Old-Fashioned Oven Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes
This old-fashioned oven pot roast is just the right kind of hearty dinner to put on the table when it’s chilly outside, and you want something to warm your belly. It cooks slowly in the oven with onions, garlic, and broth (and a bit of red wine, if you want). The result is fork-tender beef, carrots, and potatoes, with plenty of savory juices to spoon over everything. I like to serve it with homemade biscuits or soft dinner rolls.
Why It’s a Keeper
- It makes a complete supper. The carrots and potatoes cook alongside the beef, so you only need biscuits or rolls if you want something to sop up the gravy.
- The vegetables keep their shape. Adding them toward the end gives them time to become tender without falling apart.
- You can make the gravy your way. A little red wine adds depth, but just beef broth works too. Serve the pan juice as is, or thicken with a cornstarch slurry for gravy.
🥕 Ingredient Notes
- Chuck roast: Look for a 3–4 pound roast with some marbling. It becomes tender during the long, slow braise in the oven.
- Beef broth and red wine: Use 2 cups of beef broth and, if you like, ½ cup of red wine. If you’re skipping the wine, use an additional ½ cup of broth instead.
- Beef base or bouillon: I added a little to deepen the beef flavor. It’s optional, and brands vary in saltiness, so taste the cooking liquid before adding more salt.
- Onion, garlic, and tomato paste: These build flavor. Sauté the tomato paste briefly with the onion and garlic before adding the wine and broth.
- Carrots and potatoes: Cut them into generous pieces and add them during the last 1½–2 hours of cooking so they become tender without falling apart. If using baby carrots, leave them whole.
- Dried thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf: Thyme and a bay leaf give the roast its familiar savory flavor. Rosemary is optional if you enjoy it.
- Brown sugar: A teaspoon or two rounds out the tomato paste and optional wine without making the roast sweet.
- Cornstarch: If you prefer a thicker gravy, stir a little cornstarch into cold water and add it to the hot pan juices after the roast is done. Simmer until thickened.
🥘 How to Make Old-Fashioned Oven Pot Roast
Full Ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below
- Season and sear the roast. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Pat the chuck roast dry and season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until browned, then transfer it to a plate.
- Build the cooking juices. Add the onion to the pot and cook until it begins to soften. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook briefly. Pour in the red wine, if using, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. If skipping the wine, use a splash of beef broth to loosen those bits instead.
- Start the braise. Add the remaining broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf, and any optional rosemary, brown sugar, or beef base. If you aren’t using wine, use 2½ cups of broth total. Return the roast and any juices from the plate to the pot. Cover and bake for 1½ hours.
- Add the vegetables. Tuck the carrots and potatoes around the roast. If the pot looks dry or needs a little more liquid, add ¼–½ cup beef broth or water. Cover and bake for another 1½–2 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are cooked through. If the vegetables finish first, transfer them to a dish and continue cooking the beef until tender.
- Finish and serve. Transfer the beef and vegetables to a platter. Remove the bay leaf and let the roast rest briefly. Spoon the pan juices over each serving, or bring them to a simmer and thicken them with the optional cornstarch slurry for gravy.
Tips From My Kitchen
My pot roast usually takes about 3½ hours at 325°F, but I always check the beef with a fork before calling it done. If it still feels firm, put the lid back on and give it a little more time.
After the roast has cooked for 1½ hours, add the carrots and potatoes. Cut the carrots and potatoes into generous chunks so the vegetables hold together as the beef finishes cooking. If you’re using baby carrots, leave them whole.
If you want gravy instead of just pan juices, mix the cornstarch with cold water and stir it into the hot juices after the roast comes out. Let it simmer until it thickens.
🍽️ Serving Ideas
This pot roast is a full supper with the carrots and potatoes right in the pot. I served ours with homemade Cheddar Bay Biscuits, which were especially good for catching the gravy. Homemade soft dinner rolls or my homemade beer bread would go perfectly, too.
🕰️ Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead: You can cook the pot roast a day before serving, if you want. Refrigerate the beef, vegetables, and cooking liquid, then reheat gently on the stove.
Refrigerate: Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Freeze leftover beef with some of the cooking juices for up to 2–3 months for best quality. I’d leave the potatoes out of the freezer portion, since their texture can change when thawed.
Reheat: Warm leftovers in a covered pot until heated through to 165°F. Add a splash of broth if the gravy has thickened in the refrigerator.
🏡 Before You Go
When I first made this pot roast recipe, I thought we’d have leftovers. We did not. The beef was tender, the vegetables were just right, and everyone went back for the last of the gravy with their biscuits.
If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you—and whether you used the red wine or went with all beef broth.
If you try this Old-Fashioned Oven Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to rate the recipe. It helps others discover it too! Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for more homemade recipes!
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Old-Fashioned Oven Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes
- Total Time: 3 1/2 – 4 hours
- Yield: 6 Servings
Description
A cozy oven pot roast with fork-tender chuck beef, carrots, red potatoes, and savory pan juices. A splash of red wine adds depth if you like, but the recipe works with beef broth alone.
Ingredients
- 1 (3-4 pound) chuck roast
- A generous pinch each of salt and black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons oil, for searing
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth, plus 1/4-1/2 cup more if needed
- 1/2 cup dry red wine (or sub an additional 1/2 cup beef broth)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, optional
- 1–2 teaspoons brown sugar, optional
- 1 teaspoon beef base or granulated beef bouillon, optional
- 12 ounces baby carrots, or 4-5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thick pieces
- 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into large chunks
Optional gravy
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Pat the chuck roast dry and season it generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until browned, then transfer it to a plate.
- Add the onion to the pot and sauté until it begins to soften. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook briefly. If using, pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. If skipping the wine, use a splash of beef broth to loosen those bits instead.
- Add the remaining broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf, and any optional rosemary, brown sugar, or beef base. If you aren’t using wine, use 2½ cups of broth total. Return the roast and any juices from the plate to the pot. Cover and bake for 1½ hours.
- Tuck the carrots and potatoes around the roast. If the pot looks dry or needs a little more liquid, add ¼–½ cup beef broth or water. Cover and bake for another 1½–2 hours, until the beef is fork tender and the vegetables are cooked through. If the vegetables finish first, transfer them to a dish and continue cooking the beef until tender.
- Transfer the beef and vegetables to a platter. Remove the bay leaf and let the roast rest briefly. Shred or slice the pot roast. Spoon the pan juices over each serving, or make the optional gravy.
Notes
To make the pot roast without wine, use 2½ cups beef broth total in place of the 2 cups broth and ½ cup wine.
The optional teaspoon of beef base or granulated bouillon adds extra beef flavor. Brands vary in saltiness, so taste the finished braising liquid before adding more salt.
This recipe makes about 6 servings. The amount of beef you end up with will depend on the roast and how much fat you trim (do this after cooking so the roast stays juicy in the oven).
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3- 31/2 hours
I am in love with the rich and savory flavors of your old fashioned beef roast. The red wine you added upgrades the flavor profile of the dish marvelously. The minimal prep is also a really nice added bonus. I am all about being able to serve up such wonderfully indulgent flavors without hardly lifting a finger!