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This delicious Dutch oven pot roast recipe has fall-apart tender beef, savory carrots and potatoes, a flavorful blend of fresh herbs, and a rich, comforting gravy for the perfect cozy dinner recipe.

dutch oven cooked pot roast with carrots potatoes and mushrooms.

If you’re craving a warm, savory, comforting one-pot meal, this pot roast is for you. This restaurant-quality recipe will show you exactly how to cook a roast in the oven to produce fall-apart tender beef, velvety carrots and potatoes, and a thick, rich gravy bursting with flavor.

Why You Will Love This Amazing Dutch Oven Pot Roast

  • The combination of fresh herbs is uniquely flavorful. Many pot roast recipes call for one or two dry herbs, but this recipe is unique in calling for fresh thyme, rosemary, and oregano. This combination of herbs adds a wonderful medley of fresh flavor to the dish, making every bite delicious and interesting.
  • Deglazing with wine adds depth. When you deglaze the bottom of the pot with red wine, it adds so much flavor to the final dish. You get all of the deliciously browned bits off of the pot and into the gravy, creating rich, complex, and deep flavor.
  • Pearl onions add a sweet, mild flavor. By using pearl onions instead of a regular yellow onion, a delicate, lightly sweet flavor is imparted to the dish. This detail makes this recipe a bit more nuanced than typical pot roasts.
sliced pot roast with vegetables on white plate.
stuffed shell on spoon in dish.
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Professional Tips for Making a Dutch Oven Roast

  • Work in batches. Be sure to leave plenty of room between your pieces of beef when you are browning them. If they are too close together, they tend to steam instead of creating a nicely browned crust.
  • Be patient. Shoulder roast can take time to cook down to tender perfection. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to allow the meat to cook properly. It’s worth it! And, the leftovers make killer Roast Beef Swiss Melt Sandwiches!
  • Taste for seasoning. The best way to improve your home cooking is to taste for seasoning. This will let you know whether the dish needs more of a certain ingredient to be in balance.

Ingredients

pot roast ingredients on white marble.
  • Roast: I used shoulder roast. This is typically a bone-in cut. You can also use a top round roast or boneless beef chuck roast, like I do in my Dutch Oven Beef Stew. These are tougher cuts of meat with plenty of marbling. However, when you cook a cut like chuck roast in the oven over low heat, it becomes extremely tender.
  • Flour: All-purpose flour works best for this recipe. If you are gluten-free, you can try using rice flour or millet flour in its place.
  • Kosher Salt & Pepper
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Olive Oil
  • Pearl Onions: Pearl onions are sweeter and milder than regular onions, and their small shape adds a distinct texture to the dish that regular onions would not.
  • Garlic: I like to use whole garlic cloves for this recipe. If you don’t have access to fresh garlic, you can use jarred, chopped garlic in water.
  • Carrots: I recommend using regular, medium to large carrots for this recipe. I would not substitute baby carrots, as they will become quite soft and start to break apart throughout the long cooking process.
  • Potatoes: Small yellow or red potatoes are best. If you can fit more in the pot than the recipe calls for, feel free to do so. Potatoes in this recipe, just as in my Lemon Roasted Chicken dinner, make everything extra hearty!
  • Mushrooms: I use a mix of button and baby portobellos for this recipe. I like the slight variety in texture and flavor they add to the dish.
  • Thyme & Oregano
  • Rosemary: Fresh rosemary adds a fragrant, piney aroma and a woodsy, lemony flavor to the overall dish, and also makes it pair nicely with some rosemary lemon roasted cauliflower.
  • Bay Leaf: Bay leaves add more savory flavor to the dish with hints of eucalyptus and a light bitterness.
  • Beef Broth: I love to use homemade beef broth for this recipe, but store bought will work as well. Try to buy a brand that is low-sodium so you can determine the seasoning for the overall dish.
  • Red Wine: I use dry red wine for this recipe, like this Château Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon. I recommend using a wine you would enjoy drinking. If you’re more of a white wine person, I recommend my Lamb Stew Recipe!
  • Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps thicken the gravy for this dish, turning it from a thin, soup-like consistency to a thick, velvety consistency.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

  • Slow Cooker: To make a slow cooker pot roast, brown the meat as instructed in the original recipe above. Deglaze the pan with the wine and beef broth. Then add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker and let cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. To thicken the gravy, pour the broth from the slow cooker into a pan and thicken with cornstarch.
  • Instant Pot: To make an Instant Pot pot roast, brown the meat using the sauté function, cook the vegetables and aromatics for a few minutes, deglaze with the wine and broth, then add all of the remaining ingredients and cook on the pressure cook function for approximately 60 minutes.
  • Mashed Potatoes: You can serve this roast over a bed of mashed potatoes or with some potato dinner rolls for a creamy, rich finished dish.

How to Make Beef Roast

Use these instructions to make the perfect Dutch oven pot roast every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Whisk together flour, salt and pepper. 

Step 2: Pat your roast with paper towels to make sure it’s dry. Sprinkle with flour/salt/pepper mixture, rubbing it to evenly coat. 

Step 3: Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat until it is hot. Add the butter and olive oil to the pot and stir until butter is melted.  Brown the roast on all 4 sides.

flour coated roast prior to searing.
searing pot roast in dutch oven.

You can also use avocado oil if you prefer.

Step 4: Add onions, garlic, potatoes and carrots, and herbs to the pot. Pour in wine and beef broth, deglaze the pot, and bring to a boil. 

Step 5: Cover the pot and bake in a preheated oven for 3 hours, turning the roast after 1 ½ hours. 

adding vegetables and stock to pot roast before cooking.

Step 6: About 10 minutes before the roast is done, sauté the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil in an oven-safe pan until they are browned. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Step 7: Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and turn the oven off. Transfer the meat and vegetables to the pan with the mushrooms; tent with foil; and place in the oven to rest. 

Allowing the meat to rest is crucial to letting the muscle fibers in the meat relax enough to allow the juices to permeate throughout. 

Step 8: Place the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and boil until reduced by half. 

Step 9: In a small bowl combine cornstarch with several tablespoons of braising liquid (you don’t need to be precise here), whisking until cornstarch is dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the Dutch oven and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened to your liking. 

sauteing mushrooms for pot roast.
thickening jus with cornstarch slurry.

Step 10: Slice roast and serve with sauce and vegetables!

Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip

I recommend blanching pearl onions prior to peeling. Bring a pot of water to a boil and fill a medium mixing bowl with ice water. Cut off the root end of each onion and mark it with an “X”. Boil the onions for 1 minute and then immediately drop in the ice water. They should now be super easy to peel!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you store leftover pot roast?

Store leftover pot roast in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Be sure the roast has cooled completely before transferring it to the fridge. You can also freeze cooked pot roast. Transfer the leftovers to a freezer-safe container, like a resealable gallon plastic bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.

How do I reheat leftover pot roast?

To reheat pot roast, place the leftovers in a Dutch oven or stock pot, then bring up to a boil and down to simmer. Serve once the pot roast is fully heated through. You can also reheat pot roast in the microwave at 30-second intervals until hot.

Can you cook this dish ahead of time?

You can cook pot roast ahead of time. Feel free to make this dish up to 3 days before you wish to serve it, then reheat it as described above.

What can I use instead of a Dutch oven?

You can use a different oven-safe pot to cook this recipe. Be sure it is a pot that’s not too thin and distributes heat evenly to ensure the roast cooks properly.

sliced pot roast with vegetables.

If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!

pot roast in dutch oven with vegetables.
5 from 1 ratings

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

This delicious Dutch oven pot roast recipe has fall-apart tender beef, savory carrots and potatoes, a flavorful blend of fresh herbs, and a rich, comforting gravy for the perfect cozy dinner recipe.
Prep: 28 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 28 minutes
Servings: 8 people

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F. Whisk together flour, salt and pepper.
  • Pat your roast with paper towels to make sure it's dry. Sprinkle with flour/salt/pepper mixture, rubbing it to evenly coat.
  • Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat until it is hot. Add the butter and olive oil to the pot and stir until butter is melted.
  • Brown the roast on all 4 sides. Add onions, garlic, potatoes and carrots, and herbs to the pot. Pour in wine and beef broth, deglaze the pot, and bring to a boil.
  • Cover the pot and bake in a preheated oven for 3 hours, turning the roast after 1 ½ hours.
  • About 10 minutes before the roast is done, sauté the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil in an oven-safe pan until they are browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and turn the oven off. Transfer the meat and vegetables to the pan with the mushrooms; tent with foil; and place in the oven to rest.
  • Place the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and boil until reduced by half.
  • In a small bowl combine cornstarch with several tablespoons of braising liquid (you don’t need to be precise here), whisking until cornstarch is dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the Dutch oven and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
  • Slice roast and serve with sauce and vegetables!

Notes

Technique – I recommend blanching pearl onions prior to peeling. Bring a pot of water to a boil and fill a medium mixing bowl with ice water. Cut off the root end of each onion and mark it with an “X”. Boil the onions for 1 minute and then immediately drop in the ice water. They should now be super easy to peel!
Variations Instant Pot: To make an Instant Pot pot roast, brown the meat using the sauté function, cook the vegetables and aromatics for a few minutes, deglaze with the wine and broth, then add all of the remaining ingredients and cook on the pressure cook function for approximately 60 minutes.
Storage – Store leftover pot roast in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Be sure the roast has cooled completely before transferring it to the fridge. You can also freeze cooked pot roast for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 520mg | Potassium: 761mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5191IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 308
Like this? Leave a comment below!

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef-tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed beef recipes! Or, mix it up, and try one of these prime rib recipes next!

Classy Pot Roast

Hi, I’m Chef Lindsey!

I am the baker, recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Chef Lindsey Farr. I believe in delicious homemade food and the power of dessert!

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12 Comments

  1. this is a lot like a standard french pot roast or a belgian carbonade. i love those kind of dishes! adding any of the following: mustard/ apple sauce / dried prunes / olives etc are my favourite add ins!

    1. All of those add-ins sound amazing! I’ll definitely try them out next time I make it! Thanks for stopping by, Lisa!

    1. While I would love to take all that credit, I can’t because its so easy to make! Meat not tender enough? Cook it longer! How easy is that?

    1. I’m so glad! Let me know when you try it! I’ve got some other weight watcher friendly dinners coming up soonish. Obviously not today’s post!

  2. I love everything in this dish. I haven’t tasted yours, but I can imagine it being so deep in flavor, especially since you made it with that lovely stock.

    I can totally relate to trying something for the first time and not have it be good (or even edible)..and that makes you never want to try that dish again. For me, it was with fish taco lol. When I had it as a kid, I remember it being really fishy tasting and just gross. So whenever someone asked if I wanted fish tacos, I was like Ewwww. I didn’t have them again until my adult years and fortunately, the first one I tried since that last one, was actually tasty. So I like fish tacos now.

    BTW I’ve been noticing that thing that pops up below in the comment section that shows the commenters’ latest blog posts? Is that something you installed? Pretty interesting!

    1. Yeah, this pot roast was amazing. It was one of those (very few) dishes that we didn’t mind eating the leftovers for a week! And then we were both a little sad when it was gone.

      I can see how fish tacos could be really awful! That would definitely scar me for life too 🙂

      CommentLuv is a plugin that will link back to the commenter’s most recent posts. I’m not sure what other platforms the plugin supports but I have a self-hosted WordPress site. I figured I loved other blogs that had it, so why not see if I could install it on mine!