This pot roast recipe is the ultimate cozy, low-effort dinner. Tender beef slowly braises in a rich, flavorful gravy alongside carrots and potatoes until everything becomes perfectly soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
The best part is how simple it is to make—just sear the meat, add the vegetables, and let it cook gently in your Dutch oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot. Serve it with creamy mashed potatoes, carrot sheet cake, or brown butter apple crisp for a comforting, satisfying meal.
There’s something especially comforting about dishes that cook slowly over time. Growing up, Sunday meals often featured hearty favorites like Seco de Carne, and once the weather begins to cool down, I always find myself craving dishes like cozy beef stew and garlic-braised short ribs.
What I love most about this pot roast is how effortless it is. After searing the beef and sautéing the vegetables, you simply place everything in the oven and let it do its thing. It’s a true set-it-and-forget-it kind of meal—and that’s what makes it so great.
Pot Roast
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 325F. Season meat with salt and pepper. In a large pot, set over medium heat, add the olive oil. When hot, add the meat and sear on both sides for 4 to 5 minutes until browned.
- Remove the meat from the pot, turn the heat down to medium-low and add in the celery, yellow onion, and carrots. Cook until slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the smashed garlic, tomato paste, fresh herbs, worchestire and mix until combined.
- Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot, being sure to lift up any bits. This will flavor the pot roast even more! Pour in the beef stock and give it a mix. Add the meat back to the pot and put the lid on top. Transfer to the oven and cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until very tender.
- Remove the meat from the pot. Strain the broth through a strainer into a bowl and discard the solids. To thicken the sauce, add a few tablespoons of the strained liquid to a bowl. Whisk in two teaspoons of corn starch until smooth. Pour the stock slurry and the rest of the stock to the pot.
- Add the meat back to the pot, along with the red potatoes and carrots. Cover with a lid and simmer on the stove for 20 to 30 minutes on medium-low, until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
Notes
- You can use other cuts of beef. I like using top round roast (pictured), chuck roast or beef brisket. In a pinch, you could use a flank steak, like how the recipe for ropa vieja uses.
- Swap out the red wine with more beef broth if you’d like. You can also add a splash of soy sauce for more flavor.
- Thicken the sauce – If you want a super thick gravy sauce, here’s what to do: after you strain the solids out of the sauce, add a tablespoon or two of the strained sauce to a small bowl. Whisk in a tablespoon of flour or a teaspoon of corn starch until very smooth. Pour it back to the large bowl and add that back to the pot. Proceed with adding the meat back with the potatoes and carrots. It will thicken to a nice gravy consistency.
- Deglazing the pan – When you pour in the red wine, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the “fond” aka beef bits up from the pot. This will give the entire dish SO much flavor.
- Skip the potatoes – If I know I’m serving this with mashed potatoes, I’ll typically skip adding the red potatoes. If I’m serving this with rice or polenta, I love to add in the potatoes.
