Perfect Pot Roast and Potatoes

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Perfect Pot Roast and Potatoes - tender, delicious pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and tons of garlic and fresh herb flavor!

picture of pot roast in a dutch oven with vegetables and rosemary on top

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What Type of Roast To Use
Tips to Perfect Pot Roast & FAQs
What To Serve With Pot Roast

picture of shredded pot roast, potatoes, carrots, and fresh thyme on a plate

One Pot Pot Roast and Potatoes Dinner

Perfect tender pot roast is a Sunday tradition - its one of those classic homestyle dinners that is warm, comforting, and makes you feel cozy. It's also incredibly easy, super versatile, adaptable to change up with herbs and vegetables you like, and the potatoes, carrots, and vegetables that cook down with the roast are buttery, rich, and heavenly!

This is truly a one pot meal - with a main dish and side all in one pot - so you can feed your family a nourishing meal, without tons of work and prep.

For this recipe, we're making a shredded pot roast - unlike my Tender Pot Roast Recipe which is sliced, not shredded, and made without potatoes and includes a red wine jus. Be sure to check out the recipe for a different take on this delicious dinner - and check out our other pot roast recipes like our Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast, Instant Pot Dr Pepper Pot Roast, 38 Minute Ranch Pot Roast!

I'm going to show you how to:

tell when pot roast is done
keep your roast from drying out
add tons of flavor to a roast
know what to cook a pot roast in
what to serve with pot roast

How To Make Perfect Pot Roast

Pot roast is one of our favorite family style meals because it is so easy to make. Simply brown your meat, add to a pan, add vegetables, seasonings, and let the dutch oven and your oven do all the work - and of course, work out your patience as your house fills up with the most amazing smell!

For the best flavor, and to keep meat from looking grey, we recommend browning meat in a pan before adding to dutch oven with other ingredients.

Browning your meat before cooking helps to add flavor without adding additional calories or sodium - it brings a rich, caramelized meat intensity you can't get by just placing a roast in a dutch oven cold.

If you'd like to add even more flavor, you can also brown vegetables before cooking your roast as well. If you do, we recommend chopping a bit more roughly, as larger vegetables will hold up better to longer cooking times we use for a roast.

What Type of Roast To Use

For this pot roast, we will be using a chuck roast.

Chuck roast is marbled with fat and surrounded by connective tissue, making it a cut of meat better prone to cooking at low temperature for a long time, so that fat can render and break down - leaving you with rich, meaty flavor.

What to Cook a Pot Roast in

I prefer to cook a pot roast in a dutch oven, preferably enameled as it is easy to clean.

Dutch ovens are fabulous to use for their ability to provide high, even heat so you can slowly roast your pot roast to tender, juicy, melt in your mouth perfection! While some are expensive, there is a wide variety in

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If you don't have a dutch oven, you can use a pan with a lid that is oven safe, like a roasting pan.

picture of chuck roast, beef stock, carrots, thyme, onion, garlic, celery, thyme, potatoes on a table

picture of a chuck roast seasoned in a pan

picture of browned pot roast in a pan with potatoes carrots and thyme

picture of browned pot roast in dutch oven with stock and vegetables

Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
In large, heavy skillet, heat olive oil until light and shimmery.
Add roast to pan and brown on all sides.
When roast has been browned, after about 6 minutes, remove from pan and add to large dutch oven or roaster pan that has a lid.
Add vegetables and potatoes to pan and arrange around roast.
Season well with salt, pepper, and herbs.
Add stock.
Place rosemary and thyme sprigs in pan and add lid.
Roast 3-4 hours, until roast is tender with light pressure from a fork.
Remove roast and tent with foil on cutting board.
Let roast rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.
As roast rests, braising liquid can be boiled down and blended to thicken and serve as gravy, or left as-is as a jus to pour over roast.
Shred roast with forks, and serve with potatoes and vegetables. We like to pour jus or gravy over roast after shredding.

Tips to Perfect Pot Roast & FAQs

Pot roast is simple to make, but we have a few tips to make sure yours is perfect, every time.

Cook slow and low. Don't rush your pot roast - cook it at 275, so the fat and connective tissue can slowly break down without drying out. Pot roast dries out when it quickly gives up it's moisture and the fat and tissue isn't given enough time to break down.

Don't skip browning. Browning chuck roast before roasting in oven adds tons of flavor and color (nobody wants grey meat!) without additional calories or sodium.

Add flavors and vegetables you love. If you want to add other flavors - like blackening seasoning, ranch dressing powder, pepperoncini peppers, bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, curry powder, radishes, turnips - they are all amazing with pot roasts. This recipe is meant as a base - so you can build upon it and find the flavors you love.

Make it keto - swap out potatoes for chunks of cauliflower. To prevent them from falling apart, we suggest using a whole head of cauliflower, and chopping into large chunks (think size of a fist), if you want any bite to the cauliflower.

FAQs

How long can I keep pot roast?

Leftover roast can be stored in refrigerator for up to four days in airtight container. Frozen roast can be stored four months. Always reheat to piping hot when serving leftovers to prevent food-borne illness.

How much pot roast should I make per person?

Plan on about ½ lb or 8 oz per person when meat is your main dish.

Do you have to brown pot roast before cooking?

For the best flavor, and to keep meat from looking grey, we reccomend browning meat in a pan before adding to dutch oven with other ingredients.

When is pot roast done?

Your roast will be done after 4 hours, when meat pulls back slightly with light pressure from a fork. It will be soft and will shred easily.

What To Serve With Pot Roast

Pot roast is great alongside lots of delicious side dishes - but we love it with buttery soft rolls, delicious no knead bread, sour cream cornbread, scalloped corn, roasted asparagus, and air fryer french fries!

You can find more of our favorite recent side dishes here:

And click here to see our entire side dish recipe archives.