Pot Roast with Tender Potatoes and Carrots just hits different when you’re tired of the usual dinner rut. Ever get that craving for a real meal, something that smells like home all day and has your stomach grumbling by 4pm? Same. I tried fancy casseroles and quick-fix pastas, but kept circling back to this comfort food classic. Plus, the leftovers are like winning the food lottery. If you love easy home-cooked dinners, you should definitely check out my favorite easy crockpot chicken and dumplings recipe or these epic bacon brown sugar chicken tenders for your weeknight rotation.
How To Cook the Best Pot Roast
I’ll be straight with you—make this on a day you’re home. It’s simple, but the magic is in the wait. I grab a chuck roast almost every time (skip the lean stuff—it goes weirdly dry). Salt and pepper that baby, then brown it in your big pot. Don’t skip this step. Browning the outside is where the flavor starts.
After that, toss in big chunks of potatoes and carrots. Yeah, I said big—small gets mushy fast. Drown everything in beef broth. I usually cheat and toss in some garlic and onion powder if I’m feeling lazy. Put the lid on, set your stove to low, and let it do its thing for a few hours. Four or five for a smaller roast, closer to eight for big ones. Seriously, you’ll want your whole house to smell like this.
Then poke it with a fork (poke means taste test, right?). It’s done when you can basically shred it with just a nudge. Dip some bread in the juices—chef’s kiss.
This pot roast recipe changed Sunday dinner for my family! The meat fell apart and everyone wanted seconds. So easy but tastes like hours of effort. Highly recommend! – Angela S.
How to Choose a Good Roast
Here’s my two cents on picking meat for pot roast, since the choices at the store are just… overwhelming these days. You want a roast with lots of marbling. It might not look pretty, but trust me, those ribbons of fat melt down and give you that fall-apart tenderness. Chuck roast is the gold standard. Skip round roast unless you want jaw exercise. Sometimes, the butcher will have “pot roast” labeled—don’t overthink it, just go with that.
If you can, ask the butcher to help pick a piece out. Sometimes I’ll just lean over the counter and say, “What’s your favorite for pot roast?” Works every time. Oh, and don’t panic if it looks fatty. Fat is good here!
Do I Have to Use Red Wine?
Oh boy, the wine question. Short answer—nope, but it helps. Red wine gives a fancy depth of flavor, but if you don’t have any or just don’t want to use it, that’s totally fine. I’ve made this with just beef broth and a splash of Worcestershire and it turned out like a five-star restaurant meal. Sometimes I toss in a little balsamic vinegar for tang if I’m out of wine (don’t judge).
If you do use wine, don’t stress about it needing to be pricey. Whatever red you’ve got open—just not sweet wine, please—is great. And if you’re not a wine person, you’ll never notice it missing.
Can I Cook it in a Crock Pot?
Absolutely, yes you can! I’ve done it both ways, and honestly, the crockpot version is a weeknight superhero. First, brown the roast in a pan—don’t skip this, ever. Then just throw everything into the slow cooker, pour your liquids over the top, and cover. Set to LOW. Come home after work, boom, dinner smells like you worked all day (when really, you didn’t).
If you love set-and-forget meals, my easy crockpot chicken and dumplings recipe is another life-saver. And for lazy weekends, nothing beats it.
Quick tip—don’t put the potatoes in until about halfway through or you’ll have potato mush. Unless you like mush. I won’t judge.
Top tips
- Always let meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing so it stays juicy.
- Use Yukon gold or red potatoes, they hold up way better than russet in this dish.
- Toss an extra onion in if you want more flavor—no fancy knife skills needed, big chunks are fine.
- Try this with a side of best loaded potato salad everyone will love for serious comfort food points.
Common Questions
How do I make the gravy thicker?
Just scoop out some broth and whisk it into a bit of flour. Cook in a small pot until it’s your kind of thickness.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Heck yes. In fact, it actually tastes better the next day after sitting in that gravy overnight.
What’s the best potato to use?
Yukon gold is the big winner here, honestly. Red potatoes will do, too, but russet just fall apart unless you cut them huge.
Do carrots go in raw?
Yep! Chunk them up and toss them in at the start. They get all sweet and soak up the flavor.
Is searing the meat really necessary?
It makes a huge difference, so I always do it. But… if you’re in a wild hurry, you can skip. Just know the flavor won’t be the same.
Comfort Food Done Right
If you’ve never tried making this at home, you really owe yourself a batch of pot roast with potatoes and carrots. It’s one of those meals that’s equal parts nostalgia and drool-worthy reward. Trust me, if you want pure dinner happiness, this is the one. For even more inspiration, Classic Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots by Cooking Classy is a worthy read, and honestly, their tips are great too.
In case you’re craving more hearty dinners, you can’t go wrong with my easy crockpot chicken noodle soup recipe or my family’s go-to best crockpot chicken breast easy delicious for a change. Hope your home smells as amazing as mine did—give it a try and let me know how it turns out!
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Pot Roast with Tender Potatoes and Carrots
A comforting pot roast recipe featuring tender chunks of beef, potatoes, and carrots, perfect for a home-cooked meal.
- Total Time: 495 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3–4 lbs chuck roast
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4–5 large Yukon gold or red potatoes, cut into chunks
- 4–5 large carrots, cut into chunks
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1–2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1–2 teaspoons onion powder
- Optional: 1 cup red wine or balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Season the chuck roast with salt and pepper.
- In a large pot, brown the roast on all sides over medium-high heat.
- Add potatoes and carrots to the pot.
- Pour in the beef broth and add garlic powder and onion powder.
- Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 4-5 hours for small roasts and 6-8 hours for larger ones.
- Test the roast with a fork; it should be tender and easily shred.
- Let meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve with bread dipped in the juices.
Notes
For extra flavor, add a chunked onion and let it cook with the roast. This dish tastes better the next day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 480 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: None
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
Keywords: pot roast, comfort food, slow cooker, beef, vegetables