Easy Pot Roast Recipe (2024)

This is the Best Pot Roast recipeever!

Nothing beats a classic pot roast! Economical, hearty, and absolutely delicious, this one-pot wonder is fancy enough whenever company is coming but easy enough to make and serve in just a few hours. Oven pot roast starts on the stovetop and is finished in the oven with all the vegetables included. All that’s left to do is make a savory gravy!

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Why We Love This Beef Pot Roast Recipe

• We love to make this easy pot roast recipe because it has everything needed for a complete meal: potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery and a rump roast that’s cooked in savory spices and fresh herbs.
• This recipe is so versatile it can even be made in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot—we’ll show you how!
• It’s easy to find sides for this tender beef recipe, since so many things go with it! Try it with some crusty sourdough soda bread or a loaf of whole wheat bread. Every dinner is made special by the addition of a crispyGreek salad and finished with some homemade peach cobbler.

Best Meat for Pot Roast

What’s the best cut of beef for pot roast? Nearly any cut of beef can be used, but we like bottom round roast, eye of round, sirloin tip, even brisket. The key to a fall-apart tender pot roast is that it’s braised in an acidic liquid like tomato sauce or wine. We use both in this recipe for meat that shreds and slices easily and a full-bodied, rich gravy.

Ingredients and Variations

BEEF – Cooking time will vary for different sized pot roasts but for this recipe we used a 3½ to 4-pound roast.

VEGETABLES – Fresh veggies like potatoes and carrots are standard for a traditional pot roast, but feel free to add pearl onions, mushrooms, diced sweet potatoes, even pepperoncinis!

SEASONING – Pot roast seasoning is kept pretty simple but an onion soup mix, or our homemade Italian dressing mix to add even more flavor to the meat and the gravy.

How to Cook a Pot Roast

It’s super easy to prepare this recipe!

1. Rub the roast with black pepper and sear until browned all over.
2. Add all the other ingredients & pour the tomatoes over the top.
3. Pull meat or slice against the grain. Serve with vegetables and juices or gravy.

How Long to Cook Pot Roast

1. Bake for 3½ hours or until the meat is tender. Bake another 30 minutes more, if necessary. The internal temperature of pot roast should be 145°F.
2. Remove from oven, discard sprigs of thyme. Place meat on cutting board and allow it to rest, at least 10 minutes. Cover vegetables to keep warm.

In a Crock-Pot:

1. Prepare the recipe until Step 4. Lay the seared roast on top of the vegetables and pour the tomatoes over the top.
2. Cover the Crockpot and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours. Remove the roast from the Crockpot, and discard the sprigs of thyme.
3. Place meat on cutting board and allow it to rest, about 10 minutes. Keep vegetables warm in a covered dish.
4. Pull meat or slice against the grain. Serve with vegetables and juices or gravy.

In an Instant Pot:

1. Cut roast into equal pieces (4-6) and season with pepper. Sauté in the Instant Pot.
2. Remove the seared meat and sauté onion garlic in olive oil. Add vegetables to the bottom of the Instant pot and place the meat on top.
3. Pour tomatoes over the top, close the Instant pot lid and cook on HIGH for 25 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes and then set to VENT until all of the steam is released.
4. Remove roast from the Instant Pot, discard the sprigs of thyme. Place meat on cutting board and allow it to rest at least 10 minutes. Place the vegetables in a dish and cover to keep them warm.
5. Pull meat or slice against the grain. Serve with vegetables and juices or gravy.

How to Make Pot Roast Gravy

1. Place braising liquid in a saucepan on the stove on medium heat.
2. For thicker gravy, make a slurry by shaking a 1:1 ratio of corn starch to cold water until it’s fully mixed with no lumps.
3. Slowly add slurry to the gravy and cook until desired thickness is achieved.

Tips and Tricks

• Avoid overcooking pot roast. It will continue to cook once it’s removed from the heat source (this is called ‘carryover cooking’), the internal temperature should be 145°F.
• Due to the thickness of the meat, a meat thermometer is highly recommended.
• In a pinch for time? Use a frozen bag of mixed vegetables in place of fresh! No need to defrost!

Leftovers?

One of our favorite things about pot roast is the leftovers! Check out our recipe for an open faced roast beef sandwich, this one is a winner. Or serve leftovers with roasted potatoes or even use in a beef stew! Have leftover pot roast served Mississippi style, on top of garlic mashed potatoes with a few pepperoncinis on top!

Other Recipes To Try!

• Beef Brisket Slow Cooker Recipe – set it and forget it!
• Sous Vide Roast – evenly cooked.
• Prime Rib Roast – a delicacy!
• Smoked Beef Brisket Recipe – an easy recipe.
• Beef Bourguignon – savory and delicious.

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