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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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.
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:
- Classic 100 year old yeast rolls
- Small batch yeast rolls
- No yeast dinner rolls
- One hour rosemary hot mix rolls
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. 😉
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.
Followed the instructions, seared off a 2.2lb rump roast, wound up adding the veggies after the first 90min and only cooking an additional 30min. Still had tons of broth in the pot—didn’t need to add water. Roast turned out tasty and fork shreddable but dry as a bone…this is always what happens in my crockpot, too. What am I doing wrong?
Hey there J–hopefully I’m reading your process correctly here. So the total cook time is 2 hours, 45 minutes according to my recipe. It seems that you did 2 hours total for yours. One thing to keep in mind is that braising isn’t just about when something is “done” but taking it to the point that it begins to break down its protein structure and connective tissue. That is the part that makes it tender but it also changes the texture of the meat. That extra 45 minute cook time is pretty important for texture.
As long as you had the proper amount of liquid in the pot that’s great. The final issue is what cut you used for your pot roast. Chuck roasts have marbling throughout that will lend itself to a more juicy final product. If you used a leaner roast like an arm, bottom round, top round, etc. they have much less fat throughout the meat and could result in a dry final product. Let me know if you made any other adjustments to the recipe or if any of these ideas are helpful. –Rachel
@Rachel Ballard, to clarify, isn’t the cook time 3:15? Also, do I need to add time if a 3lb chuck? Thank you !!!
John I’d just cook that roast until it’s tender. If that’s more or less than the ballpark 3:15 that’s okay. Let the meat tell you when it’s done and not the clock. 🙂 –Rachel
@John,
Yep, that’s my calculation, and it works every time. Two hours is DEFINITELY no where near enough time for a tender roast.
Hi Rachel! How long would you recommend for two separate chuck roasts ( 3 lbs + 4 lbs) cooking together in a Dutch oven? I’m planning to braise them both. Thanks 🙂
Hi Kristian, if they have sufficient space around them or they are in different pots, then they should cook in roughly the same amount of time (make sure to do the fork check on them and see if it twists easily)–the four pound would likely need an extra 45 minutes or so…but if they are in the same pot and stuck close to one another, you could be looking at a significantly longer cook time. Maybe up to an hour and a half extra or more because you’d essentially be cooking 7 pounds of meat. –Rachel
This recipe is excellent!! Only thing I did different was I added fresh sliced mushrooms.
Thank You
01/09/2022
Most delicious roast I ever made! Thank you!
Delicious! I followed the recipe as closely as possible – I did use baby carrots and quartered red potatoes instead and I did a whole red onion. The meat was fall-apart tender and the vegetables perfectly cooked – not too soft, not too firm.
I do prefer a more flavorful roast but that’s easily fixed with some extra seasoning at the end. This was overall an easy to follow and delicious recipe! I would definitely make this again. 🙂
This is my first Pot Roast in a Dutch oven, it was the most delicious dinner ever,
I have always used the crock pot but never again the cooking times are spot on That’s the only information you need! Seasons to your taste salt & pepper will not flavor it, Thank You for sharing!
I got a Dutch oven for Christmas and found this super easy recipe. Just finished making it and I’d have to say it’s delicious! Will definitely make again and again in the future.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Roy!
I added more fresh garlic, salt and oregano, and olive marinated my roast for a couple of days prior to cooking it. It came out very tasty. I don’t like Chuck I used bottom round.
Loooove this recipe:) just added 2 garlic cloves, fresh rosemary, thyme and red wine. Best pot roast I’ve ever had.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it and that you added extra flavor boosters to yours! –Rachel
have you ever thought of actually seasoning your food? might be a good idea to learn how to. salt and pepper only? most bland roast ive ever had
Hey Rick, I think about a lot of things..like how to be nice to people for one.
This recipe is designed to build flavor in layers–and salt and pepper aren’t the way that flavor is always built. The searing process, caramelizing or browning the onions, and the braising process itself all add flavor. I have to assume you did those things appropriately. I also have to assume that you used the proper salt. Table salt has zero flavor, and big flakes of Diamond Crystal salt is about half as salty as table salt. I also don’t know how you adjusted those.
If you are someone who has been used to adding packets of onion soup mix then your brain expects that hit of MSG and chemicals it won’t get when you change the way you eat. A lot of people perceive blandness when they don’t get that hit–even though it’s not the case.
You also have the joy of personal freedom in your kitchen. If you want more flavor, that’s your choice to do. I’ll leave this comment from reader Carla here:
“Loooove this recipe:) just added 2 garlic cloves, fresh rosemary, thyme and red wine. Best pot roast I’ve ever had.”
A quick glance through the comments before cooking would have given you lots of additional adjustment ideas.
I do know how frustrating it is to make a recipe and have it not turn out as planned. But it wasn’t that your meat wasn’t tender, or that the technique itself didn’t work–just that you personally wanted more of something. So next time, adjust and don’t blame. This world has far too many people thinking that being unkind is the way we communicate our feelings these days. Let’s make sure we change that. –Rachel
@Rachel Ballard, love this reply Rachel. It got a giggle out of me. I just started my chuck roast and I just did salt and pepper. Still taste the beef. I love flavor next time might be in a different mood for different flavor. Cooking is not set in stone. That’s the fun part. I love it.
Have a great day.💜💜💜
Thanks Alisha 🙂
@Rachel Ballard, first time I’m on this page. My roast is currently in the oven. (I also put some rosemary and garlic into the recipe because I felt there was room to tweak the flavour profile to one’s personal preferences). Anyway, awesome response to a really rude person. Your page seems pretty funny too! Happy new year. I’ll update when my roast is done!
I hope you enjoyed it Nura!
@Rachel Ballard. It was fabulous!!! Will make this again for sure. And have bookmarked your page 🙂 thank you!!
@Rachel Ballard, That’s funny. I really love this recipe but I did automatically add a packet of onion soup mix just because that’s what I’m used to and it is delicious. I’ll have to try it without next time. Thanks for the great recipe.
Yeah I know it’s a common thing Suzanne but I never recommend those because of the additives and junk they’re filled with. You may have just inspired me to make a homemade version you could keep on hand instead. Those packets are full of salt and MSG we just don’t need. –Rachel