Whiskey Pot Roast

Whiskey Pot Roast is the classic family favorite taken to new levels in both flavor and ease making dinnertime a real crowd pleaser. With meal prep this easy, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights but is tasty enough for company.

Teriyaki Beef Udon Noodles and Beef Stroganoff are two of our favorite easy beef recipes that the whole family will love.

Jump to:

• Why add whiskey to pot roast?
• Recipe ingredients
• How to make Whiskey Pot Roast
• Tips and Notes for making Whiskey beef roast
• Recipe FAQs
• Other Related One Pot Cast Iron Meal Recipes
• Get the Recipe

Why add whiskey to pot roast?

Flavor! Pure and simple flavor.

Contrary to some reports, whiskey and alcohol in general does not tenderize meat. But it does great as a marinade and flavor enhancer.

We're not using whiskey as a marinade but as part of the ingredients that make the gravy. If you're not a fan of the taste of whiskey, don't fret, it is muted and basically unnoticeable, but what it does do is embolden the flavors of everything else. It's quite remarkable.

I was worried that the whiskey would be strong causing the family, especially the kids, to not enjoy this recipe, but that was not the case. The whole family loved it; amazing flavor. It's now one of our favorite recipes.

Recipe ingredients

• Beef Roast —we used a top round rump roast. We recommend a roast between 2 ¼ and 3 lbs, but if it's larger, it will take a bit longer to cook and you could have several meals in leftovers.
• Produce — baby gold potatoes, carrots (or baby carrots), green beans, a large onion, and button mushrooms.
• Seasonings — salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. You can use garlic powder instead of granulated.
• Gravy — cream of mushroom soup, beefy onion soup mix packets, and Jack Daniel's whiskey.
• Oil — we used olive oil, but any high heat cooking oil will do.

How to make Whiskey Pot Roast

Note: we used a convection oven which tends to cook faster than a conventional oven. The cut of your beef roast will also factor into the total cook time.

Step 1 — Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pat the roast dry with paper towels then season on all sides with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Heat the Dutch oven over medium high heat and add the oil. Sear beef on all sides of the roast

Step 2 —Add the potatoes and carrots around the roast.

Step 3 — Add the trimmed green beans over the potatoes and carrots around the roast.

Step 4 — Cover the entire Dutch oven with the sliced onions and mushrooms.

Step 5 —Whisk together the whiskey, cream of mushroom soup, and the beefy onion soup mix packets together in a small bowl.

Step 6 —Spread the whisky sauce over everything in the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and cook roast 75 minutes or until the roast has reach an internal temperature of at least 145°F and the vegetables have reached the desired tenderness. Remove meat and allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy.

Tips and Notes for making Whiskey beef roast

• The cook time will vary on the size and actual cut of beef, so use a meat thermometer to truly gauge doneness.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F for a longer cooking time. A tougher roast will benefit from slow cooking. A 3 ½ pound roast took 10 hours at 200°F.
• If you're sensitive to sodium, we recommend using low sodium cream of mushroom or even no salt added.
• Conventional oven will take at least 2 hours to cook the roast. However consider a the low and slow times above for tougher cuts of meat.

Recipe FAQs

Get the Recipe