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Classic Pot Roast Recipe

I grew up on this pot roast recipe, and my mom taught me how to make it. Now it’s one of my family’s favorites, and the good news is, chuck roast is one of the cheapest cuts of meat money can buy. It’s not really considered a summer meal. It usually conjures up sentimental memories of chilly winter evenings or after-church dinners, but I make it all year round because it is so easy and delicious.

Pot Roast Recipe

Tried and True Tips

1) Use chuck roast. Bottom round and top round roasts usually turn out tough and dry.

2) Sear the meat before roasting it to seal in the juices.

3) Season your meat. Okay, so that’s a rule in just about every meal, but it’s especially true in this one. Always salt your meat before, during, and after cooking for the most flavor.

Company Pot Roast Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need: oil, chuck roast, potatoes, carrots, onions, salt and pepper.

Ingredients for Pot Roast Recipe

Take a chuck roast — bone in or bone out, doesn’t much matter — and salt and pepper it on all sides. Then, in a stock pot or dutch oven, heat a few tablespoons of oil until just beneath the smoking point. (I use lard.) Then put the chuck roast in the pot and sear on all sides till it’s nice and crusty brown.

browning the meat for Pot Roast Recipe

Add about a cup of water around the meat, cover the pot, and put it in a 325-degree oven for about 2 hours. (Or you can leave it on the stovetop on low.)

Meanwhile, cut up carrots, onions and potatoes into largish chunks. After the meat has cooked for 1.5 to 2 hours, add the veggies to the pot and return it to the oven for another 45 minutes or so, until the veggies are fork-tender.

Pot Roast Recipe

Now it’s time to plate ’em up. (But don’t discard the remaining juices!)

Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Now. For the best part. Strain the meat juices into a measuring cup (or a gravy separator if you have one) and add enough water to make 2 cups.

pot-roast6

Put it back into the pot over med-low heat and shake up 1/4 cup flour with 1/2 cup cold water in an air-tight container. Then slowly add the flour/water mixture to the pan, stirring constantly.

pot-roast-7

Bring it to a boil for one minute. And add salt and pepper to taste, and you have some nummy gravy. If there are any lumps, just strain it.

I like to put gravy over my entire plate, potatoes, carrots, meat and all. Nom nom. Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of the final piece of art. I guess I was too busy shoveling it into my pie hole.

Pot Roast
Recipe Type: Main Dish
Author: Jo-Lynne Shane
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Traditional pot roast recipe, turns out perfectly every time!
Ingredients
  • 2-3 TBSP lard or preferred oil
  • 3-4 lb Chuck roast
  • 1 lb Potatoes
  • 6-8 Carrots
  • 2 Onions
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1/4 cup Gluten-Free Flour
  • 1/2 cup cold water
Instructions
  1. Season the chuck roast on all sides with salt and pepper.
  2. In a stock pot or dutch oven, heat a few tablespoons of oil until just beneath the smoking point. (I use lard.)
  3. Place the roast in the pot and sear on all sides till it’s nice and crusty brown.
  4. Add a cup of water around the meat, cover the pot, and put it in a 325-degree oven for about 2 hours. (Or you can leave it on the stovetop on low.)
  5. Meanwhile, cut up carrots, onions and potatoes into largish chunks.
  6. After the meat has cooked for 1.5 to 2 hours, add the veggies to the pot and return it to the oven for another 45 minutes or so, until the veggies are fork-tender.
  7. Take the pot out of the oven, spoon the roast and vegetables onto a serving place and cover to keep warm, reserving the pan juices.
  8. Strain the juices into a measuring cup (or a gravy separator if you have one) and add enough water to make 2 cups.
  9. Put it back into the pot over med-low heat.
  10. In a small airtight container, shake 1/4 cup flour (I use gluten-free all purpose flour) and 1/2 cup cold water until blended. Slowly add the flour/water mixture to the pan, stirring constantly.
  11. Bring it to a boil for one minute or until it’s the consistency you like. And add salt and pepper to taste, and you have some nummy gravy. If there are any lumps, just strain it.
  12. Serve immediately – pour gravy over the meat and veggies. Delish!

Join The Conversation

27 Responses

  1. Pie hole is the word of the week, isn’t it?
    Your pot roast looks fantastic. I like to use a little red wine and sometimes mushrooms, too. For me, that’s the trifecta of yum.
    How are you liking the oval pot? I’ve had my eye on one for a while, but haven’t been able to pull the trigger just yet.

    1. Oh it is? I love that word, ever since Paula Deen was on Emeril and she used it, it just makes me laugh. She was being such a goof, and he was trying to hard to keep his show going. High comedy.

      Yes, I love my pot. LOVE. But I never could pull the trigger either. It was a gift from my mom for Mother’s Day.

        1. Yeah, what’s up with that? It isn’t a regular tradition, but I guess she saw me mention that pot one too many times on my blog and decided to bite the bullet. 🙂

  2. Wow. Looks great I’m starved now and i just had breakfast. Your family seems to be very well fed. Lucky guys!

  3. I like the way you keep your potatoes whole. I usually cut mine into smaller pieces but then they get mushy! I will try it this way next time.

    I always sear my roast first too. I always thought it made it more tender and just felt better than putting raw meat in the pot.

  4. That is pretty much I prepare mine too, but I also put in onions when I’m searing and then roast them with the meat. And I make my gravy differently, but I’m sure it turns out pretty much the same. I did a pork roast this weekend with cajun seasoning; it was so good.

  5. I love a good pot roast. But it’s a winter meal to me, so I’ll have to wait until at least October to try this. 🙂 I’m all about grilled meals right now.

    By the way, did you know searing doesn’t actually seal in the juices? I learned this, to my astonishment, via my hero, Alton Brown. He said it’s a common misnomer, but scientific studies show it does nothing to the fluid. However, it does add amazing color which equals flavor, so it’s still always a good thing to do. (Just sharing the tidbit because I thought it was interesting.)

  6. I do something similar but in the crock pot. That’s especially nice because it doesn’t heat up the oven–which is essential in the desert during the summer!

  7. J-L, it looks yummy and I have lost all cravings for QPw/Cheese. Heather has a big pie hole, I see…chatty little girl.

    1. I have to agree… can you make the recipes easily printable/copy-able? 🙂 There’s many that I’d love to try but haven’t due to this. Silly, I know. Please help us weirdos out there 🙂

  8. I also love eating Pot Roast all year long. Your recipe looks very tasty. Pot Roast and a hearty side dish is my favorite type of meal. When making pot roasts for dinner, I would recommend trying grass fed Black Angus beef. It is absolutely delicious and a healthier option. I work with La Cense Beef and because our beef is 100% grass fed it is higher in omega 3 acids and lower in calorie and fat as opposed to traditional grain fed beef. Try grass fed Black Angus Beef and you will be able to taste an even bigger

  9. Ok, allow me to gush over you for a moment. I made this last night, and it was fantastic!! So sad to say that the only way i’ve made pot roast in the past was in the crock pot with a can of cream of mushroom and onion soup mix poured over it. I’ll never go back because this is 100 times better! PS – I didn’t strain or skim my juices and my gravy turned out just fine.

  10. I just tried this tonight. Can’t believe I waited so long! It was so delicious and easy. Everyone loved it! I’m glad to finally have a replacement for my old pot roast recipe, which called for a can of cream of chemical soup. Ick.

  11. I’m running around the internet trying to find some new things to try this week. I do believe this will be added to the mix (along with the ginger cookies which may or may not have to be made today and may or may not last until tomorrow). I also think I needs me a gravy separator.

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