Dutch Oven Pot Roast

Name: Dutch Oven Pot Roast
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 135 min
Total time: 145 min
Ingredients: 3-5 lb beef roast (chuck roast is my favorite cut for this); ¼ cup flour; 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin); 2½ lbs red potatoes (cubed in 1 inch pieces); 6 carrots (cut into 2 inch pieces); 4 celery stalks (diced); 1 yellow onion (small; diced); 32 oz beef broth; 1 tsp black pepper (ground); 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp granulated garlic; 1 tsp thyme (ground); ½ tsp paprika (ground); ½ tsp rosemary (ground)

Published: Jan 6, 2025 · Modified: Jan 6, 2025 by Ned Adams · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

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This Dutch Oven Pot Roast made with chuck roast surrounded by potatoes, onions, and carrots in beef broth cooks slowly in the oven, creating the most tender pieces of meat. It takes about 10 minutes to prep and then the oven does all the heavy lifting, transforming your ingredients into a dish everyone loves.

For more Dutch oven pot roast recipes, you’ve got to try my Dutch oven beef brisket and whiskey pot roast next! I promise, you won’t be disappointed by these options.

Dutch oven beef roast with carrots, onions, potatoes, and onions sitting in broth and garnished with sprigs for fresh thyme.

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Why You Will Love This Pot Roast Recipe
Ingredients
Variations
How to Make Pot Roast in a Dutch Oven
Serving Suggestions
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Easy Dutch Oven Main Dishes
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Pot roast is the ultimate comfort food! It makes a tasty weekend meal after cooking slowly all day long. Even better, the entire meal cooks up in one pot which means there are less dishes to clean up after the dinner. Add a simple green vegetable or salad to and you’ve got a hearty meal to feed your family.

Why You Will Love This Pot Roast Recipe

Just One Pot to Cleanup. The beauty of cooking your roast in the Dutch oven is that you can use the same pot to sear the roast on the stovetop and then transfer it directly to your oven to cook.
Classic Comfort Food. This easy Dutch oven pot roast is hearty and satisfying and is certain to keep you fueled up for hours. In cooler temperatures, the flavors are warming and comforting.
Simple Meal. A basic meat and potatoes meal that’s big on flavor and so good. You don’t need much to make it and I’m always amazed how great it turns out.

Ingredients

Beef Roast: My favorite cut to use is a beef chuck roast. Choose one that’s around 3-5 pounds. You can also use beef brisket or bottom roast. Most importantly you want a cut of beef that has a fair amount of connective tissue and fat which are what makes pot roast so tender and juicy.
Olive Oil: Used for searing the roast before slow cooking it. You can use any other neutral oil you have on hand.
Vegetables and Aromatics: We’re sticking with the classics here – carrots, red potatoes, celery, and yellow onion. To save some time on prep you can use baby carrots and smaller potatoes.
Beef Broth: Cooking the roast in broth keeps it moist during cooking and also infuses it with more savory flavors.
Seasoning: To keep things simple, I use dried herbs – rosemary and thyme along with flour, granulated garlic, salt, and ground black pepper to season the roast. You can also use 1-2 teaspoons of fresh herbs if you prefer.

Be sure to scroll down to the full recipe card for the complete list of ingredients along with their quantities.

Variations

Add Mushrooms. If you love mushrooms, these work great cooked along with your pot roast. I like to use small button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms that don’t require any slicing. Add them to the pot in the last two hours of cooking. They will not need as much time as the root vegetables.
Different Flavors. You can add a half cup of red wine along with the beef broth. It will add some acidity and deepen the savory flavors. Tomato paste works well with a similar flavor boost and some Worcestershire sauce really intensifies the savoriness of the dish.
Make a Gravy. Use the liquids in the pot after you remove the roast and vegetables to make a simple pan gravy to serve with your roast.

How to Make Pot Roast in a Dutch Oven

Here’s everything you need to know to make this Dutch oven pot roast recipe. Gather all your ingredients, your Dutch oven, and let’s get started. The prep is super easy and you will be on your way to a cooking your roast in no time.

Chuck roast rubbed with flour and salt and pepper.

Step 1: Season the roast. Coat roast with flour and rub the salt and pepper over the entire roast. Make sure you get all the sides as well as the top and bottom.

Roast in Dutch oven searing with olive oil. Step 2

Step 2: Sear. Heat the olive oil in your Dutch oven. When it’s hot add the roast and cook it on each side to brown the meat.

Step 3: Add the broth and vegetables. Layer the potatoes, carrots, celery and onion around and on the roast inside the Dutch oven. Then pour the broth around the edges. Last, season with the granulated garlic, thyme, rosemary, and paprika.

Step 4. Dutch Oven in an oven at 325 degrees F.

Step 4: Cover and bake. Cover with the lid and place it in the oven at 325° F to cook for 2 hours and 15 mins or until tender and internal temperature of 145° F.

Serving Suggestions

This dish works great for Sunday supper, family dinners, or a meal with friends. You won’t need much to complete your meal, but here are some ideas for a bit of inspiration.

Serve up the potatoes and carrots cooked with the pot roast as one of your side dishes. I like to add on a green vegetable like these asparagus and peas or pair it with some sweet creamed corn. You can also make your favorite salad to serve with the pot roast as well.

Round out your meal with these cheesy pull aparts or lemon dill biscuits. Bread in general is great to sop up all the yummy juices.

Special meals like this one are better when ended with something sweet! These skillet brownies with caramel and chocolate peanut butter dip are always a hit!

Expert Tips

Don’t Rush It. Pot roast needs time to cook. Allow at least 2 hours and 15 mins to cook it and don’t try to speed things up by increasing the oven temperature, you will be disappointed with the results.
Searing the Beef. Place it in the pan and let it sit on each side for 3-5 minutes so that it browns up nicely. You want it to have a nice golden brown color before you flip it over.
Cooking Time. The amount of time it takes to cook your roast may vary depending on the cut of beef roast and it’s size. Especially if you use cuts that are thicker than a chuck roast.

Recipe FAQs

Why is my pot roast tough?

The most likely cause of this pot roast problem is that the roast didn’t cook long enough. Return it to the oven and continue cooking until it easily pulls apart.

Can you overcook a pot roast?

Yes! You want to cook the roast long enough that it’s perfectly tender but if you cook it too long it will dry out. I suggest to start checking it towards the end of the cooking time and remove it from the oven as soon as it’s ready.