Warm, comforting and brimming with rich beef flavor! Classic Beef Roast (pot roast) is the ultimate comfort food. Nothing warms you up quit like a big plate of tender, slow-cooked beef, that is surrounded by rich and flavorful potatoes, carrots and celery. This timeless dish makes the perfect hearty meal to sit down and enjoy with family.
For years, my oldest son has asked me what my favorite food is. I have always told him that I didn’t really know what my “favorite” was. Then one evening as we were sitting down to eat this delicious beef roast, I realized that classic beef roast is indeed my favorite meal to eat. I’m pretty sure it always has been. For some reason it took me a long time to realize that it is my favorite.
Pot roast truly is the “BEST” one-pot dish. Everything from the beef to the vegetables are cooked together in a rich and flavorful beef broth. The only exception to it being a one-pot dish is the gravy you make from the broth. Which is made in a separate pan after the roast has finished cooking. That is if you even want to serve your roast with a gravy. I highly recommend it though. The gravy made from a roast is the absolute best! It’s so good you’ll be covering everything in it. I know I do!
What Cut of Beef Makes the Best Roast?
A chuck roast is always my choice when making a classic beef roast. Chuck Roast has a nice amount of marbling that renders when the beef is slowly cooked. This helps to tenderize and flavor the meat. When choosing a roast, look for one with a good amount of marbling.
Ingredients Needed
What I love about making this delicious dish is how simple it is to make. With just a few pantry staples, and a little time, you can serve your family a hearty and comforting meal that tastes amazing! You can bet that everyone will be coming back for seconds.
- Chuck Roast– Choose a roast with a good amount of marbling.
- Flour- All-purpose flour for a light dredging. The roast is dredged in flour before it is seared to develop flavor. The flour is also used to make the gravy.
- Fresh Garlic– For flavor. Garlic powder can be substituted.
- Vegetables– Onions, carrots, potatoes and celery. I really like using red potatoes, but any kind can be used.
- Beef Stock- A good quality beef stock or bone broth for flavor. Beef broth can be used if you do not have stock. I recommend using unsalted or low sodium so that you can control the amount of salt in the dish. After the roast is done, the broth is used to make the gravy. Being able to control the salt will make a huge difference in the flavor of the gravy.
- Herbs/Spices & Fats– Salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano and fresh thyme are my go-to aromatics for seasoning a classic beef roast. Any neutral tasting oil can be used for searing the meat. Butter is also needed to make the gravy.
How to Make Classic Beef Roast
The full recipe is in the recipe card below.
Sear Meat– Lightly dredge the meat in flour then sear until evenly browned on all sides.
Sauté Onions– Add the onions to the dutch oven and sauté for about 5 minutes.
Cook– Return the meat back in the dutch oven along with the stock and garlic. Cover and place in the oven for 2 hours 45 minutes.
Add veggies– Carefully remove from the oven and add the veggies to the pot. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the veggies (optional). Cover and place back in the oven and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
Uncover & finish cooking– Remove from the oven, uncover and place back in the oven for an additional 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender. At this point I like to uncover the roast to reduce some of the liquid to concentrate the flavors and allow the tops of the veggies to caramelize.
Remove from the oven, allow to rest for a few minutes while you make the gravy.
How to Make Gravy from Beef Roast
The full recipe is in the recipe card below.
Carefully ladle out about 1 1/2 cups of the broth. There will be a good amount of fat that rises to the surface, try to remove as much as possible until you have the full 1 1/2 cups of broth.
In a saucepan melt the butter. Once melted whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in the hot broth. Whisk until thickened. Adjust seasonings if needed. Serve over roast and veggies. Enjoy!
Tips
Always brown the meat before cooking it in the oven. This crucial step adds flavor to the overall dish.
Don’t add the veggies in the beginning. Waiting to add the veggies will ensure they do not overcook and turn to mush.
How to Store Classic Beef Roast
If you didn’t already know, I am about to let you in on a secret…. Leftover beef roast is so much better than fresh beef roast. I’m serious, the flavors have more time to marry which make the roast taste so much better.
Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days. If it even lasts that long.
What to Serve with Classic Beef Roast
I have two must-haves for serving beef roast. My first is the gravy. While the roast tastes absolutely fantastic as is, making a gravy from the broth is a great way to add more flavor to the overall dish. My second is Cornbread. Cornbread goes with just about everything, I know, but smothering the cornbread with the gravy is one of my favorite things, ever!
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Classic Beef Roast
Warm, comforting and brimming with rich beef flavor! Classic Beef Roast (pot roast) recipe is the ultimate comfort food. Nothing warms you up quit like a big plate of tender, slow-cooked beef, that is surrounded by rich and flavorful potatoes, carrots and celery. This timeless dish makes the perfect hearty meal to sit down and enjoy with family.
Ingredients
Gravy
Instructions
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Preheat an oven to 350° F. Season the meat all over with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried oregano. Lightly dredge in the flour.
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Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the roast to the pot and sear on all sides until evenly browned. Remove from the pot and set aside.
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Turn the heat down to medium, add in the onions and sauté until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
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Return the meat back in the dutch oven along with the beef stock, fresh thyme and crushed garlic. Cover and place in the oven for 2 hours 45 minutes.
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Carefully remove from the oven, add the veggies to the pot. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the veggies (optional). Cover and place back in the oven and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
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Carefully remove from the oven, uncover and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender and lightly browned.
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To make the gravy carefully ladle off 1 1/2 cups of the beef broth.
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There will be a good amount of fat that rises to the surface, try to remove as much as possible. Continue adding to the broth and removing the fat until you have the full 1 1/2 cups of broth.
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Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, whisking occasionally to prevent burning.
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Now slowly whisk in the reserved broth. Continue whisking until thickened. Adjust seasonings if needed. Enjoy!
