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    Home » Recipes » Pot Roast Recipes

    Dutch Oven Pot Roast

    Published: Mar 16, 2023 Modified: Mar 16, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    One bite of my fall-apart tender Dutch Oven Pot Roast and you will be hooked. You'll want to make this easy roast beef recipe all of the time! This is a family-friendly, shred-with-a-fork, delicious Dutch Oven recipe.

    Soft carrots, onions, and a delectable beef gravy cook all in a dutch oven with the most beautiful, budget-friendly cut of beef. Try it—I know you will love it!

    Close up of dutch oven pot roast with a sprig of rosemary on top and mashed potatoes underneath

    Jump to:
    • Pot Roast in Dutch Oven
    • Pot Roast in a Dutch Oven Ingredients
    • How to Cook Pot Roast
    • Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipe Tips
    • Pot Roast Recipe Substitutions
    • What is a Dutch Oven?
    • How to Make Pot Roast Gravy
    • Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipes FAQs
    • Dutch Oven Recipes
    • 📌 Pin it for later!
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Pot Roast in Dutch Oven

    By far, this oven-roast pot roast recipe is one of my family's favorites. It's a gorgeous pot roast that packs so much flavor into every bite. And, it's fall-apart tender: you can shred it using a fork!

    This is why this is the absolute best pot roast recipe:

    • It's so easy. This simple pot roast recipe is so simple to prep. Just a few easy steps, and then you set it and forget it until it's ready to enjoy. It is truly one of those recipes you can't possibly mess up.
    • It's budget-friendly. We use a budget-friendly cut of beef and common ingredients.
    • It's truly delicious. My Dutch Oven roast is fall-apart tender and unbelievably flavorful.

    I usually don’t like roast, but I thought my husband would enjoy this. It was SO GOOD. 10/10, will make again.

    Katie on Pinterest

    Pot Roast in a Dutch Oven Ingredients

    • Chuck roast, rump roast, or eye round roast
    • Sliced onion
    • Olive oil
    • Garlic powder
    • Carrots or baby carrots
    • Beef stock or chicken stock
    • Red wine
    • Fresh or dried rosemary
    • Salt and pepper

    How to Cook Pot Roast

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a Dutch Oven greased with olive oil over medium-high on the stove. Add roast and brown on each side, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
      Searing a roast in the dutch oven with olive oil
    2. Add onions to the pan and cook for 3 minutes before adding garlic. Stir.
      Garlic and onions cooking in the dutch oven
    3. Pour red wine in the pan with the onions and garlic to deglaze it. Use a wooden spoon to gently scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
      Red wine added to onions and garlic in the dutch oven
    4. Add in beef stock, carrots, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and stir.
      Carrots added to the dutch oven
    5. Place the roast back in the Dutch Oven and submerge it in the liquid.
      Pot roast in dutch oven
    6. Roast in the oven for 4 hours or until the beef is tender enough to shred with a fork. Remove when done, and let it rest for 10 minutes. At this point, you can make the beef gravy. See below for beef gravy instructions.
      Cooked Dutch Oven Pot Roast in the pot
    7. Shred the roast with two forks after resting. Serve over mashed potatoes with gravy, and enjoy!
      Shredding Dutch Oven Pot Roast with two forks

    Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipe Tips

    • At 350°F, cook your roast for 1 hour per pound of beef. However, if you want, you can cook your roast for longer to develop the flavors even further and make it even more tender.
    • I like it to fall apart so we cook our 3 lb. roasts for 4 hours or until the beef is well done.
    • Sear your beef first over high heat so it browns on both sides. This guarantees a juicy pot roast with so much flavor!
    • Always follow my Pot Roast Temperature Chart.

    Best beef roast I’ve ever made. Included potatoes and carrots. Made with corn on the cob. Jeff mentioned that he would like to have cabbage included.

    Darcy on Pinterest

    Pot Roast Recipe Substitutions

    • I use red wine with this recipe, but if you don't have any on hand or would prefer, you can also use extra beef stock or red wine vinegar in place of wine.
    • If you're out of beef stock, the chicken stock also works for making this Dutch Oven pot roast.
    A fork with a bite of Dutch Oven Pot Roast

    What is a Dutch Oven?

    A Dutch oven is a heavy cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. Dutch ovens are usually made of seasoned cast iron or other heavy materials such as aluminum and ceramic.

    They first became popular and known for camping or cowboy cooking. They were such a great cooking vessel that they took off and are now seen in almost every kitchen. It is the perfect pot to use to make a low and slow pot roast.

    How to Make Pot Roast Gravy

    While the roast is resting, you can prepare the beef gravy from drippings using the following instructions:

    1. Immediately after removing the roast to let it rest, place the Dutch Oven back on the stove and bring the liquid in it to a boil. Leave it uncovered so it reduces and reaches the thickness you desire.
    2. Either use as-is or add a mixture of ½ Tbsp. cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. beef stock to the pot and mix it in, then simmer for 5 minutes to thicken. This will give you a thicker gravy.
      Thickened beef gravy in the dutch oven

    Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipes FAQs

    Why is my pot roast tough?

    A tough pot roast needs to be cooked longer. If you're a bigger cut of beef you will need to increase the cooking time. This will give the fibers time to break down and become tender and juicy.

    What is the best cut of beef for pot roast?

    Chuck roast, rump roast, and eye round roast are all economical cuts of beef perfect for cooking dinner on a budget. You can choose any kind you prefer. After a few hours of braising and with the perfect pot roast seasoning, any one of these roasts will come out mouth-wateringly tender.

    Close up of pot roast beef on a plate with a sprig of rosemary

    Dutch Oven Recipes

    • Birria Tacos
    • Braised Short Ribs
    • Korean Braised Short Ribs
    • Oven Baked Chuck Roast

    Try more of the best beef cuts according to your needs and budget by following my guide on the Cuts of Beef and our Popular Beef Dishes!

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    📋 Recipe

    Close up of Dutch Oven Pot Roast with a sprig of rosemary on top and mashed potatoes underneath
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    4.74 from 120 votes

    Dutch Oven Pot Roast

    My Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipe combines all the flavors you love into one gorgeous, easy-to-make roast beef recipe!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Total Time4 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: dutch oven pot roast, pot roast dutch oven, pot roast in dutch oven, pot roast recipe
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 536kcal
    Author: Isabel Laessig

    Equipment

    • Dutch oven

    Ingredients

    • 3 pound chuck roast rump roast, or eye round roast
    • 1 onion sliced
    • 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
    • 4 carrots cut longways, or 2 cups of baby carrots
    • 3 cups beef stock or chicken stock
    • 1 cup red wine
    • 1 sprig fresh rosemary or ½ tsp. dried rosemary
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon pepper

    See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a Dutch Oven greased with olive oil over medium-high on the stove. Add roast and brown on each side, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
      Searing a roast in the dutch oven with olive oil
    • Add onions to the pan and cook for 3 minutes before adding garlic. Stir.
      Garlic and onions cooking in the dutch oven
    • Pour red wine in the pan with the onions and garlic to deglaze it. Use a wooden spoon to gently scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
      Red wine added to onions and garlic in the dutch oven
    • Add in beef stock, carrots, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and stir.
      Carrots added to the dutch oven
    • Place the roast back in the Dutch Oven and submerge it in the liquid.
      Pot roast in dutch oven
    • Roast in the oven for 4 hours or until the beef is tender enough to shred with a fork. Remove when done, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
      Cooked Dutch Oven Pot Roast in the pot
    • Shred the roast with two forks after resting. Serve over mashed potatoes with gravy, and enjoy!
      Shredding Dutch Oven Pot Roast with two forks
    • To make thick beef gravy, place the Dutch Oven back on the stove after removing the cooked pot roast and bring the liquid to a boil. Leave it uncovered and add a mixture of ½ Tbsp. cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. beef stock to the pot and mix it in, then simmer for 5 minutes to thicken.
      Thickened beef gravy in the dutch oven

    Video

    Notes

    • At 350°F, cook your roast for 1 hour per pound of beef. However, if you want, you can cook your roast for longer to develop the flavors even further and make it even more tender. We cook our 3 lb. roast for 4 hours.
    • Sear your beef first over high heat so it browns on both sides. This guarantees a juicy pot roast with so much flavor!
    • Use a high quality beef stock and check on the level of liquid in the Dutch Oven every hour. If it reduces too much, add ½ cup of water so it doesn’t dry out.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 979mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g
    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Isabel Laessig
    Isabel Laessig
    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!
    » About Me
    Isabel Laessig
    Latest posts by Isabel Laessig (see all)
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    About Isabel Laessig

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!
    » About Me

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alex says

      May 05, 2021 at 9:30 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks! Came out nice and juicy.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        May 07, 2021 at 3:51 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it, Alex!

        Reply
    2. Jerry says

      May 14, 2021 at 3:25 pm

      Perfect using 7 bone chuck roast. Juicy, tender, came out falling apart and tasty. Will cook this again, my family loved it.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        May 17, 2021 at 10:45 am

        Jerry, that's awesome! Thanks for your comment and we're so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
      • Lauren says

        April 14, 2022 at 8:44 pm

        How long do I have to cook 8lb roast?

        Reply
        • Em Beitel says

          April 28, 2022 at 12:54 pm

          Hi Lauren! I would recommend cooking for 8 hours, but start checking it at the 7 hour mark. You're looking for it to shred easily with a fork. Thank you for your question!

          Reply
    3. Chris Thomas says

      September 14, 2021 at 10:27 am

      Loved this recipe it came out perfect... Edit.. I put one whole onion in pot from start. Waited two and a half hours to add potatoes carrots and additional onions. Total cook time 4 hours on a 3 lb roast.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        September 14, 2021 at 3:49 pm

        Thanks so much, Chris! We're so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
        • Kimberly Royal says

          March 16, 2023 at 11:46 am

          I’m adding baby carrots and small new potatoes. Should I cook those 4 hours?? Seems they will be very mushy. Thanks!

          Reply
          • Isabel Laessig says

            April 13, 2023 at 2:56 pm

            Hi Kimberly! That sounds delicious. The carrots should be fine, but if you're worried about them and the potatoes being a bit overdone at that point, it won't hurt to add them later in the cooktime. Try adding them halfway through.

            Reply
      • Katherine B says

        July 08, 2022 at 4:28 pm

        5 stars
        This was was a great starting point. I'm not great at following directions as I like to do my own thing based on what I have available. I used 2 cups pickle juice instead of red wine and I love the flavor it added. I also added like 5-6 cloves of garlic. Making for a second time and adding a bunch more carrots to my pot just because. Thank you for this basic, not over the top recipe.

        Reply
        • Em Beitel says

          July 14, 2022 at 12:24 pm

          Thank you so much, Katherine! We're so glad you enjoyed it!

          Reply
    4. Sophia says

      October 20, 2021 at 9:15 am

      I’m going to make this tomorrow. Do I cook this with the lid on my Dutch oven or off? I’ve read conflicting arguments for lid on or off. Help please!
      Thanks,
      Sophua

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        October 20, 2021 at 11:23 am

        Hi Sophia! This is a great question. We roasted ours with the lid on. Thank you for asking for clarification!

        Reply
      • D says

        December 28, 2021 at 12:22 am

        5 stars
        I roasted with the lid on, it was perfectly delicious!

        Reply
    5. Anna says

      January 12, 2022 at 3:53 pm

      Hi in the picture it looks like you may have used chopped garlic but the recipe calls for garlic powder. Can you clarify how much garlic if using chopped? Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        January 14, 2022 at 11:54 am

        Hi Anna! I would use about 2 crushed garlic cloves or 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. Thank you so much for your question!

        Reply
    6. Ricardo says

      January 23, 2022 at 1:43 pm

      Do you every need to flip it during the 4hour cook?

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        January 25, 2022 at 11:42 am

        Hi Ricardo! No, no need to flip. Thank you for your question!

        Reply
    7. Courtney M says

      February 03, 2022 at 11:06 am

      Hi there, does the meat need to be fully submerged in the liquid when I go to place it in the oven?

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        February 03, 2022 at 2:30 pm

        Hi Courtney! Not entirely. It should be mostly submerged, but it will most likely stick out just a little at the top (you can see ours does the same in our photos!). That's just fine. Enjoy!

        Reply
    8. chrissie says

      February 23, 2022 at 3:17 pm

      lid on or off in oven?

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        February 23, 2022 at 5:17 pm

        Hi Chrissie! We roasted ours with the lid on. Thank you for your question!

        Reply
    9. Aga says

      March 26, 2022 at 8:36 am

      Question: I’m planning on making this tomorrow but I have 2lb roast and I’m not going to use red wine.
      Anything to substitute the wine and do I follow everything else since my meat is one pound smaller?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        April 11, 2022 at 5:01 pm

        Hi Aga! A good substitute for red wine would be using additional beef stock; use equal parts beef stock. You can also use cooking wine or red wine vinegar. I would lower the cooking time by 30 minutes.

        Reply
    10. Dana says

      May 27, 2022 at 12:00 pm

      Hi! Would I change anything if my chuck roast has a bone?
      About to start making it now!
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        July 29, 2022 at 3:49 pm

        Hi Dana! No need to change anything, but if you want the meat to shred easily, you may have to cook it for longer if it has a bone. Thank you for your question!

        Reply
    11. Christine says

      July 05, 2022 at 3:08 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve tried to make a good pot roast for years and never succeeded until now. This is hands down the best pot roast recipe, thank you!!!!!!!!!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        July 06, 2022 at 12:27 pm

        That is so awesome, Christine! Thank you so much for sharing with us - we're so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
        • Claudine says

          July 25, 2022 at 2:12 am

          5 stars
          This was very easy and turned out perfect. My whole house smelled amazing. Thank you for you recipe.

          Reply
          • Em Beitel says

            July 25, 2022 at 2:18 pm

            That is so awesome to hear, Claudine! Thank you so much for sharing!

            Reply
    12. Judy Miller says

      July 09, 2022 at 4:51 pm

      can you use white wine?

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        September 07, 2022 at 3:32 pm

        Hi Judy! Definitely. The taste might be a little different, but it should be delicious.

        Reply
    13. Tina says

      August 27, 2022 at 10:42 am

      Did you use cooking red wine or drinking red wine? Not familiar....lol.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        September 07, 2022 at 3:28 pm

        Hi Tina! I would recommend a good drinking wine for the best flavor, but you could use either. Use whichever you prefer. Enjoy!

        Reply
    14. Amy says

      September 04, 2022 at 3:59 pm

      Trying this receipe tomorrow
      There’s is a layer of fat

      Do I just place fat side up after I sear all sides in the Dutch oven

      Or trim the fat ?

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        September 05, 2022 at 10:36 am

        Hi Amy! I would not trim the fat, but just place fat side-up as you suggested after you sear all sides. The fat should melt down into the meat as it cooks which will add flavor.

        Reply
    15. Cathy says

      October 02, 2022 at 7:20 pm

      5 stars
      I used a bottom round roast and added carrots, potato, celery and onions. It turned out delicious. I’ve made lots of pot roast but never one in the oven. It made it so easy. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        October 03, 2022 at 11:59 am

        We're so glad to hear that, Cathy! Thank you so much!

        Reply
    16. Nanette says

      November 16, 2022 at 6:34 pm

      5 stars
      So good!!! Used a 2 lb chuck eye. The only thing I changed was using celery in half circles, no carrots. Cooked in an oval dutch oven for 3 1/2 hours and is was amazing!! Incredibly tender. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        November 17, 2022 at 9:30 pm

        Thank you so much for your comment, Nanette! We're so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    17. Susanna Stokman says

      December 22, 2022 at 8:54 pm

      I'd like to add potatoes- would you put those in at the beginning? Or later?

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        December 26, 2022 at 4:00 pm

        Hi Susanna! You can add them in at the same time as the carrots. Enjoy!

        Reply
    18. Jude says

      January 08, 2023 at 9:53 pm

      5 stars
      Such a fabulous recipe! It was even better than I hoped! 🙂 I didn’t have a chance to include wine lol my husband drank the bottle I was planning on using 🤣. And even still it was incredible. And the gravy oh my so super delicious!! Thank you so much.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        January 09, 2023 at 1:12 pm

        Thank you so much, Jude! We're so glad you enjoyed it! I love the gravy in this one too.

        Reply
    19. Liz Alvear says

      January 08, 2023 at 9:59 pm

      4 stars
      Hi, thank you for the recipe. I wanted to know if cooking time was a little long. Internal temperature for pot roasts shows about 175. I cooked my 5 lb roast for 4 hours at 350 and was going to leave in longer per your recipe but it was over 240 so I took it out. Came a out a little dry but the juices really helped.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        January 09, 2023 at 1:11 pm

        Hi Liz! This timing works perfectly for us - but all ovens are different! If yours was ready at 4 hours or even sooner, feel free to take it out. As long as it shreds easily it is good to go. We're very glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    20. Danielle says

      January 18, 2023 at 1:28 pm

      Hi - making this tonight but curious - the recipe says 2 tablespoons of garlic powder but theres a pic of fresh garlic. I ended up putting in 4 garlic cloves and 2 teaspoons of garlic powder....??

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        January 23, 2023 at 4:24 pm

        Sorry for the confusion, Danielle! We used fresh garlic when we took the pictures, but you can really use either. I would use 2-4 garlic cloves if using fresh for this recipe, so I think what you did is completely fine. Thank you!

        Reply
    21. Brittaney says

      February 09, 2023 at 2:18 pm

      I'm making this for the third time as we loved it!! I did see in the pictures that fresh garlic was used so that's what I have done. This time around I did 4 cups of beef stock as the last two times there was hardly any liquid left. That's probably more my fault as I should of checked it but it still turned out great.
      When I found this recipe the first time around I was so happy to finally use up a bottle of not so great tasting red wine that had been in my fridge

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        February 13, 2023 at 12:13 pm

        Brittaney, we are so glad you enjoy it! This is one of our favorites. It's a great use of red wine, that's for sure! Thank you and take care!

        Reply
    22. Maria W. says

      March 12, 2023 at 1:10 am

      5 stars
      My husband said that this recipe was "Outstanding". I will definitely use this one again and again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        March 14, 2023 at 11:40 am

        Thank you so much, Maria! We are so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed it!

        Reply

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    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie. Welcome to my beef-obsessed recipe website!

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