Here’s a classic, foolproof recipe for a Perfect Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots — fork-tender beef, deeply flavorful gravy, and perfectly cooked vegetables. This is comfort food at its best, great for Sunday dinners or cozy evenings.
🥩 Perfect Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
📋 Ingredients:
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3–4 lb chuck roast
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Salt & black pepper, to taste
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2–3 tbsp olive oil
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1 onion, chopped
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3–4 garlic cloves, minced
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4 cups beef broth (or 2 cups broth + 1 cup red wine)
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2 tbsp tomato paste (optional, for depth)
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2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
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4–5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
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1½ lb baby potatoes or chopped Yukon Golds
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2 sprigs fresh rosemary
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2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried herbs)
🧑🍳 Instructions:
1. Sear the roast:
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Pat roast dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
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Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
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Sear roast on all sides until browned (3–4 minutes per side). Remove and set aside.
2. Sauté aromatics:
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In the same pot, add onions and cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
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Add garlic and cook another 1 minute.
3. Deglaze and build flavor:
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Stir in tomato paste (if using) and cook for 1 minute.
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Pour in beef broth (and wine if using), scraping up browned bits from the pot.
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Add Worcestershire sauce.
4. Cook the roast:
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Return roast to the pot. Add herbs.
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Cover tightly with a lid and bake at 300°F (150°C) for 2½–3 hours until very tender.
5. Add vegetables:
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After 2½ hours, add potatoes and carrots around the roast.
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Cover and cook another 1 hour, or until veggies and beef are fork-tender.
6. Finish and serve:
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Remove roast and veggies. Let meat rest 10 minutes, then slice or shred.
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Skim fat from juices. (Optional: simmer with a cornstarch slurry to thicken into gravy.)
✅ Tips:
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Chuck roast is best — it becomes incredibly tender.
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Don’t rush the cooking time — low and slow makes the meat melt-in-your-mouth tender.
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Use leftovers for sandwiches, tacos, or shepherd’s pie.