We love to make a pot roast when having large family gatherings (and with our family, every gathering is large!). This one is so simple to put together and once it is in the oven, requires nothing more. Follow these basic steps and it will turn out perfectly every time!

Servings: 8-10
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3-4 hours
Total Time: a little over 4 hours

a plate with pot roast, mashed potatoes, and buttered bread

Ingredients:

beef chuck roast
salt
pepper
yellow onions
carrots
olive oil
butter
red wine (or beef broth)
beef broth
thyme

Get the full printable instructions with measurements at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 275º F. Pat chuck roast dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt (coarse if you have it) and pepper.

a raw chuck roast seasoned with salt and pepper

Step 2: Prepare the vegetables. Cut the onions in half from the root to the tip, remove papery outer layers and cut off root and tip. Then, cut onions again into quarters, keeping them in tact as much as possible. Wash (and peel if preferred) the carrots and chop into 1 inch pieces. Wash celery and cut in to 2-3 inch pieces.

celery being sliced into 1 inch sections

Stop 3: Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat with 1 Tbsp each oil and butter. Add onions and celery and brown for a couple of minutes, carefully turning onions halfway through trying to keep them together (totally ok if they fall apart though!). Remove to a clean dish. Add carrots to the same pot and cook for a minute stirring occasionally, then add to dish with onions.

Step 4: Add 1 Tbsp each butter and oil to hot pot and sear all sides of the chuck roast for 30-60 seconds per side then move to a clean plate.

a chuck roast browning in a pot on a stove

Step 5: Pour 1 cup of red wine (be very careful if around open flame) or 1 cup of the beef broth into the pot and stir while scraping any pieces that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add 3 cups of broth and turn stove off.

Step 6: Return the chuck roast and any pan juices back to the pot. Add in the vegetables and thyme.

A chuck roast being added back to a pot on a stove

a pot filled with beef, vegetables, and broth with thyme being added

Step 7: Cover and bake on lowest oven rack until meat is tender and falling apart, about 45 minutes to 1 hour per pound. There is no need to check on it or stir until you’re nearing the end time. Leave the lid on and the oven door closed for about 4 hours for a 4 pound roast.

Step 8: Carefully remove the pot from oven and remove lid with oven mitts (lid will be extremely hot! Remove roast and slice, shred with 2 forks or serve in larger chunks, discarding any fatty pieces and the celery. Serve with the cooked carrots and onions, mashed potatoes, and crusty bread! Spoon juice from the pot over meat and potatoes if desired. Yum!

a pot filled with cooked beef and vegetables

Tips:

If you like to cook with wine, but don’t like to drink it, try buying the individual servings. There are several good options to choose from, but I like the Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon.
This can also be served over rice instead of potatoes.
The roast I cooked in this post was a whopping 5.75 pounds! It was perfect after 5 hours in the oven.

Classic Pot Roast

a plate with pot roast, mashed potatoes and buttered bread with a bowl of cooked mashed potatoes

An easy, foolproof pot roast recipe that tastes amazing and feeds a crowd! Your family will love it!

Beth

Prep Time 15

Total Time 4 15

Servings

Ingredients

3-4 lb beef chuck roast
coarse salt
pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
2 onions
5-6 carrots
1 celery stalk (optional – added for flavor)
1 cup red wine (I used a red blend, but use whatever you prefer)
3-4 cups beef broth
2 tsp thyme

Instructions

Preheat oven to 275º F. Pat chuck roast dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt (coarse if you have it) and pepper.
Prepare the vegetables. Cut the onions in half from the root to the tip, remove papery outer layers and cut off root and tip. Then, cut onions again into quarters, keeping them in tact as much as possible. Wash (and peel if preferred) the carrots and chop into 1 inch pieces. Wash celery and cut in to 2-3 inch pieces.
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat with 1 Tbsp each oil and butter. Add onions and celery and brown for a couple of minutes, carefully turning onions halfway through trying to keep them together (totally ok if they fall apart though!). Remove to a clean dish. Add carrots to the same pot and cook for a minute stirring occasionally, then add to dish with onions.
Add 1 Tbsp each butter and oil to hot pot and sear all sides of the chuck roast for 30-60 seconds per side then move to a clean plate.
Pour 1 cup of red wine (be very careful around open flame) or 1 cup of the beef broth into the pot and stir while scraping any pieces that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add 3 cups of broth and turn stove off.
Return the chuck roast and any pan juices back to the pot. Add in the vegetables and thyme.
Cover and bake on lowest oven rack until meat is tender and falling apart, about 45 minutes to 1 hour per pound. There is no need to check on it or stir until you're nearing the end time. Leave the lid on and the oven door closed for about 4 hours for a 4 pound roast.
Carefully remove the pot from oven and remove lid with oven mitts (lid will be extremely hot! Remove roast and slice, shred with 2 forks or serve in larger chunks, discarding any fatty pieces and the celery. Serve with the cooked carrots and onions, mashed potatoes, and crusty bread! Spoon juice from the pot over meat and potatoes if desired. Yum!

Notes

If you like to cook with wine, but don’t like to drink it, try buying the individual servings. There are several good options to choose from, but I like the Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon.
This can also be served over rice instead of potatoes
The roast I cooked in this post was a whopping 5.75 pounds! It was perfect after 5 hours in the oven.