This easy pot roast with potatoes and vegetables is quick to assemble and then made in the slow cooker or crock pot or simply slid into the oven. A simple classic with beef, carrots, potatoes, and red wine. Perhaps our best—and most comforting—Sunday supper.
When putting together this easy pot roast, potatoes, and vegetables that is exactly like somethng grandma used to put on the table for Sunday supper, bear in mind, back then folks had patience. An inexpensive chuck roast is a damn tough chunk of meat. Until, that is, it’s properly coaxed to tenderness via a long spell in the oven or slow cooker. And by long, we mean a maddeningly, beguilingly, confusingingly long time. In our experience, the roast remains tough in the oven far longer than you would expect it to, and then suddenly, just when you’ve poked and prodded it for the umpteenth time and given up all hope that it would eventually turn tender, it suddenly surrenders. Patience, people.–Renee Schettler Rossi
☞ Contents
Easy Pot Roast, Potatoes, and Vegetables
Equipment
- 6-quart or larger slow cooker (if following the slow cooker method)
Ingredients
- One (2 1/2-to 4-pound) boneless chuck roast
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes halved or, if large, quartered
- 4 large carrots cut into 1-inch (24-mm) pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 parsnips cut into 1-inch (24-mm) pieces (about 1 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Directions
- To make the Pot Roast with Potatoes and Vegetables in your slow cooker, see the Slow Cooker Variation below.To make the Pot Roast with Potatoes and Vegetables in your oven, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and continue as directed below.
- Using paper towels, pat the roast dry and season it really liberally with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven set over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add the roast and brown it on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Transfer the roast to a cutting board or a large plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot, which should still be over medium heat. Add the onion, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, garlic, and thyme, and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir to coat the vegetables with the oil. Cook until the vegetables start to brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup wine and cook, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot, until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Return the roast to the pot and add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and slide the pot in the oven. Roast the meat until fork-tender, flipping it once halfway through, about 2 1/2 hours total for a 2 1/2-pound roast and 3 1/2 hours total for a 4-pound roast. Start checking the meat and vegetables after 2 hours and if the vegetables are tender but the roast is not, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a platter so they don't turn to mush.
- When the roast is done, transfer it to a clean cutting board, tent it with foil, and let it rest. If you haven't already, grab a slotted spoon and transfer the vegetables to a platter. Put the Dutch oven back on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1/2 cup wine, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Strain the pan sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Shred or slice the pot roast into big chunks and transfer them to the platter with the vegetables. Reserve 1 cup pan sauce to pass around when serving and pour the remainder over the vegetables and pot roast. Sprinkle the vegetables and roast with the parsley.
Notes
Slow Cooker Variation
We’re so glad the “never leave your house with the oven on” rule doesn’t apply to slow cookers since it means that we can be out and about all day and still get this pot roast on the table for supper. Here’s how to have your pot roast and eat it, too. Using paper towels, pat the roast dry and season it really liberally with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan or Dutch oven set over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add the roast and brown it on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Set the pan or Dutch oven aside for later. Dump the roast, onion, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 cup wine in a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high until fork-tender, about 6 hours. Shred or slice the pot roast into big chunks and transfer them to the platter with the vegetables. Put the pan or Dutch oven from searing the pot roast at the beginning back on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1/2 cup wine to the pan or Dutch oven, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the reduced wine into the cooking juices in the slow cooker. Strain the pan sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve 1 cup pan sauce to pass around when serving and pour the remainder over the vegetables and pot roast. Sprinkle the vegetables and roast with the parsley.Show Nutrition
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David Says
I can personally attest to the versatility of this recipe. And, well, to its knock-it-out-of-the-park deliciousness, too. Here's what happened: The One and I needed some bonding time. We'd been having some minor skirmishes (emphasis on minor) about the usual relationship stuff: money, time together, college tuition for the kids. (Ah, just threw in that last one to see if you were paying attention.) And whenever we hit a relational speed bump in our lives, we go back to the basics. And for us, that's the stove.
So on his way up to Roxbury for the weekend, The One picked up all the ingredients for this pot roast recipe. We peeled and sliced and seared together, bumping into each other, giving each other little pats on the ass. (Well, that was really only me doing it. You know how proper The One can be. Unless the shades are drawn....) Then just as I was carrying the pot to the oven, which The One was holding open, the power went out. Now, in Connecticut we have the worst power company in the country--CL&P. Power outages are an almost weekly occurrence. That's why we have the generator. And when I remodeled the kitchen last year, I made sure my office and the kitchen were hooked up so that neither word nor morsel would be forsaken due to the vagaries of CL&P. Apparently, I forgot about the oven because it refused to come on again.
"There goes dinner," The One said.
"Not exactly." I put the pot back on the stove, turned the flame to low, and read the paper. After about an hour and a half, I removed the vegetables because they were cooked, and let the beef continue to cook for another two and a half hours, for a total of four hours. It was almost perfect. My only issue was the meat needed more seasoning, which is my fault. I have to ignore The One, who gasps whenever he sees the amount of salt I add to things, and go with my gut.
This will never replace Blizzard Beef as our favorite beef braise recipe--shared memories are an important ingredient in that recipe. But this pot roast is a close second, which is saying a lot.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This is a stellar one-pot meat. Make it! This easy pot roast recipe is so exceptional “you can’t eat just one serving”!
Make sure to mise en place your ingredients (preparing all ingredients before starting to cook). Also, using really good beef stock makes the sauce amazing. If you don’t want to make it yourself, just call a local restaurant and ask them for some beef stock. They usually will give it to you for free.
The cooking time of 3 1/2 hours was right on for a 4-pound roast. I cooked the meat in an enameled cast-iron pot. These types of pots really enhance pot roasting. After you remove the meat and vegetables and pour in the wine, it reduces very quickly, as the pot is super hot. At this point, I added about 1/2 cup more beef stock because there was very little sauce left, then added a bit more salt and pepper to taste and strained it. The sauce was divine, but that’s what good beef stock, decent wine, and delicious fond from the pot will give you.
This pot roast recipe caught my attention almost immediately, as I love a good pot roast and was planning on making one anyways, so I had most of the ingredients on hand. I found this recipe to be well-written and easy to follow.
The times are pretty close; however, the roasting time will vary by size of roast. Mine took only 2 1/2 hours. I did, however, brown the roast with a high temperature and a little longer than indicated because I like it with a little crust. Don’t use high heat if you don’t have an exhaust fan.
I think that the amount of vegetables could be increased; I used more than the recipe stated for a smaller roast and would let personal preference dictate that. When the roast is done, there will only be a scant amount of liquid left. The amount stated in the recipe is a good starting point, but again, it will depend on the size of the roast and the Dutch oven. My rule of thumb is to add enough liquid so it reaches 2/3 up the side of the roast.
I removed the vegetables with a slotted spoon and let the cooking liquid reduce a bit to produce a wonderfully syrupy sauce. The vegetables turned out perfectly tender and tasty. I used my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon for the wine.
The only drawback I can see with this recipe is you won’t have leftovers. We ate the whole thing. I’m committing this recipe to memory.
Lazy Sunday afternoons with the house filling with the aroma of pot roast in the oven—this recipe is easy to make and tasty to eat with minimal fuss. I followed the recipe almost exactly, with the exception of the parsnips. The ones in the stores were looking a little worse for wear, and frankly, I don’t really like them all that much, so I omitted them. I did add 3 more carrots, as I like those. My new red potatoes were more of a medium size, so I quartered them.
Make sure you brown the roast well on all sides; don’t be tempted to skip this step, as this is what makes it really good. Reducing the 1/2 cup wine was closer to the 7 or 8 minute mark and my roast was done after 3 hours. The sauce had thickened nicely, but the potatoes and carrots were close to being mushy. The end result for the sauce was 3/4 cup sauce at the bottom of the pot when the meat and veg were removed. I added another 1/2 cup wine and 1 cup beef stock then simmered it down to get the pass-along gravy, as my family tends to be generous with their gravy. Seasoning seemed a little lost both in the meat and the sauce, even though I was quite aggressive in seasoning.
All in all, a very nice pot roast recipe that I’ll make again with a couple adjustments.
This tasty pot roast recipe for a home-style pot roast with roasted root vegetables is perfect for a Sunday night supper with friends and family. A tender chuck roast flavored with fresh thyme, red wine, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce and a lovely variety of perfectly cooked vegetables. I liked the addition of parsnips with the traditional carrots, onions, and potatoes. I could see rutabagas and mushrooms also being a good addition. I could only find a 3-pound roast, so the cooking time was only 2 hours and 15 minutes.
The only changes I’d make would be to add either a bit more Worcestershire sauce or maybe a bit of garlic salt or onion powder to the meat for a tad bit more flavor. Overall, this is a great classic pot roast recipe that I would highly recommend!
This is a basic pot roast recipe that’s excellent for a beginner—follow the timing as written in the recipe, and you will have dinner on the table in 4 hours—and the house will smell so good as everything roasts! We served a crowd, and the recipe was ample. The sauce was the star for us, though everyone asked for a second round of both meat and vegetables.
One taster who is a fine and experienced cook said she would add cloves and bay leaves. We had a small serving left over, so the next day we added 1 cup beef broth, 1/4 cup barley, and another splash of wine and let it simmer into a fine stew for two. We will make this recipe again.
This pot roast recipe makes a very flavorful pot roast. It’s also very easy to make since most of the time is spent roasting the meat and vegetables in the oven.
I halved the recipe and was able to serve two of us twice. Just like most other pot roast dishes, it was just as good, if not better, the second time around. I had a 2-pound roast which took just under 2 hours to be completely cooked and tender. We chose to slice the meat rather than shred it. The vegetables were quite well done. If I had used a larger roast and cooked it for 3 1/2 hours, I most likely would’ve removed the vegetables after about 2 hours to prevent them from being overcooked.
This simple recipe makes a very memorable meal. I don’t use parsnips very often, but I love the slight flavor difference they bring to this recipe. The meat is fall-apart tender, and the gravy gives it the perfect flavor along with the other root vegetables. Make sure you have some crusty bread to soak up the gravy.
The only problem I had was finding a single 4-pound chuck roast. I ended up having to use a couple pieces. In our area, I find you have to have meat specially cut if you want larger pieces.
A comment by one of our testers about “lazy Sunday afternoons with the house filling with delightful aromas of pot roast in the oven” made me want to try this recipe, too. Only my Sundays are far from lazy and usually encompass getting everything done that you can’t get done during the week before Monday arrives again. The solution? The slow cooker—that miraculous leave-it-and-forget-it kitchen device. I seasoned and seared the beef on all sides to get a nicely caramelized crust, set the pan aside, dumped everything in my CrockPot 6-quart slow cooker, and left for the day. My slow cooker has two settings: high (or fast) and low (or slow). I opted for fast, as I was already getting a little hungry from the aroma of seared beef and cooked my roast for 6 hours. When I returned from errands galore, I removed the pot roast, which was delightfully falling apart, finished the gravy in the waiting pan per the directions, and ate. Bliss!
Super simple, easy, and absolutely yummy. I used a very nice cut of grass-fed chuck, which surely helped in the flavor compartment, but the key to this recipe is the Worcestershire sauce, in my opinion. I’d never tried that before, but I really liked the depth of flavor it added.
I will definitely make this again.
Originally published October 17, 2020
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I went looking for a new pot roast recipe and, of course, Leite’s is the first place I landed. This recipe did not disappoint. It completely lived up to the easy moniker, and I think you could add delicious to the title as well. I used a chuck roast just under 4 lbs, took reviewer QM’s advice and held the carrots for maybe an hour before adding, and left out the parsnips. I also like serving pot roast or beef stew over mashed potatoes rather than cooking the potatoes with the meat, so I made a slurry of butter and flour to thicken the gravy a bit. This was crazy good, especially when you consider the mostly hands off time involvement. It’s going into regular rotation in my household. I also “liked it and clicked it” so I can see what other gems Ms. Nixon has to offer. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Roberta! We love to hear when things are crazy good. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
My new favorite pot roast recipe! I removed my vegetables after 90 minutes (probably because of the smaller chop). Even unable to use wine, the sauce was absolutely outstanding. My only complaint is there wasn’t enough! Next time I might add more stock and use wine when I don’t have houseguests. We made this for dinner last night and my son is already asking when we’ll have it again. Thanks for making this mom a hero! I’ll never tell him how easy it was.
Thanks, Kristen! We’re delighted it was such a hit.
I am always perplexed when a pot roast with vegetables recipe instructs to cook meat and veggies for the same amount of time. I have made many of these and prior to current technique, always got mushy veggies – like Helen said above. I guess folks like mushy veggies but I do not. Now, if Dutch oven method or slow cooker method, I put in veggies one hour after meat is cooking. Lately, I have used foil to separate meat from veggies so when done, I can extract the veggies easily.
Thanks for that, QM!
Very tasty, very hearty. Give yourself plenty of time with this recipe. The prep is easy but as David said, it’s a tough piece of meat so cook time is long. I nearly doubled this recipe to have leftovers and they did not disappoint either.
Top Tip for Leftovers I: Reheating in the oven (covered) comes out much better than zapping in the microwave (although that wasn’t bad either).
Top Tip for Leftovers II: The vegetables and meat will release their own liquid so I actually put slightly less broth in initially and relied on the addition of the natural juices to make up the rest which worked out well.
Ryan, delighted you enjoyed it. And thanks for the top tips! You might a future in top tipping!
Wow. We made this with about a 5-lb roast using the crock pot variation. Liberally used salt and fresh pepper on the roast and still added about a half tablespoon salt. The only modifications we made to this recipe were adding four fresh bay leaves, changed the potatoes to Yukon gold, and used regular beef broth instead of low sodium. We used Chianti for our dry red as well. In any case, this was outstanding and devoured by three people in thirty minutes or so. We had the platter in the middle of the table and after we ate what was plated, we just picked off the platter until it was gone. Hands down my new favorite pot roast recipe.
Gotta have the bay leaves!!
Thanks, Tina. It does seem to be an improvement on the dish.
John, delighted to hear!