Best Dutch Oven Pot Roast

This post may contain affiliate links. Any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission – at no extra cost for you!

The Best Dutch Oven Pot Roast! Fork tender beef slow simmered with carrots, onions and potatoes in a red wine and beef gravy. Perfect for a slow, quiet Sunday evening.

It’s officially winter here in Northern Nevada. The distant forest has a fresh blanket of snow and the trees are all but bare. Fall has collapsed into winters embrace and the world outside is more quiet, still.

On extra cold and wintery days this Dutch Oven Pot Roast is one of our favorite family meals. It’s incredibly easy, insanely delicious and just plain old comforting. Not to mention there is just something extra special about a hearty meal simmering away on a quiet Sunday evening.

Best Dutch Oven Pot Roast Details

Fork tender beef, lots of veggies and a delicious red wine beef gravy- all made in a one pot dutch oven for a no fuss meal with so much flavor.

It’s not secret I love cooking with my dutch oven, and this Pot Roast is no exception! We love that this Dutch Oven Pot Roast is slow braised–a technique that uses moisture and long cooking times to break down tough cuts of meat like a chuck roast until its fork tender and falls apart easily.

This slow braised technique gives this pot roast optimal flavor and richness, truly making it the Best Dutch Oven Pot Roast recipe you will ever make! Equally perfect when you want something easy to prepare and relatively inexpensive. Not to mention how cozy and heavenly your home will smell as it’s cooking.

This pot roast is also great if you’re wanting to feed a crowd- this recipe makes a lot!

Did anyone say leftovers? We love leftovers around here and this pot roast tastes just as good (if not better!) the next day.

What you need for the Best Dutch Oven Pot Roast (ingredients)

Simple, no fuss ingredients all simmered together in one pot, yielding the most flavorful and tender pot roast that falls apart beautifully. The flavors are deep, rich and absolutely comforting on a cold autumn or winter evening.

Here is what you will need:

• chuck (boneless pot roast)– look for a roast that has a good amount of marbling. The better the marbling, the more flavorful the pot roast will be!
• olive oil– for rubbing the roast and searing.
• salt, pepper & garlic powder-to season the roast.
• carrots– regular peeled and chopped carrot OR baby carrots will work great! Want more color? Tri-colored carrots would be both beautiful and delicious.
• red potatoes– you may sub for golden potatoes.
• onions-for this recipe I use two large onions. The onion adds so much flavor and cooks down a lot. Any white onion variety will work!
• minced garlic-garlic makes everything better! Add more or less to your liking.
• beef broth– preferably homemade, but any good quality beef broth will work. I also like to use beef bouillon paste for a richer flavor. Simply dissolve paste into hot water to make broth.
• red wine– the red wine adds so much flavor to the roast and veggies! Any dry red wine will work great.
• Worcestershire sauce– another huge flavor enhancer. Worcestershire adds so much depth and richness to the sauce.
• fresh thyme– leaves removed and stems discarded. If you don’t have access to fresh thyme, you may use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme.

Making Dutch Oven Pot Roast

This dutch oven pot roast is seriously so, so easy. Basically everything gets throw into the dutch oven and gets slow cooked all day. We just love easy dinners that taste way harder than they really are!

Here is a quick rundown:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• First, prepare the potatoes and vegetables.
• Next, rub the roast all over with olive oil and season generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Time to sear the meat! Add the olive oil to a large 8 quart dutch oven and heat over medium high heat.
• When the oil begins to sizzle, sear the roast until it is browned on all sides, about 6 minutes per side.
• Into the same pot add the potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce and fresh thyme.
• Cover the dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Slow cook until the beef falls apart easily and the vegetables are fork tender, about 4 ½ hours. Serve immediately.

Dutch Oven Pot Roast Tips

• For this recipe you will need a heavy cast iron dutch oven with a lid. Simply just covering the roast with aluminum foil won’t cut it. I am not a fan of slow cooker machines as the meat always comes out dry and the vegetables too mushy. Dutch ovens are great because the heat is more evenly distributed and seals in the moisture. So if you want the best fork tender pot roast, a dutch oven is the way to go!
• Find a cut of pot roast that is well marbled. You want a decent amount of fat (but not too much fat), for best flavor and tenderness.
• Searing the meat is the next most important step! You want to seal in all those juices for maximum flavor. Make sure you sear each side of the roast until it’s nice and brown all over.
• Use a good quality beef broth for more flavor depth.
• Don’t be afraid to salt the beef! For such a large, thick cut of meat you’re going to want to salt it a lot. Plus, the salt will help break down the meat giving it even more tenderness.

Done! So easy, right?! I just know you’re going to love this Dutch oven Pot Roast!

We hope you love this Best Dutch Oven Pot Roast as much as we do! If you give this roast a try, please be sure to leave a comment and/or rating below! I truly love hearing from you! And if you haven’t yet, be sure to subscribe to the Butternut and Sage newsletter so you never miss a delicious recipe! We have a lot of yummy content coming your way- you definitely wont want to miss it! 🙂

On Instagram? Be sure to tag your recipes @butternutandsageblog!

and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Pinterest!

More One Pot/Pan Meals you will Love:

• Instant Pot Beef and Farro Stew
• Smoky Dutch Oven Beer Braised Chili
• Philly Cheesesteak Skillet

Recipe