Classic Pot Roast is the ultimate in comfort food. This recipe takes a humble chuck roast and slowly cooks it to a fork-tender, flavorful finished dish that just can’t be beaten. And the veggies are included! Serve it with homemade country white bread for an unforgettable dinner at home!
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🥩 The Ingredients
The simple, wholesome ingredients in classic pot roast with braised veggies combine to create a deeply comforting and flavorful meal. Each element works together to deliver one of the most satisfying and timeless dishes you can enjoy at home. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
🌿 Substitutions and Variations
- Protein – Chuck roast can be found in the meat department of most supermarkets. It is not an expensive roast, and the slow-cooking makes it melt-in-your-mouth delicious. A bone-in chuck, also known as “chuck shoulder pot roast,” is beefy and perfect for this recipe. However, a boneless “chuck eye roast” (or “chuck tender steak”) is fantastic, too. Brisket or round steak can be substituted.
- Vegetables – The standard mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery) is traditional, but feel free to add turnips, butternut squash, or parsnips. Frozen sweet peas work perfectly.
- Flavor enhancers – You don’t really need anything to distract from the classic beef flavor of this roast. However, you can deepen the flavor with herbs (fresh or dried) such as thyme, rosemary, or marjoram.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏼🍳 How To Make Classic Pot Roast
- Step 1: Season the roast with salt and pepper. Toss with flour, then sear in a Dutch oven with the oil.
- Step 2: Remove the roast, and then sauté the carrots, onions, and celery with flour in the same pan.
- Step 3: Pour in the beef stock.
- Step 4: Nestle the roast into the pan.
- Step 5: Roast for 2½ hours and then add the potatoes and carrots. Roast for another 30 minutes.
- Step 6: Assemble and serve!
Expert Tip
We use 4 carrots for the recipe. Two will be finely chopped (for the mirepoix), and then two larger pieces will be for the final dish (with the potatoes). This takes a little extra effort but makes a big difference in building the flavor. You can sauté the veggies along with the beef broth in a separate dish and then pour it over the meat, or, if preparing in a Dutch oven, you can do it all in the Dutch oven and nestle the meat into the braising liquid.
🍽️ How To Serve Classic Pot Roast
- Step 1: Remove the roast from the pan and cover with foil.
- Step 2: Strain the liquid into a saucepan and stir in the cornstarch slurry.
- Step 3: Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Step 4: Slice the meat against the grain and serve with the sauce and vegetables.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Chuck roast is the best choice for pot roast because its marbling and connective tissue break down during slow cooking, resulting in tender, flavorful meat. See above in “Substitutions and Variations” for more info.
Classic pot roast can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator; reheating gently helps the flavors deepen and makes for an even more delicious meal.
Simply cover the beef in a dish and cover with foil. Roast at 325°F for about 20 minutes, until bubbly and warm. We love to make epic Pot Roast Sliders or substitute the corned beef with the leftover pot roast with our Corned Beef Hash.
🍗 More Classic Comfort Food Recipes
Ready to make the most comforting dinner in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Classic Pot Roast
Video
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 3½ lb beef roast chuck
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 carrots 2 finely chopped and 2 cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 3 cups beef stock
- 3 gold potatoes peeled and quartered
- 1 cup pearl onions frozen (optional)
- ½ cup peas frozen, and thawed
Instructions
- Lightly season the roast all over with salt and pepper. On a large platter, mix 3 tablespoon of the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Turn the roast in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.3½ lb beef roast, Salt and pepper, 6 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- In a large Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil and butter over medium heat.2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Add the roast and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoon of the oil in the pan.
- Add the finely chopped carrots, yellow onion, and celery and saute over medium-high heat until softened, about 5 minutes.4 carrots, 1 onion, 1 rib celery
- Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoon of flour and cook for about 1 minute.
- Pour in the beef stock and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer.3 cups beef stock
For Roasting in the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Nestle the roast into the vegetables and cooked stock. Cover and place in the oven for 2½ hours.
- Remove from the oven, uncover, and stir in the potatoes, large carrot pieces, and pearl onions (if using). Cover and return to the oven for another 30 minutes. Stir in the peas and place in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.3 gold potatoes, 1 cup pearl onions, ½ cup peas
For Cooking in your Slow-Cooker
- Transfer the roast to your slow cooker.
- Pour the vegetable and stock mixture over the meat and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
- Uncover and stir in the potatoes, carrot pieces, and pearl onions (if using).
- Cover and cook for 45 minutes.
- Uncover and stir in the peas.
- Cover and cook until all the veggies are tender, about 15 minutes longer.
Finishing the Roast
- Transfer the roast to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes, large carrot pieces, onions, and peas. Place in a large bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or a colander with cheesecloth, discarding the excess solids.
- Bring the strained liquid to a boil (plus another cup of beef broth, if needed) over high heat and cook until the liquid is slightly thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if desired.
- Slice the roast against the grain and place the slices on a serving dish, and then arrange the roasted veggies around the meat. Drizzle the sauce over the meat and veggies. Serve at once, passing extra gravy on the table.
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally posted February 2018 but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography, and a fabulous new video in August 2020!
Dolores Thomson says
What is a “chuck roast” called in the UK?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Dolores…I believe it’s the equivalent to a braising steak. And roast that has some decent marbling. Doesn’t need to be an expensive cut. The slow braising will make it very tender. Hope this helps and let us know if you make the roast and how it turns out. We LOVE it!!! xoxo
Barb says
Hi guys.
Lazy Barb here.
A picture of your roast & veggies belong on the cover of a “down home” cooking magazine containing comfort foods.
I swear I was smelling it while I was watching you guys make it.
I’m old and I’m lazy, so I’m going to use all your ingredients and simplify the prep.
There’s no doubt yours is better, but mine will be very close.
I always watch your video twice.
The first time it’s muted because I love to watch Wesley’s facial expressions and body language without sound. Sooooo entertaining!
Thank you for another delicious recipe.
Cheryl Roberts says
After watching your amazing video, I had to make this. It is in the oven now and it smells amazing! Thank you both for the time and love for sharing your amazing videos!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Cheryl!! Yay!!!! That’s so awesome to hear! So…how did the roast turn out? We hope you enjoyed it! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Kate says
Oh my gosh, guys! I did this last night, and it was amazing. My husband was in heaven. I had to do a couple changes – I added parsnips instead of potatoes (did baked potatoes) and was hit with laziness when it came to where I was supposed to strain out the mirepoix, so I grabbed my immersion blender and just liquified everything. But the flavour! I’ve done pot roasts in my slow cooker, but from now on it’s the slow roast in the oven. Wesley, I think Fred might just have equaled your reaction – and he’s normally a bit reserved. LOL I always know that if I try your recipes, they’ll be winners. Thank you so much!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Kris Longwell says
Hi Kate! Woo hoo!! Your modifications sound awesome!! We are SO HAPPY that you and Fred enjoyed the roast as much as we do!! And thank you so so so much for letting us know. That truly means the world to us! Please stay in touch! And tell Fred to keep on giving us those awesome reactions!! LOL!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Jane says
What if I wanted more carrots and potatoes? Could I add more? If I used a bigger roast (5 lbs) would I need to increase the cooking time?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Jane! Sorry for the delayed response! You could absolutely use more carrots and potatoes. We would increase the beef stock to 4 cups. And if you’re going with a 5 lb roast, then you’ll probably need to increase the initial cook time to 3 to 3½ hours. Hope this helps, and please let us know if you make this roast and what you think. We really love it a lot!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Bonnie says
Love you guys great recipe and personalities. What a great combo
Kris Longwell says
Bonnie!! You have no idea how happy that makes us to hear. Thank you so much. That really means the world to us! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley