There’s nothing quite like the delicious aroma of a braised beef pot roast. This classic dish showcases a tender chuck roast paired with baby carrots and tender potatoes bathed in a savory sauce.
This warm and comforting pot roast is perfect for family dinners. Each bite is filled with a combination of rich, savory flavor and a hint of sweetness from the balsamic vinegar. For this pot roast recipe, we start by searing the roast, which locks in the moisture and adds another layer of flavor to the dish.
I prefer to use chuck roast for braised dishes due to its robust beefy flavor and good marbling. However, I have also used trimmed beef brisket and bottom round (eye of round) for this recipe. All of these cuts provide a delicious beef flavor, but the brisket will require a longer cooking time.
Ingredients
- 2 ½-3 pound beef chuck roast (sub with a trimmed brisket flat)
- Morton Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- Tomato paste
- Balsamic vinegar
- Beef base (Minor’s or Better than Bouillion)
- Red wine (Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon)-sub with extra broth
- Low-sodium beef broth
- Worcestershire sauce
- Brown sugar
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Baby carrots
- Baby yellow potatoes or red potatoes
- Kitchen twine
- Fresh herbs for garnish: parsley, rosemary, or thyme
Tips
- Use a homemade beef bone broth or beef stock instead of store-bought for a deeper, richer flavor.
- If you do not have a beef base on hand, use 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of tamari or dark soy sauce instead.
- Remove the rendered fat from the pot roast before serving. See below for more information on how to do this.
How to Make a Pot Roast
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Assemble herbs: Tie rosemary and thyme sprigs with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni. Set aside
- Prepare roast: Trim excess outer fat from the chuck roast.
- Season it evenly with kosher salt and black pepper on all sides.
- Heat the oil in a 7-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Sear chuck roast undisturbed for 3-4 minutes per side. Make sure to brown the edges for a few minutes each. Remove the roast from the pot and set it aside.
- Garlic and onions: Reduce the burner to medium-low heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 20 seconds or until it becomes fragrant.
- Deglaze: Next, stir in red wine to deglaze the pan. Simmer for 30 seconds, then add 1 1/2 cups of water.
- Assemble the sauce: Dissolve the beef base in the balsamic vinegar and add it to the pot, along with the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, and bouquet garni (tied herbs). Stir until the ingredients are well combined. Simmer for 1 minute.
- Oven braise: Place the chuck roast back in the pot. Cover the pot tightly with the lid and bake in the oven for 90 minutes.
- Add the veg: After that time, add the baby carrots and the yellow (or red) potatoes. Taste the juices and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Back in the oven: Cover the pot and return it to the oven. Cook for an additional 60-90 minutes or until the roast is fork tender.
- Finish it up: Remove the lid and cook for 15 more minutes at 350°F to reduce the juices. Keep a close eye on it during this phase.
Final Touches
- Rest it: Once the roast is cooked to your liking, remove the pot from the oven and place it on a heat-resistant surface. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes before handling.
- De-fat: Using a spoon or ladle, skim off the oily bits that rise to the surface.
- Serve: Gently break apart the roast or slice into serving sizes and serve with root vegetables and a little of the sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze in individual portions for up to 6 weeks.
Why is my pot roast greasy?
Can you see a little ring of oil in your pot roast? Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid this, especially when using a marbled cut like chuck roast. As the roast cooks, the fats will break down. Since it has nowhere to go, it will simply co-exist with your pot roast. However, there are a few methods you can use to remove the grease.
Scooping: Use a spoon or ladle to scoop away the grease during and after cooking.
Fat separator: Another method involves running the sauce through a fat separator. This step requires you to remove the roast and vegetables from the pot, then pour the pot juices into a fat separator (likely in batches), and wait for the fat to jump to the top. You will need to pour the defatted juices back into the pot along with the vegetables and roast, then heat it on your stovetop for a few minutes before serving. To streamline the process, slice the roast before adding it back into the pot. That way, you can serve it as soon as it comes up to temp.
More Recipes to Enjoy!
Pot Roast (with Root Vegetables)
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven 7 quarts
Ingredients
- 2 ½-3 pound beef chuck roast sub with a trimmed brisket flat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of Morton Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon beef base Minor’s or Better than Bouillon
- 1 cup red wine Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon – substitute with beef broth
- 1 cup of low-sodium beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/2 pound baby carrots
- 1 1/2 pounds baby yellow potatoes or red potatoes
- Fresh herbs for garnish: parsley rosemary, or thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C).
- Tie rosemary and thyme sprigs with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni. Set aside
- Trim excess outer fat from the chuck roast.
- Season it evenly with kosher salt and black pepper on all sides.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat.
- Sear chuck roast undisturbed for 3-4 minutes per side. Make sure to brown the edges for a few minutes each. Remove the roast from the pot and set it aside.
- Reduce the burner to medium-low heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 20 seconds or until it becomes fragrant.
- Next, stir in red wine to deglaze the pan. Simmer for 30 seconds, then add 1 1/2 cups of water.
- Dissolve the beef base in the balsamic vinegar and add it to the pot, along with the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, and bouquet garni (tied herbs). Stir until the ingredients are well combined. Simmer for 1 minute.
- Place the chuck roast back in the pot. Cover the pot tightly with the lid and bake in the oven for 90 minutes.
- After that time, add the baby carrots and the yellow (or red) potatoes. Taste the juices and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Cover the pot and return it to the oven. Cook for an additional 60-90 minutes or until the roast is fork tender.
- Remove the lid and cook for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees to reduce the juices.
- Once the roast is cooked to your liking, remove the pot from the oven and place it on a heat-resistant surface. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes before handling.
- Using a spoon or ladle, skim off the oily bits that rise to the surface.
- Gently break apart the roast or slice into serving sizes and serve with root vegetables and a little of the sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze in individual portions for up to 6 weeks.
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