easily. Yours might need an extra 45 minutes or so but I’d recommend just checking it, adding more water if needed and using a fork to check for tenderness. When that fork twists easily, it’s ready. –Rachel

  1. 3 stars
    I love pot roast and have always used either the crock pot or oven roasted. But since I have now have a Dutch Oven, decided to try this recipe. From the beginning I felt 3.25 hours at such high temp (350-375 degrees) was too long for a 2 lb. roast. By the end of the 2.5 hours, it was way more than done and shredded beef. I ended up removing the roast and then adding 1 cup more of additional water so the potatoes and carrots could cook the next 45 minutes. Flavor is no better or worse than my other methods. My suggestion is to reduce the temp to 250 to 275 degrees for the full 3.25 hours. That will get the job done.

  2. 5 stars
    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!

  3. 5 stars
    Can’t wait to try it. It smells delicious! I added crushed garlic, celery, Italian seasoning, and tomato paste.

  4. 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?

    1. 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

    2. @Rachel Ballard, I have cooked a pot roast from the freezer ( it was frozen) so I put it in my cooker the night before on high then in the morning I lower the temp. And cook some more and add the carrots and potatoes with some onions put the lid back on until after lunch when I just put it on keep warm till about 30 min. Before supper then I put it back on low and all the time I add a little water as needed but at supper time I remove the meat(it’s so tender I have trouble getting it out) then the carrots and potatoes, bay leaf. And make the juice into gravy with flour. It’s all so tender and juicy. Forgot to tell you I put a bay leaf in when I cooked it (you can add it at first the night before.) If you have the windows open you get people stopping by to see what’s cooking (it smells so good and when your ready to take it up it all falls apart)

    1. @stephanie t, I forgot to tell ya I put it on the night before at about 11:00pm then when I got up it was 4:00am then low till lunch time about11:30am warm till about 5:00pm then low till5:30pm then take it all out and do gravy and put it on table ( if your family don’t come round and eat the meat before you have the gravy ready)

  5. 5 stars
    Best ever, pot roast, after following recipe, using cast iron Dutch oven. I will never go back to using a crock pot.

  6. 5 stars
    This is a great recipe ..I add bit more garlic and tomato paste, but that’s just my preference.

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About the Author

Rachel Ballard, RN, BSN brings more than 20 years of professional nursing expertise to Feast and Farm. With a love for nutrient dense foods that support wellness, she works to distill complex health information and current trends into recipes that fuel the best version of yourself. Read more about Rachel here.