Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

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A simple pot roast with carrots and potatoes that’s perfect to serve for Sunday supper. The roast is tender and just falls apart!

Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (1)So how we dooooin’?

Did you guys have a good weekend? I feel like I say this all the time, but mine was crazy, yet again! We had several more issues with the blog (along with the ones we were already facing earlier in the week). But sometimes things get worse before they get better, right? RIGHT?

I’m telling myself that’s the case.

But come rain or shine and trust me, it’s been raining here in Houston for 2 days straight (the suns just now come out), I hadto get this simple pot roast recipe up for you on the blog today to make for dinner this week. I’ve made it a few times now during the recipe testing phase, and jeez – Louise! We just can’t get enough. Tender meat that just falls apart with carrots and potatoes that are cooked just right. Not crunchy, or mushy, just perfect.

I debated quite a bit whether I wanted to make this a slow cooker recipe for pot roast and at the last minute, I decided I would do an dutch oven version instead. This is simply because 1.) i’ve been doing A LOT of slow cooker recipes. and 2.) I wanted this to be a meal that EVERYONE can make. You’ve got to have a good recipe for pot roast in your arsenal and I wanted to make sure that there was nothing holding you back from it🙂

Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2)So this pot roast! It’s all kinds of delicious. It makes an easy dinner and lots of leftovers. It’s flavorful and the leftovers make for a good sandwich for work. Let everyone in the office be totally jealous of how perfectlyhome-cooked your lunch smells.

But on a serious note, this roast is so oniony and garlicky good. I want to say it kind of tastes like a french onion soup, with actual meat and potatoes and carrots. Are you loving this? The ingredients i’ve used are simple and the prep time is about 15minutes. Who would’ve thought that15 minutes of prep work would make for such a fruitful dinner? One pot dinner recipes are the best.

Like any traditional pot roast recipe, i’ll suggest using a nice marbled chuck roast. Remember to salt and pepper the roast before popping it into your dutch oven to brown on all sides. This really helps sear in the juice and makes the pot roast super fork tender.

Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (3)

Once you’ve seared your meat, all that’s left to do is toss everything other than the carrots and potatoes into the dutch oven. Let it all hang out in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then do a quick check on the roast, toss in the quartered potatoes and baby carrot sticks and let it all hang for another hour and 45 minutes. And that’s pretty much it! If you can babysit the dutch oven, you can make this easy pot roast recipe.

Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (4)

Yield: 6-8 servings

Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time3 hours

Total Time3 hours 15 minutes

A simple pot roast with carrots and potatoes that's perfect to serve for Sunday supper. The roast is tender and just falls apart!

Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (5)

Ingredients

  • 3-4 poundchuck roast (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 large onions, cut in half then thickly sliced
  • 2-4 cups beef broth
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 (16 oz bag) baby carrot
  • 1 ½ pounds yukon gold potatoes, cut into quarters

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 275ºF. Place the chuck roast on a flat surface and generously salt and pepper the roast.
  2. Heat a large dutch oven for a heavy-bottomed (oven-safe) pot on high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the oil is hot and shiny, add the thickly sliced onions. Allow the onions to brown and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and butter to the dutch oven. Place the meat inside and allow it to sear on all sides of 1 minute. You want the meat to brown as this will allow for a more tender roast. Remove to a plate.
  3. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of beef broth, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce, whisking and scraping the bottom of the pan to remove all the brown bits. When the pan has been deglazed, add the roast and the onions back into the pot along with the minced garlic. Pour enough beef broth into the pan to cover the meat halfway (I used about 2 cups). Add the thyme and rosemary sprigs in. Cover the dutch oven with a lid and let sit in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes (for a 3-pound roast) and 2 hours and 15 minutes (for a 4-pound roast).
  4. Add the carrots and potatoes into the dutch oven and allow the roast to bake for an additional 1 hour and 45 minutes (for both the 3 and 4 pound). Check for doneness of veggies by piercing with a knife. Remove pot from oven. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • I suggest using a nice marbled chuck roast, this will allow the meat to stay tender during the cooking.
  • Recipe slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

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originally published on Oct 26, 2015 (last updated Sep 6, 2022)

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  1. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (6)

    Amanda Reply

    The directions do not say what to do with the garlic. When should it be added?

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (7)

      Marzia Reply

      Thanks for catching that Amanda, i’ve updated the recipe.

  2. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (8)

    Kathy Reply

    Do I put the lid back on after I add the potatoes and carrots?

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (9)

      Marzia Reply

      Yup!

  3. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (10)

    Megan Reply

    Making this right now and smells delicious! One thing my mother used to always do was add some flour to the leftover juices to make a delicious gravy. I will be doing that with mine ?

  4. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (11)

    Kathryn Reply

    I have been searching for the perfect roast recipe, I have tried too many to count… This one came out just perfect! Thank you so much for this recipe, it will become my go to roast recipe now!

    Notes: I forgot to add the butter, oops! I also used a prime rib oven roast instead of the chuck roast – yum!

  5. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (12)

    Grady's line camp Reply

    Lovely pot roast recipe, delicious and warm dish for a night supper 🙂

  6. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (13)

    Bethany Reply

    Do you peel the potatoes?

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (14)

      Marzia Reply

      I left the skin on.

  7. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (15)

    Ana Reply

    So i realized at the last minute that i didn’t have beef broth so I used a botle of beer 😉 I will let you know how it turns out 🙂

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (16)

      FurBaby Mum Reply

      I often use 1/2 beef & 1/2 chicken broth. I like the flavour better. Beef broth can be a tad strong. Great recipe though. Found it as prefer a simple recipe w/ just a broth.Not a fan of the many tomato based sauces. I like the beef tobe the star! ⭐

  8. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (17)

    Natassia Reply

    What would you suggest to cook this in a slow cooker?

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (18)

      Marzia Reply

      This recipe hasn’t been tested in the slow cooker so I really couldn’t say!

  9. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (19)

    Cher Reply

    I loved this recipe, it was delicious. I used a crockpot and it turned out great!

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (20)

      Michelle Reply

      Hi Cher! Was just wondering if you could tell me what the cooking instructions would be for the slow cooker. Thanks! -Michelle

  10. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (21)

    fred63 Reply

    Why do you call for a chuck roast ,but picture a round roast

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (22)

      Marzia Reply

      This recipe was tested with both chuck roast and round roast. Though it will certainly work with either cut, I slightly preferred it with the chuck roast.

  11. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (23)

    Rachelle Reply

    When do you add the butter

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (24)

      Marzia Reply

      Butter goes in in step 3.

  12. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (25)

    Barbara Klaus Reply

    I want to thank you for your wonderful recipes Marzia. Every one that I have cooked has been delicious, and this is the latest. It was wonderful!

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (26)

      Marzia Reply

      Thank YOU for trying the recipes! 🙂

  13. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (27)

    Jenny Reply

    Thank you for the recipe. It was easy to follow and everything turned out great!

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (28)

      Marzia Reply

      So happy to hear it, Jenny!

  14. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (29)

    Thelma Reply

    What size Dutch oven did you use?

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (30)

      Marzia Reply

      I believe it was a 6 quart dutch oven that I used. But 5 quart or large will do the job!

  15. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (31)

    Linda Reply

    I have a 5# roast. How long would I cook it?

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (32)

      Marzia Reply

      I’d plan for a total of 4 hours. It might be a few minutes more/less.

  16. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (33)

    Debbie Reply

    Can you use a roasting pan for this recipe? I don’t have a dutch oven. If so, do I follow the same instructions?

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (34)

      Marzia Reply

      Hi Debbie! I think you may need something with a thicker bottom. I’m not 100% sure but I feel with the roasting pan you run the risk of the roast drying out. Any other oven safe (thick bottomed) pot with a lid will do if you didn’t have a dutch oven.

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (35)

      scottie Reply

      I regularly use a roasting pan, I just up the liquids a bit and keep the lid on tightly the whole time. Never a problem!

  17. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (36)

    John Reply

    I love this recipe. I got lots of complements. One thing I did different is I made Gingersnap Gravy to go with this roast.

    Strain 2 cups of the broth into a saucepan. Grind enough gingersnaps in a blender to have a 1/2 cup of powder. Wisk the gingersnap powder into the broth. Heat to boiling, while stirring constantly, until it reaches desired thickness.

    5

  18. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (37)

    Edy Reply

    I have an inside round roast for this recipe ( I asked the butcher for chuck,but they were out), should I be cooking it longer to get it as tender as a chuck?

  19. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (38)

    Rae Of Sunshine Reply

    Is there a printer friendly option somewhere?

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (39)

      Marzia Reply

      You should be able to print now 🙂

  20. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (40)

    Lori Reply

    I’m just curious how many people this feeds. I’m planning on doing a pot roast dinner on Sunday for my moms birthday. It looks delicious!!

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (41)

      Marzia Reply

      Hey Lori, it feeds 6-8 people comfortably (mentioned on the recipe card) but depends on if you’ve got big eaters in the family and if you’re serving anything else on the side, if so, you may be able to stretch it a bit more. Hope it’s thoroughly enjoyed 🙂

  21. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (42)

    Rosie Reply

    Making this right now but more than an hour in i pulled it out to add the carrots and potatoes and its only barely warm… pls clarify oven temp 275 or 375?

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (43)

      Marzia Reply

      275ºF is correct.

  22. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (44)

    Tina Bohmfalk Reply

    Will this recipe work in a crock pot?

  23. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (45)

    unitedmethodistwomen Reply

    I ve always made CL s Yankee Pot Roast but decided to give this recipe a try – glad I did.

  24. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (46)

    Holly Reply

    This recipe is easy and delicious! My only suggestion would be to add a bit of white wine when cooking the onions and also a bit into the stock. I used about a fourth of a cup of chardonnay I had sitting around. ??

    5

  25. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (47)

    Tiffany Reply

    I have a small 2.2 lb. Chuck roast I can’t seem to find any recipes for a smaller roast but this recipe has all the ingredients and flavors I like in a traditional pot roast. I was thinking of cooking for an hour and check if it’s fork tender and cook it in 15 minutes intervals until I get to my desired tenderness and then cook the vegetables for 45 minutes. What do you think? Have any suggestions on how long to cook such a small roast? Any tips would be very much appreciated. Thanks

  26. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (48)

    AMANDA Reply

    I’m 35 years old and a midwestern transplant to DC. I have never made this in my life until tonight, but grew up eating it all the time. It was not only delicious, but my husband went back for three plates. All the meat is gone and we have two cups of veggies left for a snack lol so much for meal planning. I also made your flu killing chicken noodle soup this week and everyone in my office could smell it reheating for lunch and demanded the recipe. I’m going to definitely follow your site-you’re slaying it!!

    5

    • Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (49)

      Marzia Reply

      I am so glad that you enjoyed the pot roast recipe, Amanda! That flu-fighting CNS is a family favorite, so it makes me so happy that just the smell alone excited your coworkers! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂

  27. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (50)

    Brian Reply

    This is an awesome recipe. I have made it several times. I like to deglaze the pan with red wine in step 4. Comes out good. Thank you Marzia for a great pot roast!

  28. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (51)

    beckandbulow Reply

    ahh amazing

    4.5

  29. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (52)

    Sarah Reply

    Wish you had given instructions for a 2lb tri tip.

  30. Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (53)

    Jenine Moore Reply

    Yes and I loved it.

    QUESTION????? I have a smaller roast now, “2 Pound”, I how would I adjust this receipe???? PLEASE!!!!!!!!

    5

Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

FAQs

How to make my pot roast more flavorful? ›

A little tomato paste, generous amount carrots to sweeten, garlic, onions, thyme, and rosemary to add flavor the roast. I love root vegetables like add parsnips, or white turnips and may add them for complex unique taste. Roast slowly on low heat in oven for a few hours until tender.

What makes pot roast taste good? ›

For pot roasts, and other slow cooked tough meats, fat is your friend! Not only does fat deliver flavor, it helps keep the meat from drying out in the long slow cooking. So look for cuts that are well marbled with fat.

What to season a pot roast? ›

Pot Roast Seasoning Ingredients
  1. Brown Sugar.
  2. Garlic Powder.
  3. Onion Powder.
  4. Dried Oregano.
  5. Dried Thyme.
  6. Dried Parsley.
  7. Coarse Salt.
  8. Pepper.

Does pot roast get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

Yes, pot roast absolutely becomes more tender the longer it cooks. Roasts are generally made from tougher cuts of meat, such as chuck or brisket, which contain a lot of collagen, connective tissue, and fat. These tougher tissues require a long cooking time to break down and for the collagen to converts into gelatin.

What Herbs and spices go best with roast beef? ›

Dried Herbs for Beef. Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Sage, and Bay leaves are the best dried herbs to use when cooking beef. To use dried herbs with beef, you should consider which ones you want to include in your recipe and when you should add them.

How would you enhance the flavor of a roast? ›

Here are some simple ways to add a lot of flavor to your next rib roast. Use mesquite, cherry or apple woods to enhance the beef by adding savory aromas and flavors. Season the outside of the roast with salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Or coat with any other seasonings that you enjoy.

What not to do to pot roast? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking Pot Roast
  1. Using the wrong roast.
  2. Not browning the roast.
  3. Deglazing with just broth.
  4. Cooking the vegetables too long.
  5. Not thickening the gravy.
Mar 29, 2017

Should pot roast be covered in liquid? ›

Traditionally, this means the meat is partially covered in liquid and cooked for hours until it becomes juicy and tender. In this case, the steam from the slow cooker creates moisture for the meat to braise in.

Do you put meat or veggies on the bottom of pot roast? ›

By placing the protein at the bottom (closest to the heating element), and vegetables at the top, you can keep your plant parts a little more toothsome, while ensuring your meat is fall-apart tender.

When should you add vegetables to a roast? ›

After the first two hours, add the veggies. Adding them too early means that you'll run the risk of overcooking them. Let the meat continue to cook. When a knife slides right in, and the meat pulls away from itself with ease, then you know the meat is done.

Do vegetables go in first for pot roast? ›

Your veggies should be added in with the pot roast if you're preparing the meat in a slow cooker. However, if you're making the pot roast in the oven, the timing of the veggies needs to be staggered since the dry heat is cooking the meat much faster.

What Herbs go well with a roast? ›

In a small bowl, combine the fennel seed, rosemary, basil, marjoram, savory, thyme, sage and salt; rub over roasts. Place roasts fat side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Top with onions and rosemary sprigs.

Why won't my pot roast fall apart? ›

There are several reasons why this could have happened even after so much cooking. First, your choice of a rump roast could be a factor since cuts from the hind quarter are very muscular and, since muscles are the most resistant to breaking, this cut is quite stubborn when it comes to becoming tender.

Should you cut pot roast before cooking? ›

Why should you cut the roast in half? There are a couple of reasons, but perhaps the most important is that it will ensure that the meat cooks more evenly. A large piece of meat takes longer to cook thoroughly, especially in the middle.

How do you make a pot roast less bland? ›

Instead of deglazing the pan with broth or water after browning the meat, use an acidic liquid to bring out the richness of the beef and give the meal a more complex taste. If you do use broth to deglaze the pan, or add a little for some additional cooking liquid, use a low-sodium option and salt the meal to taste.

Should my pot roast be covered in liquid? ›

Just set it and forget it. This recipe uses a braising technique. Traditionally, this means the meat is partially covered in liquid and cooked for hours until it becomes juicy and tender. In this case, the steam from the slow cooker creates moisture for the meat to braise in.

How do you fix a tasteless stew? ›

5 ways to fix a bland recipe
  1. Salt.
  2. Acid.
  3. Chile peppers.
  4. Sugar.
  5. Fresh herbs.
Mar 6, 2023

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