This Dutch Oven Pot Roast recipe is classic comfort food at its very best. It’s made with simple real food ingredients that you likely have on hand, and always feeds a crowd or provides plenty of leftovers. This delicious recipe is also gluten-free, Whole30 compliant, and Paleo friendly. ⠀
The Best Dutch Oven Pot Roast
There is something so comforting about a hearty and delicious slow cooked pot roast that has been braising for hours. When it comes to a good pot roast, this one has it all. Perfectly cooked beef, tender root vegetables, herbs, and the most flavorful gravy.
Watch How to Make This Recipe
If you have never made pot roast at home before, you might be surprised to know that it is incredibly easy to make. Essentially, all you need to do is sear the beef, add in the veggies, herbs, and aromatics, then allow it to slowly cook for a few hours until tender.
This classic pot roast recipe is made entirely in one dutch oven, which makes cleaning up a breeze. Don’t have a dutch oven? I’ve also included slow cooker instructions below, which is another great way to make this recipe.
Pot Roast Ingredients
Chuck Roast: we’re using a three pound boneless beef chuck roast in this dish.
Balsamic Vinegar: trust me on this – a little balsamic vinegar goes a long way and really helps to MAKE this dish.
Beef Broth: I like to go with low-sodium broth in this dish.
Aromatics: we’re using a combination of fresh herbs, garlic, and bay leaves to add some serious flavor.
Diced Tomatoes: you’ll need one can of diced tomatoes for this recipe.
Carrots: Cut them a bit larger and thicker so that they do not completely fall apart when cooking.
Celery: Adds so much flavor to this pot roast.
Tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes add great flavor to this dish. One can is all you need.
Onion: You can’t have a good pot roast without onion.
Arrowroot Starch: you’ll use this grain free starch to thicken the gravy a bit after cooking.
Ingredient Swaps and Additions
- Herbs – don’t have fresh herbs on hand? you can use dried herbs instead! The general rule for converting fresh to dry herbs is one tablespoon of fresh herbs equals one teaspoon of dried herbs.
- Beef broth – if you don’t have beef broth you can swap it for vegetable broth instead.
- Arrowroot starch – you can easily swap arrowroot starch for cornstarch.
- Veggies – I give suggested amounts of carrots and celery in the recipe but feel free to add a few more if you want some extra carrots or celery! Also, if you are a mushroom lover, like myself, you can add in 8oz of sliced baby bella mushrooms along with the other veggies.
Potatoes or No Potatoes?
You may have noticed that this recipe does not include potatoes in the list of veggies. I prefer to serve pot roast over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes so I always leave them out of the dish and mash some on the side instead.
The mashed potatoes help to soak up all of that delicious gravy from the pot roast so that none of it goes to waste. If you are looking for a good recipe, these creamy garlic slow cooker mashed potatoes or these brown butter mashed potatoes are two of my favorite.
If you prefer potatoes in your actual roast, feel free to cut up a few red potatoes or yukon golds and add them to the mix.
The Key to Flavorful Beef in Dutch Oven Pot Roast
The key to the most flavorful pot roast is taking the extra step to sear the beef before letting it roast. Seasoning the chuck roast with salt and then searing helps to create a delicious crust that breaks down while the beef is roasting.
The salt crust on the beef helps to flavor the rest of the dish and gives you a perfectly seasoned pot roast. Whether you make your pot roast in the dutch oven or in the slow cooker, this is an essential step that you should not skip. It makes all of the difference.
Here are the easy steps to creating a delicious salt crust on your beef before roasting:
- Pat your chuck roast dry with paper towels. This helps to remove any excess moisture so that you get the perfect crust. Next sprinkle at least half of a tablespoon of salt on one side of the roast.
- Heat your dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. The key to getting that crust is to make sure that your skillet or dutch oven is screaming hot.
- Add in the oil. Because searing requires you to work at a higher temperature an oil with a high smoke point, like coconut or avocado oil, will work best for this.
- Place the chuck roast in the dutch oven, salted side down and let it cook for six to seven minutes or until a golden brown crust develops. While the salted side cooks, sprinkle the remaining salt on the other side of the beef before flipping and searing the other side.
- Remove it from the dutch oven after both sides are seared and prep the rest of the dish.
How to Make Dutch Oven Pot Roast
Step One: Peheat your oven to 330 degrees and heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Step Two: While the dutch oven is heating, pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels. Next, sprinkle half the salt onto one side of the chuck roast.
Step Three: Sear the beef for 6-8 minutes on each side until it has developed a golden brown crust. Remove the beef from the dutch oven and set aside.
Step Four: Lower the heat and add the balsamic vinegar to the dutch oven to deglaze the pan. Next, add the onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step Five: Remove the dutch oven from the heat and add the beef, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, herbs, bay leaves, broth, black pepper, and mushrooms (if using). Cover the dutch oven with a lid and cook for 3-4 hours or until the beef is fork tender and easy to shred.
Step Six: Thicken the gravy with a bit of arrowroot starch and then use two forks to shred the beef in the gravy and then serve!
Can I Make This Recipe in the Slow Cooker?
Yes! Making this recipe in the slow cooker is incredibly easy and a great way to use your slow cooker because it allows the meat to slowly cook until perfectly tender.
Here is what you need to do to make this in the slow cooker:
- After searing the meat and developing the crust on the chuck roast, transfer it to the slow cooker.
- Deglaze the pan you used to cook the beef with balsamic vinegar and cook the onions and garlic like you normally would. Then, transfer them to the slow cooker.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients to your slow cooker and then cook on high for 6-8 hours or until the beef is tender. You can check the roast for tenderness after 5-6 hours and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- If you prefer, thicken your gravy with a little arrowroot starch and then eat!
More Delicious Recipes
- Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
- One Pot Chicken Stew
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Short Rib Ragu
- Easy Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
- The Best Whole Roasted Chicken
- Creamy Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- One Pan Greek Chicken with Lemon and Artichokes
- Easy Homemade Lasagna
I hope you give this Dutch Oven Pot Roast a try! It’s the perfect cozy comfort food that I know you will love.
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The Best Dutch Oven Pot Roast (Slow Cooker Option)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3-4 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3-4 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 3 pound boneless beef chuck roast⠀
- 1 tablespoons salt, divided (plus more to taste)⠀
- 3 tablespoons coconut or olive oil ⠀
- 1 yellow onion, sliced⠀
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar ⠀
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth ⠀
- 6 cloves of garlic, smashed⠀
- 8 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces⠀
- 6 celery stalks, cut into large pieces⠀
- 1–15oz can diced tomatoes⠀
- 2 dried bay leaves⠀
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp black pepper⠀
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
- Optional: 6 oz mushrooms
- mashed potatoes, for serving
Method
- Preheat the oven to 330 degrees.
- Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- While the dutch oven is heating, pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels. Next, sprinkle half the salt onto one side of the chuck roast.
- Once the dutch oven is hot, add the coconut or olive oil. Next, place the chuck roast in the dutch oven salt side down. Sprinkle the remaining salt on the other side of the beef.
- Sear the beef for 6-8 minutes on each side until it has developed a golden brown crust. Remove the beef from the dutch oven and set aside.
- Lower the heat and add the balsamic vinegar to the dutch oven to deglaze the pan. Next, add the onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the dutch oven from the heat and add the beef, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, herbs, bay leaf, 2 cups of beef broth, and black pepper. Cover the dutch oven with a lid, place in the oven, and cook for 3-4 hours or until the beef is fork tender.
- Once tender, remove the chuck roast from the dutch oven and use a spoon to skim some of the fat off the top of the braising liquid. Whisk together remaining ½ cup of beef broth and arrowroot starch. Bring the braising liquid to a simmer, on stove top, and then stir in the arrowroot slurry mixture. The braising liquid will thicken into a gravy. Return the chuck roast to the pot, nestling it in the gravy to ensure that everything is heated through before turning off the heat.
- Serve pieces of the chuck roast, carrots, celery and gravy over mashed potatoes and enjoy!
Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
