The Best (And Most Tender!) Dutch Oven Pot Roast

This is the perfect dutch oven pot roast for a chilly, cozy night in. Made with a tender chuck roast in a rich red wine sauce.

Listennnnn — I have very strong feelings about pot roast. And if you can carve the pot roast with a knife to make those slices, you’re doing it wrong. This, of course, is just my humble opinion.

To me, pot roast should be fork-tender. A decadent roast that’s been slowly simmering for hours — creating a velvety, rich red wine sauce that’s been bubbling away. And served with my Rosemary Mashed Potatoes? WHEEEEEW, CHILD. 

I digress.

I personally prefer a chuck roast for this dutch oven pot roast. One with solid marbling, in order to get those fatty juices flowing that help, keep your roast juicy — not dry pot roast here.

Brisket is another cut known to make waves in the pot roast scene. While typically used in barbecue, this is also a solid choice for pot roast.

Round roast (or rump roast) is another choice some people use, but I just find it’s leanness to produce a dry final product (the kind you can carve). Not my preference, but others do enjoy it.

When should I add veggies to the pot?

So I’ve added the carrots both at the beginning and the middle of a pot roast session, and I prefer them added later on (more around the 2-hour mark). I just find that when I add them too soon they’re mushy towards the end. Some people like this, some prefer a bite. So I say you can add them at the halfway point, or even just 30 minutes before it ends.

Do I need to add wine?

If you’re not a wine drinker, no worries. Just add the same amount of beef broth and you’ll be good to go!

Dutch Oven Pot Roast Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make the best pot roast recipe:

Chuck roast: I love chuck for this recipe because when cooked correctly it’s fall apart tender and so, so good.

Onions, carrots, garlic & celery: Classic pot roast veggies.

Beef stock: Better to use than water because of the added flavor.

Tomato paste: For richness.

Red wine: For a rich sauce.

Fresh herbs: I use rosemary, bay leaves, and thyme.

Flour: To help thicken the sauce.

How to Make Dutch Oven Pot Roast

Here’s how to make this quintessential fall meal:

Step 1: Prep your ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

You’ll start by seasoning your chuck roast and letting that come to room temperature.

In the meantime, chop your onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Measure out your stock and tomato paste, and get your fresh herbs ready to go.

*If you’d like, you can take your herbs and put them in an herb bouquet tucked into some cheesecloth, like this:

Then, using kitchen twine, tie it up so that the herbs are snug inside of the cheesecloth, like this:

While not a necessary step, I sometimes do it because some people can’t stand rosemary needles or thyme sprigs dancing around in their pot roast. If you use this method, you can just fish out the herbs at the end, only leaving their flavor behind.

Step 2: Brown the meat.

Now add a couple of tablespoons of neutral oil to your pot over high heat. Once hot, add your chuck and brown it on all sides, making sure it develops a nice crust and color. Once that’s browned, remove it to a plate and turn the heat down to medium (or even a bit lower, depending on how hot your pot got).

Step 3: Cook your veggies.

Now add a touch more oil if needed along with the onions, celery, and garlic. Cook until the veggies begin to take on some color (about 5 minutes).

Now add the tomato paste and stir. After a minute, add the flour, stir, and let cook for another minute or until there are no white flour bits left.

Step 4: Deglaze the pot.

Now add the wine and stir everything. Allow to cook until it’s reduced by half and the alcohol is cooked out (AKA it doesn’t smell boozey anymore).

Step 5: Add the beef, stock, and herbs.

Add the beef stock, water, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves, and gently nestle the chuck roast back into the pot.

Step 6: Roast in the oven.

Now bring this to a gentle boil and then cover the pot and add it to the preheated oven. Let cook for 2 hours, and then take out and add the carrots. (You can also add the carrots at the beginning with the other veggies. I just add them later because I like them to not get TOO mushy.)

Add back to the oven and let it continue to cook for another 2 hours, or until the pot roast is falling apart tender.

Step 7: Thicken the sauce.

Once the roast is done, you may want to thicken the sauce.

Then, just put it back on the stove, bring it to a boil, and let the sauce reduce for a bit (just a few minutes should do the trick — don’t leave it boiling for too long). (In a pinch you can add a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tbs cornstarch with 1 tbs cold water in a small bowl, then pouring it into the sauce while it’s boiling).