Classic Pot Roast In A Dutch Oven
I finally picked up a Lodge Dutch Oven—and I couldn’t be more excited. I went with the 7-quart size, big enough to handle a hearty meal for the family or a dinner party. It came already seasoned, which saved me a step, and the spiral bail handle and iron cover give it that classic campfire-ready feel I love.
Of course, the first thing I had to make was pot roast. It’s a Dutch oven classic. The kind of meal that fills your kitchen with rich, savory smells and makes everyone ask, “When’s dinner?” This pot roast is simple, comforting, and full of flavor. The meat comes out tender, the veggies soak up all the juices, and the whole thing cooks low and slow until it basically melts in your mouth.
The best part? You do most of the work up front, then let the Dutch oven do its thing. Whether you’re cooking indoors or taking it outside to the fire, this recipe shows off everything that makes a Dutch oven worth owning.
If you’ve just picked one up—or are thinking about it—this is the perfect dish to break it in. Let’s get into it.
Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipe
Servings: 6 - 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds beef chuck you could try brisket, top round, bottom round or rump
- red wine to deglaze the pan
- aalt & pepper
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 2 peppers chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 14½ ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 cup brown stock beef or veal or combination
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- ½ cup half & half or cream for sauce
Instructions
- I started by preheating the oven to 300º F, then heating up my biggest fry pan and browning the chuck on both sides for a couple minutes per side. Once browned, I seasoned it with a little salt & pepper and then placed the meat into the Dutch Oven.
- Deglaze the pan with a little port, red wine, or brown stock and let the liquid cook down to an essence.
- Add the onion, celery, peppers and garlic to the pan. I added a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the pan because I didn't think there was enough fat. You can opt not to if you are watching those calories.
- You don't want to cook the vegetables that much. Just brown them some. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Spoon the browned vegetables over the meat in the Dutch Oven, dump in the can of diced tomatoes, add the cup of stock and top with the fresh cilantro and rosemary.
- Again, these are just ingredients I had around the house. Experiment with what you like. I wanted to add a couple of bay leaves and had them in my pantry but forgot. It may have added to the flavor but the pot roast was still delicious without them.
- When all the ingredients are added, cover and place in the preheated oven. Cook for about 3 hours, then check to see if the meat is fork tender and shreds easily. If not cook for a little longer.
- When done, remove the chunk of meat from the pot. You may want to use a couple of large spoons so the meat doesn't come apart when you lift it out.
- With the meat removed, add the half and half or cream.
- I used a hand blender to puree the vegetables with the stock and juices from the meat. If you don't have one, you can use a food processor or maybe even a blender. The sauce is so good you could it like soup!
- Taste, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
I guess I could have done everything in one pot, but I thought it would be easier to brown the chuck and vegetables in a fry pan and then assemble everything in the Dutch Oven.
To serve, spoon some of the incredible sauce onto a plate and place a couple of chunks of meat on top of it. My daughter made her favorite Near East Rice Pilaf that she doctored with some pesto, her own creation that worked perfectly with the pot roast. You could also cook up some potatoes or white rice or even couscous.
This is as simple as it gets for braising and if you were served it in a restaurant you would be happy with it my way of telling if a recipe works.
Best Cuts of Meat for Pot Roast
| Cut of Meat | Description | Why It’s Great for Pot Roast |
|---|---|---|
| Chuck Roast | Cut from the shoulder; marbled with fat and connective tissue. | Becomes fall-apart tender when slow-cooked; rich flavor and juicy texture. |
| Brisket | From the lower chest; long, flat, and fibrous with layers of fat. | Needs long cooking to tenderize; delivers deep, beefy flavor and silky texture. |
| Bottom Round | From the rear leg; leaner than chuck, with a firm texture. | Holds shape well when sliced; benefits from slow braising to soften. |
| Top Round | Also from the rear leg; a bit more tender than bottom round. | Great when sliced against the grain; slightly leaner option for pot roast. |
| Rump Roast | From the back end of the cow; moderately marbled and flavorful. | Becomes tender with braising; excellent for shredding or slicing. |
| Short Ribs | Cut from the rib section; rich, fatty, and full of connective tissue. | Extremely flavorful and tender when slow-cooked; creates a luxurious pot roast. |
| Arm Roast | From the front shoulder; includes a round bone and moderate marbling. | Cooks down tender and flavorful; often more affordable than chuck. |
| Beef Shank | From the leg; includes bone and marrow. | Needs long braising to tenderize; bone marrow adds richness to the broth. |
| Cross Rib Roast | From the chuck near the rib section; fine-grained and slightly lean. | Balanced texture and flavor; great when cooked low and slow in a Dutch oven. |
| Shoulder Clod | Large, leaner cut from the shoulder. | Not as marbled, but becomes tender with long cooking; great for serving a crowd. |
Side Dishes That Go Well with Dutch Oven Pot Roast
| Side Dish | Description | Why It Pairs Well |
|---|---|---|
| Mashed Potatoes | Creamy and buttery potatoes, whipped until smooth. | They soak up the pot roast juices like a sponge and balance the rich beef flavor. |
| Roasted Root Vegetables | A medley of carrots, parsnips, and turnips roasted until caramelized. | Earthy sweetness contrasts the savory roast and complements the slow-cooked vegetables. |
| Buttered Egg Noodles | Simple egg noodles tossed with butter and parsley. | A classic comfort pairing. They carry the gravy and don’t compete with the roast. |
| Crusty Bread | A hearty artisan loaf with a crunchy crust. | Perfect for mopping up every last bit of flavorful braising liquid. |
| Green Beans Almondine | Green beans sautéed with butter, garlic, and slivered almonds. | Adds a crisp, fresh element to cut through the richness of the roast. |
| Creamed Spinach | Spinach cooked with cream, butter, and a pinch of nutmeg. | Silky and rich—pairs well with the pot roast without overpowering it. |
| Yorkshire Pudding | A puffed, airy bread made from batter. | Traditional with roast beef; perfect for soaking up drippings. |
| Cauliflower Gratin | Baked cauliflower with cheese and a crisp topping. | Cheesy, creamy, and comforting—a great contrast to the meat. |
| Braised Red Cabbage | Sweet and tangy cabbage with apples and vinegar. | Its acidity and sweetness brighten up the whole meal. |
| Simple Garden Salad | Mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a vinaigrette. | Offers a refreshing, light contrast to the heavy roast. |
28 Responses
OH MY GOSH THANK YOU!!!
Sounds great and easy!
where is the pros and cons of dutch oven review?
Can’t wait to try this recipe, but I need to purchase my dutch oven first. I eagerly await your review and hope that it covers the comparative advantages of cast iron (such as Lodge), enameled cast iron (such as Le Crueset), and stainless steel (such as All Clad).
thank you, I am going to give this a whirl for dinner tonight. I just bought a dutch oven and am having so much fun with it. I love recipes that are not an exact science, i cook better when I can improvise.
Have fun with the Pot Roast recipe ariel. Let us know how it turns out.
Hi Rufus, glad to hear the pot roast worked out for you. I really enjoy my Le Crueset pans for stove top and oven cooking.
I was looking for a simple receipe for pot roast that I could use in my new Le Crueset. This was it! Since I have a glass top stove, I had to brown my meat as the RG did. The heavy pans contain the heat better so you can do your dish at a lower temperature. Oddly enough, the items used in the receipe are the ones I bought yesterday at the store. It was a terrific, simple meal!
I have the 9 qt. cast iron from Lodge. Could I just set the dutch oven on the top of my soapstone woodstove and allow it to cook this way or will the roast cook too quickly?
Thanks
Hi Dennis, I guess if you keep the heat low enough it would work but when you are cooking on a stove top, you
are heating directly to the bottom of the pot. When you cook in an oven, the heat is coming from all sides and will
make a slight difference. How much? I have no idea. I’m sure it will turn out fine so give it a try and let us know.
I am preparing this for the second time today and wanted to say how much I enjoyed it the first time. I have a few specialties, but I am not a “cook”. This is delicious, easy, familiar yet special. Thanks
Thank you Rick. – RG
Dennis – Re putting the dutch oven on top of your soapstone woodstove, as long as it is flat-bottomed and made of iron it will receive and conduct the heat from the woodstove to all the metal, if you preheat it a little with the lid on you will be able to feel that the lid is hot to touch, this will be adequate to heat the food inside evenly. If you are concerned about burning the bottom you can address it by greasing it more, or partway through the cooking you can move it to sit right in front of the woodstove – once the dutch oven is hot it will stay that way and the proximity to the woodstove will keep it from cooling off, it will keep cooking slowly.
With good judgment about how hot your fire is and when to shift your dutch oven’s position to keep it at a consistent temp, I have found you can make very good stews on a woodstove.
Great post Aaron, thank you.
We are getting another big snow storm this weekend so I figured a pot roast would be perfect. Your long cooking method will also help keep my house warm, will let you know how it turns out.
Great – RG
I added diced new potatoes and cooked it for 8 hours (4.5 lbs roast) in the crock pot… It was great on a cold night!
Sounds like a good idea David, thanks for sharing. – RG
RG: I recently read that a “cast iron” pot, such as a dutch oven or skillet, is not good for acidic foods, such as tomatoes or tomato sauce/paste. Is this true?
Thanks for your reply…Rob
Hi Rob, I’d say yes and no. If the cast iron pan is well seasoned, tomatoes should not be a problem especially when you are cooking them with other ingredients like when making chili. But I’m not sure I would use a cast iron pan or dutch oven for making tomato sauce from scratch. Now if you have an enameled cast iron pan, like a La Creuset, you don’t have to worry about tomatoes at all and you still get the advantages of cast iron. – RG
This was novel. I wish I could read every post, but i have to go back to work now… But I’ll return.
Hi RG: I did the recipe only I used a large (12 in) or better) cast iron frying pan with lid. I enjoyed the results as well. We ate the veggies (did not do the blender) and enjoyed all!
Thanks for letting me know p love. – RG
Couldn’t help myself I wanted to drink the sauce! My family said this was the best thing I have ever made – and I’m 50 yrs old and cook a ton! I had some garlic butter left over in the fridge, I added that to my olive oil to brown the roast. That’s the only thing I did different. I will make this a staple in my kitchen. Thank you!
It’s actually a nice and helpful piece of info. I’m happy that you simply shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful!! My husband was delighted!
First time I’ve used my dutch oven for a roast. I threw in some cabbage and a dash of cider vinegar instead of the wine. The hubby loves it and eats it with wheat bread to soak up the sauce. Thanks for sharing!
The 5qt Dutch oven is the one of the most wonderful that the world has ever seen, this thing was made to last but, the company features that are enabled in this oven is nothing that you have never seen before in your entire lifetime. It is not only wonderfully and magnificently crafted form modern art elegance,
Hi. I dropped you a note a long time ago saying how much I loved this. My mother thinks I’m brilliant. Fortunately she has never figured out the reality. Motherly love. At any rate, I fixed it today for the family for Mother’s Day. It went over as it usually does, very well, but since I’ve probably fixed it a dozen times thought I would put in my two cents worth. You may want change.
First of all today was the largest group I’ve done it for, so did five lbs of chuck. Unfortunately the price has changed a bit since you first posted. Everything I state applies to your orignal portion. I love garlic’ I double what you recommend. I use a full cup of a decent Cabernet for the wine. Mom doesn’t even drink, but she prefers the extra flavor. I also do add bay leaves. Use the fire roasted diced tomatoes. I use a few more of the veggies and tomatoes than you suggest. Before adding the half and half, I pull some out and serve alongside the meat. Everyone seems to prefer that.
Nothing earth shaking. Just a tweak or two on something that you suggest is anything but precise. I do like the little changes though. Garlic Yukon mashed potatoes, home made yeast rolls, fresh asparagus and the rest of the Cab made for a great Mother’s Day. Mom asked me to thank you. Best, Rick
Very happy with how this turned out. I used my Griswold #7 oval roaster and made about 5 lbs of chuck roast for a Christmas meal this year and it turned out great. I didn’t follow the amounts exactly (because I never follow the directions exactly when cooking!) but it was excellent! Thanks so much!
You are very welcome and thank you for not following the amounts exactly. They are there as a guide and I appreciate when home cooks change things around to suit their cooking styles.
I have always used broth or wine and thrown in a bunch of fresh herbs and vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, rutabaga, celery, mushrooms, etc…always tasty.
This time, I seared my salt-and-pepper rubbed “crosscut chuck” roast which was tied, 3 minutes on all four sides, in bacon fat, which I wipe on my cast iron once preheated. A chopped onion, a quartered rutabaga, several minced cloves of garlic, a couple celery stalks, a bay leaf and a half cup of water in a 275 oven for four hours is all I used.
Let me tell you, the juice tasted as good as the meat. The wine was for drinking and the roast didn’t taste like a poor man’s chateaubriand or Swiss steak or anything else. It tasted like pot roast…and it was delicious.
With mashed potatoes, peas, French bread, tomato, cucumber, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar salad…and the aforementioned red wine–a big cab–and yeah, we just spooned that juice all over the meat and spuds, just as it was.
This was a case of, less is more.
Audio started playing any time I opened up this web site, so irritating!
Sorry you disapprove Frederick.