Dutch Oven Pot Roast

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This Pot Roast, cooked in a Dutch oven with carrots and potatoes, will become your favorite comforting one pot meal! Juicy meat and vegetables are slowly braised in flavorful gravy in the oven until fall-apart tender. It will be a great easy recipe for a family Sunday dinner!

Pot Roast with carrots and potatoes in a Dutch Oven.

If you are hosting a family dinner and looking for a recipe that everyone will love, you should try making this amazing Dutch oven pot roast! The meat comes out juicy and falling apart, vegetables are perfectly tender, and it’s all loaded with rich flavorful gravy!

The best part is you can make the whole dish in one pot, slowly braising it in the oven. While it takes a few hours to cook the meal, most of this time and passive.

Also, if you don’t have enough time, you can make it in a pressure cooker, using me recipe for Instant Pot Pot Roast.

Pot roast with carrots and potatoes on a plate.

Ingredients and Substitution

Chuck Roast. In this recipe, I use 3-4 pounds boneless chuck roast.
Onion, celery. This is a classic combo to create the flavorful base for broth.
Garlic. If you are a big garlic lover, you can easily increase the number of garlic cloves.
Tomato paste. It helps to deepen the flavors.
Worcestershire sauce. This is a secret ingredient that I always add to my pot roast, short ribs, and stews. It helps to enrich the flavors and make them more complex.
Chicken stock. I like to use my Homemade Chicken Stock, but you can use any prepackaged one too.
Potatoes. Gold Yukon potatoes are my favorite because of their creamy texture. Plus, you don’t need to peel them, which helps to keep their shape. Although, Russet or Red potatoes will also work in this recipe.
Carrots. You can use diced large or baby carrots.
Cornstarch. It will help to thicken up the gravy
More Veggies: Feel free to add more vegetables to the dish, like parsnip, celery, mushrooms, or peas.

Ingredients to make pot roast with carrots and potatoes.

How to make it

Pat dry a chuck roast and generously season it with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Preheat a Dutch oven over medium/high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. When the oil is hot, place the chuck roast and let it sear on both sides for about 5-7 minutes or until the meat is deep brown color.

When done, transfer to a plate and set aside.

Process photos of searing chuck roast in a pot.

Reduce the heat to medium/low and add chopped onion and celery. Cook for about 10 minutes or until they are translucent and start to caramelize.

Then add 2 cloves smashed garlic, 2 tbsp tomato paste, and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Stir and let cook for another minute.

Process photos of searing onion and celery in a pot.

Pour 3 cups chicken stock and return the seared meat with the juices.

Bring it liquids to boil, cover the pot with a lid, and transfer to the preheated oven.

Braise at 300°F for 2 hours or until the meat starts to become tender.

Process photos of braising chuckn roast in a Dutch oven.

Add diced carrots and potatoes and push them into the broth. Cover with the lid again and continue baking for another 1-1 ½ hours or until the meat is falling apart and the vegetables are tender.

Process photos of adding carrots and potatoes to a chuck roast in a Dutch oven.

Take the pot out of the oven and transfer the meat with the vegetables to a serving plate and cover with the foil, to keep it warm.

Scoop out some excess fat from the remaining liquid and bring it back to boil on the stove.

Then lower the heat to medium/low and let simmer.

Mix 2 tbsp cornstarch with ¼ cup water. Gradually pour the mixture into the pot until the gravy thickens to the desired consistency.

Pour the gravy over meat and the vegetables and serve.

Tips for best results

Browning the meat. Don’t skip this part! Browning the meat is a very important step that provides a lot of flavor to the dish. To get the best results, sear it on medium/high heat undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side.
Deglaze the pot. After you brown the meat, you will have some burned bits on the bottom of the pot. When you add chicken stock, make sure to scrub the bottom to get all the bits, they will provide the most flavor.

Storage and Freezing

How to store. You can refrigerate it in an air-tight container for 3-4 days.
How to freeze. I would highly suggest to freeze only meet with gravy without vegetables, as it will store better. Just transfer the meat with gravy to a freezer-safe air-tight container or a bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, just leave in the fridge overnight.
How to reheat. You can reheat it in a pot or a skillet over medium heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What meat to use for Pot Roast?

Chuck roast is the most popular cut of beef for this recipe. It is less expensive then other cuts and has good marbling, which makes the meat fall-apart tender after braising for a few hours.

Why use a Dutch Oven for a Pot Roast?

Dutch oven is made of cast iron, which retains and evenly distributes the heat. That makes it perfect for slow braising.

Why is my meat too tough?

Most likely you didn’t cook it long enough. The cooking time depends on the size of the roast, quality, and specific cut. Just let it braise for a bit longer until the meat is tender.

Can I make pot roast ahead of time?

Yes! This is a great recipe to make a day before. When it cools off, just transfer to an air-tight container and refrigerate. Next day, just scoop out any solidify fat, transfer back to a pot and reheat in the oven or on the stove top.