This Dutch Oven Pot Roast is everything you need to keep you warm and cozy this winter! It’s so tender it falls apart beautifully, and it’s packed with lots of rich flavors.
I love that this pot roast is the perfect one pot meal. The beef, carrots, and potatoes all cook in the same Dutch oven, so clean-up is always easy and convenient.
I promise you will love this comforting Dutch oven pot roast. It’s a great family dinner option that will keep everyone coming back for seconds!
It’s that time of year when I pull out my large 8-quart Dutch oven to make cozy one pot meals. I recently made a Dutch oven roast chicken and I’ve also been making this hearty beef stew a lot. Every meal around here is so delicious!
Today I am sharing an amazing Dutch oven pot roast recipe. I’ve tested it over and over again until I got the flavors and consistency just right. I promise you will absolutely love it.
The meat is so tender and just falls apart beautifully. It’s also full of so many deep and rich flavors – it’s unreal. You’ll also love that it’s the perfect one pot meal that makes clean-up super easy!
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Why Use a Dutch Oven
Dutch ovens are great for searing and browning. They do a great job creating brown bits from searing the meat, onions and garlic. When deglazed, these brown bits release tons of flavor to the dish. Dutch ovens are also good at creating a great meat sear.
Additionally, Dutch ovens are GREAT for proper heat retention, which results in tender, moist, and juicy meat.
Searing and Browning: The Most Important Steps
If there are two things I can say to make this Dutch oven pot roast the best ever, it’s these: 1) Get a good sear on the meat and 2) don’t rush the browning process on the onions.
This is because searing and browning produces what’s called “brown bits,” which are pretty much those golden brown spots that get stuck to the pot. Those are PACKED with a ton of flavor, and when deglazed, they get released and truly enhance flavors.
Additionally, searing the meat on all sides also helps to lock in all the flavors. Whenever you sear meat, make sure it browns undisturbed on each side until it forms a golden brown crust, just like a good sear on a steak.
Bottom line: Get a GOOD sear on the meat, don’t rush the browning process on the onions and garlic, and remember to deglaze (aka scrape the brown bits with some liquid, such as broth or wine).
Ingredient Notes
Each ingredient that goes into this Dutch oven pot roast builds flavor upon flavor. That’s how you know this dish is going to be absolutely fantastic.
My favorite flavor boosters are the tomato paste, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and fresh rosemary and thyme.
- Beef chuck roast: A 3-pound chuck roast should be good. Remove any big chunks of fat around the edges.
- Salt and pepper: To season the meat prior to searing.
- Olive oil: For cooking and searing.
- Yellow onions: You’ll need 2 large onions, peeled and cut into thick slices.
- Garlic: Minced garlic, about 6 cloves.
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste is packed with deep flavors. It’s definitely a must-have ingredient in this pot roast.
- Red wine: To help deglaze the onions and build flavor.
- Beef broth: For the liquid component.
- Worcestershire sauce: Did anyone say more flavor?!
- Fresh thyme and rosemary: Fresh herbs add complexity and flavor.
- Bay leaves: Adds aromatic tones.
- Baby carrots: Very convenient, no need to peel or chop.
- Baby yellow potatoes: Very convenient, no need to peel or chop.
- Italian parsley: For garnish and totally optional.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Season meat generously
First of all, preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Then, season the beef chuck roast generously with Kosher salt and pepper on all sides.
Why use chuck roast: Beef chuck on its own is tough, but when cooked for hours, it falls apart beautifully. Because it’s well-marbled with fat, it turns out tender and juicy, which is perfect for stews and roasts.
2. Sear meat
Heat some olive oil in a large 7-8 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the pot is hot, sear the meat and both sides until it develops a crust and it’s golden brown. It takes about 5 minutes per side. To get a better sear, let it sear undisturbed. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Tip: Do NOT wipe the pot clean after you’re done searing the meat. What’s left behind are brown bits packed with tons of flavor.
3. Sauté onions and garlic
Add sliced onions to the pot and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. As the onions sweat, they should release some moisture enough to deglaze the brown bits, but if not (and if the brown bits are burning too fast), add a few splashes of broth and scrape those brown bits to deglaze.
Then, stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Deglaze, add liquid and more flavor
The browning process of the onions and garlic will leave even more brown bits behind. At this point, add the red wine and quickly deglaze the brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pot for just a few seconds (don’t let the wine evaporate completely). Add beef broth and continue scraping the brown bits.
Then add the tomato paste, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, and bay leaves. Stir to combine and bring to a low boil.
Flavor boosters: Tomato paste is packed with a lot of flavor, which builds depth. The fresh herbs and bay leaves will add another layer of flavor. Don’t skip these!
5. Return meat and cook in the oven
Return the seated chuck roast to the pot and nestle it in. The liquid should cover about half of the beef. Cover securely with the lid and cook in the oven for 1.5 hours at 300 degrees F.
6. Add vegetables and finish cooking
After 1.5 hours have passed, remove from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes. The meat will not fall apart at this point yet. If desired, at this point you can add more salt and pepper to taste, but I didn’t find it necessary.
Cover with the lid again, and return to the oven for another 2 hours. And there you have it…a delicious and tender Dutch oven pot roast!
Tip: If you want the meat to be even more tender, cook for another 15-30 minutes in the oven.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
To serve, transfer the vegetables around a large platter and the meat in the center. As you pull it out, it will fall apart a bit, which is what you want. Spoon all the juice over the meat and vegetables. Or you can do what I did and serve it straight from the Dutch oven pot!
This Dutch oven pot roast is already a full meal on its own because it’s got plenty of potatoes and carrots. However, I like to make extra side dishes to go with it, especially when I am hosting.
Here are a few side dishes I love:
Recipe FAQs
A 7 to 8 quart Dutch oven should be good. It doesn’t matter if it’s round or oval shaped, but I like the oval-shaped one a lot more.
Sear over medium-high heat and let it sear undisturbed on each side, until a beautiful thin golden brown crust forms. About 5 minutes per side.
Add a few splashes of broth and scrape those brown bits with a wooden spoon.
300 degrees F for a total of 3.5-4 hours, slow and low. This will ensure the meat is tender and fall-apart delicious!
You can just use more beef broth if you prefer not to use wine.
So that they don’t turn too soft and mushy.
More comforting dinner ideas:
Tips for Success
- Get a good sear on the meat by letting it sear undisturbed on each side until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side over medium-high heat.
- As they cook, the onions will release some moisture, which you can use to deglaze some of those brown bits left behind from searing the meat. However, if the brown bits are burning a bit too fast, add a few splashes of beef broth to deglaze.
- Take your time browning the meat and the onions, and don’t forget to deglaze. This way, flavors will develop fully and make a delicious pot roast.
Dutch Oven Pot Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast - boneless
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine - substitute with beef broth if desired
- 2 to 3 cups beef broth, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves, dried
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 1 ½ pounds baby yellow potatoes
- Chopped Italian parsley for garnish - optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Generously season the meat with about 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper on all sides.
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large 7-8 quart Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat. Sear on each side until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and set aside. Do not wipe the Dutch oven clean. Tip: Let the meat sear undisturbed on both sides, and only flip once a nice golden brown crust has developed. There’s no need to sear the edges, but you can.
- Reduce to medium heat. Add the onions and saute until they start to brown, about 3 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to deglaze with the moisture from the onions. If the brown bits are burning too fast, add a few splashes of broth and deglaze. Stir minced garlic cook for another 1 minute until fragrant. Tip: use a wooden spoon to avoid scratching the cast iron surface.
- Add the red wine (or substitute with beef broth), and quickly deglaze the brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pot for a few seconds. Then, add 2 cups of the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, fresh thyme sprigs, fresh rosemary rosemary sprigs, and bay leaves. Stir until evenly combined and bring to a low boil.
- Return the seared meat back to the pot, along with its juices. The liquid should cover about half of the meat – if not, add more beef broth as needed. Cover securely with the lid and bake for 1.5 hours at 300 degrees F.
- Remove from oven and add the baby carrots and potatoes. At this point, you can also adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Return to oven (with the lid on), and cook for 2 hours more or until the meat is fork tender and falls apart, and until the vegetables are tender. If you want it to be even more tender, cook for another 15-30 minutes.
- If desired, garnish with parsley. To serve, you can transfer to a large platter to serve it straight from the Dutch oven. Enjoy!
Notes
- Meat: I’d recommend a boneless 3-4 pound beef chuck roast. If it has excess fat around the edges, you can trim that out.
- Don’t rush the searing and browning process of the meat and onions. As they brown, brown bits will form. These brown bits, when deglazed, release a lot of great flavors.
- Sear on the meat: The best way to develop a good sear on the meat is to let it sear undisturbed over medium-high heat until it’s golden brown and a sear crust forms, about 5 minutes per side.
- Red wine recommendations: Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.
- Storing: Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container.
- Freezing: Freeze in individual freezer-friendly containers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in the microwave oven or over the stovetop.
- Potatoes: Normal-sized Yukon gold potatoes.
- Carrots: Regular carrots, peeled and cut into chunks.
- Fresh rosemary and thyme: You can use dried herbs. Add ½ teaspoon of each at a time, and adjust with more to taste.
- Red wine: Substitute with beef broth if needed.
Nick says
Currently making this, about an hour left on cook time. Added rosemary and thyme like recipe calls for and at this point none of the leaves are left on the stems but instead are floating all over the place.. don’t really want to eat a bunch of herbs.. what should I do to remedy this problem either now or in the future?
Tania says
Hi Nick! To avoid that, you can make a “bouquet garni” by wrapping the herbs into a bundle with cheesecloth and tying it with kitchen twine. That way, you can pull it out right before serving.
Elisabeth says
Made this for our holiday dinner this year, in my Le Creuset dutch oven (which doesn’t get enough use, I’ve got to say). Wow. Amazing. Didn’t have any carrots, used some yams cut into wedges (not really a “substitute” just an alternative I had on hand). Left out the rosemary and instead included a good quality smoked paprika in the rub. I used a lovely strip loin (about 4lbs) (and should have trimmed more of the fat off of it).
This was incredible. Thank you!
Bryan says
Making this now, following this recipe closely, except added celery and used 2 fresh bay leaves from my tree. I’m 2 hours into it. My house smells fantastic, and I tasted the sauce as I was adding the veggies and it is excellent. Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper.
Corrine says
what would you say is the main difference between this recipe and your recipe for hearty dutch oven beef stew? is there one you prefer, or use for a certain occasion? the reviews for both are wonderful and i am wondering which one i should try for family sunday dinner!
Tania says
Both are really good! The beef stew is a bit thicker, like a gravy, and goes well with mashed potatoes. The pot roast has a thinner gravy and it’s a complete one pot meal, with the carrots and potatoes. I honestly can’t choose!
Kelso says
This is top notch! Thank you very much. I use very high quality roast and it makes it just amazing and melt in your mouth good. This is the 3rd time I’ve made this.
Lisa says
I made this in the Dutch oven. It was great. I’m wanting to make for a friend on a weekday. I get off at 5 and don’t want to eat at 9pm. Could I make this in a crockpot as well?
Tania says
I’ve made this in the slow cooker before and it lacked flavor because I wasn’t able to brown it (unless you have a slowcooker that has a browning setting). If you want to make this in the slow cooker, maybe try a “hybrid” method. After step 6, transfer everything to the slow cooker and add the potatoes and carrots. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
Cindy says
Can’t wait to make!
Can I possibly use red wine to deglaze and still use beef broth as well for more flavor?
Tania says
Yes, absolutely!
Amina says
This came out exactly like this recipe says. Can’t wait to dig in.
Jo Gibbs says
I don’t believe my Dutch Oven has oven proof handles. Can this recipe be prepared entirely on oven top burner?
Tania says
Hi Jo! I believe you can cook it entirely on the stovetop, although never tried it myself. Add a bit more broth to cover two-thirds of the meat and cook on low heat for about 3 hours total or until fall-apart tender (potatoes and carrots can go in 1 hour before the total time is up).
Angela says
Absolutely delicious! First recipe in my brand new Dutch oven. We will definitely be making this again.
JENNIFER says
It’s easy and my husband absolutely loves it. Thanks for making him happy!
William Johnson says
I used to us the Instant Pot and now I will always use this recipe for the Dutch Oven. So much more flavorful and fork tender.
WEJ
San Diego
Missy says
Just had it tonight and won’t use any other pot roast recipes!! Absolutely loved it!
Ferne says
Perfect!!! Definitely saving this recipe! So tender and juicy!
Donna Burnworth says
Absolutely amazing! Thanks for a great recipe and good directions!
Reginald says
My go to Recipe. I just add mushrooms and celery.
Thank you