Easy Pot Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 eless beef chuck roast (2.5-3 lbs) 1-3
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tsp beef bouillon
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 diced carrots
- 1 quartered onion
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme 2-3
- 5 cloves smashed garlic
- 1 of mini potatoes (1lb-1.5lbs) 1-1.5
Method
- Rub 1 boneless beef chuck roast on all sides with 2 tsp of salt. Then, let it rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together 3 tsp beef bouillon, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp tomato paste, and 2 cups water. Bring it to a gentle simmer. (We are purposely making the beef broth more concentrated for this recipe.) Keep it warm on the stovetop while you prepare the meat and veggies.
- Drizzle 1 tsp olive oil in your dutch oven/roasting vessel of choice and heat on medium high on your largest stovetop burner. Once hot, add 2 diced carrots and 1 quartered onion. Stir the carrots around every couple of minutes and sear the onion on all sides for approximately 8 minutes total. You want to see some color on those veggies! Remove vegetables from roasting pan and set aside.
- To the hot dutch oven, add the salted beef and sear on each side for 4 minutes. You want to see a little color and caramelization of the fat when you flip it. No need to add more oil, the fat from the roast is enough!
- Next, add the seared carrots and onions, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, 5 cloves smashed garlic, and 1 bag of mini potatoes (1lb-1.5lbs) on top of the seared chuck roast and pour the beef bouillon mixture over the top.
- Put the lid on your dutch oven and slow cook the roast in the oven for 3 hours.
- How to Make Pot Roast Gravy
- This is completely optional, but making gravy from the pan drippings is easy and ensures those extra bits of flavor don't go to waste. Here's how to do it:
- Once your roast is cooked, remove some liquid from the Dutch oven and add it to a saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat and whisk in a teaspoon of flour at a time.
- Keep whisking and adding flour until desired thickness is reached.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition info is automatically calculated as an estimate — actual values may vary. Always check your ingredient labels for the most accurate results!
Notes
*The best meat for pot roast! It's usually more affordable than other cuts, and when cooked low and slow, it becomes perfectly tender. I recommend shopping for a roast between 2.5 lbs and 3 lbs, depending on how many people you're feeding. Choose one with some marbling (white flecks of fat throughout) for the best flavor.
The cooking time is perfect for chuck roasts between 2.5 lbs and 3 lbs. If your meat still seems tough or you use a larger cut of meat, add an extra 30 minutes of cooking time and check for tenderness. The meat should easily shred with a fork when it's done.
*The Dutch oven I used in this recipe was 6.2QT/5.8L
Let your pot roast cool completely before storing. Keep it in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. Reheat everything in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. Add a splash of beef broth or water if the gravy thickens too much or the meat looks dry.