Get the step-by-step guide for how to make a perfectly moist and juicy pot roast. Today’s recipe uses a chuck roast braised in beef stock with a touch of balsamic vinegar, and veggies that get so much beefy flavor.
Do you remember when I shared with you how to make a perfect pork roast? So many of you loved that slow-cooked method that I decided to do more slow-cooked, big cuts of meat. Today, I’m tackling beef pot roast.
Pot roasts are a classic yet economical meal, because they let you take a less expensive, and often less desirable, cut of meat and turn it into magic. I usually use a chuck roast (sometimes called chuck steak, not to be confused with chuck eye steak, which is different). I find that this cut has just the right amount of marbling to get really tender when slow-cooked.

What Is A Chuck Roast?
Here’s the wikipedia entry, but basically, it’s a cut from the front (shoulder area) of the cow and is usually a 1 and 1/2 to 2-inch thick oval of about 8-9 inches across. It has a lot of connective tissue that melts when cooked. For this reason, you want to cook this cut all the way through, slowly, so that the collagen from the tissue gets a chance to melt, moistening and flavoring the meat.
Other Beef Cuts To Use For Pot Roast
So, my go-to is the aforementioned chuck roast because it has good flavor and has that fat and connective tissue perfect for slow-cooking. That’s what called for below in the recipe. Brisket is a good second choice since it also has that kind of marbling. It can be more expensive though. Finally, a round roast (rump roast or bottom round roast) can be done as a pot roast. It is much leaner though and can end up dry even when braised. The leanness means that it will slice well though. If you go with a round roast, make sure to make some gravy to help with the dryness, or serve it with the roasting juices.
Cuts that you don’t want to use for a pot roast are those that are extremely lean or extremely tender. Lean roasts won’t become meltingly tender as it cooks because there isn’t much fat in the roast to help with that. These roasts are better cooked quickly with high heat to at most a medium temperature, and then sliced thinly. This is the technique for that classic dish, the London Broil, which often uses a top round roast.
An extremely tender roast, like a filet of beef or prime rib, is best for dry-roasting to at most a medium temperature. Cooking these kinds of more expensive cuts using a pot-roasting method doesn’t highlight their best qualities, and can even make the meat mealy in texture. For these roasts, you’re better off to use a classic roast beef method, like this one.
Braising Slowly
The trick to pot roast is to cook it at a low temperature for awhile, and to use a braising liquid. A braising liquid keeps things moist. You can use beer or wine, broth or stock, or even just water. Any combination of those will work as well. You can add other things to the mix if you’d like, like apple juice or even cola.
What I’ve done for today’s recipe is to add a touch of balsamic vinegar to beef stock for the braising liquid. It adds a bit of sweetness and a bit of sour. You’ll barely notice that it’s there but without it the flavors are a bit flatter.
Which Vegetables To Include In A Pot Roast?
In addition to the less lean cut of meat that you use here, pot roasts often include vegetables. These veggies will end up really soft and tender. If you want them less soft, you can add them halfway through the cooking time. I never do that though because part of the joy of pot roast for me is exactly that cozy, super-soft thing.
Root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and onions are common and the best bet. You want something that stands up to the long cooking time.
Note that you can totally leave the peels on the potatoes for this dish. Why do this? Because not having to peel them speeds things up, results in less food waste, and because the peel has some really great nutrients in it. It’s a win-win-win. Unfortunately, you do have to peel the carrots though. Otherwise the outer layer gets a bit woody. If you can find thinner, younger carrots, those with the greens still attached, they’re fine without peeling. Simply trim off the greens and then give the carrots a quick scrub with a potato brush. Done!
Those are the main tips for a perfect pot roast. Now here are the step-by-step instructions.
How To Make A Perfect Pot Roast
Step #1
Season a beef pot roast all over with a liberal amount of salt and pepper. For a 2.5 pound chuck roast, you’ll want to use about a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil.
Let the oil get really hot. Add the roast to the hot oil. Cook on one side until very well-browned. You want it crusty because that brown caramelized crust is going to add tons of flavor to the eventual dish. It’ll take 4-5 minutes. Then flip it over and get the other side brown and crusty as well.

Step #2
While the roast sears in the skillet, peel your carrots and chop them into large chunks so that they don’t cook to quickly. Similarly, halve small potatoes and quarter larger ones. I use red potatoes because I like the flavor and the pop of color that they add to the dish when you leave the peels on, as I typically do.

Step #3
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Transfer the roast to a roomy roasting pan. You need space for the roast to be surrounded by potatoes. Note that when I do a chuck pot roast like this, I usually do two. The reason is so that I have leftover beef for lunches or for using in a different dinner the next day.
So, add your roast to the roasting pan. Then pour beef stock into the skillet, about 2 cups per roast. You’re going to want the liquid to go halfway up the roast in the roasting pan so the amount really depends on the size of your roast and the size of your roasting pan. Heat the stock to a simmer. Add 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for each cup of stock. Stir. Pour over the roasts in the roasting pan. Surround roast with potatoes.

Step #4
Top the roast and potatoes with the carrots. I prefer to not have the carrots submerged in liquid. They keep their color and flavor better that way. Adding them on top is the best bet.

Step #5
Put a lid on the roasting pan, or cover it tightly in heavy-duty foil if you don’t have a lid. Put it into the oven until the potatoes and carrots are soft and the meat is tender enough that you could pull it apart with your fingers, about 2 hours. Remove the meat and potatoes from the liquid. Optionally drizzle the meat with some balsamic vinegar (1 teaspoon per roast) or serve it on the side as a dip. You don’t need anything other than that.

If you’d like to, you can make use of the liquid in the roasting pan (I often save it for another use, like making soup the next day, but it can definitely be part of your pot roast meal instead). Skim off the fat (I use a fat separator like this) and serve the juices on the side. Or turn it into a gravy by mixing together water and cornstarch and then adding it to the skimmed juices. Start with 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons of corn starch, add it and then bring it to a simmer to thicken it. Add more cornstarch and water mixture if you’d like it thicker. Learn how to make gravy here, or here’s a basic recipe for cornstarch gravy which you could make with the juices from this roast.
Slice the meat and serve with the potatoes, carrots, gravy or braising liquid, a touch of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze. Enjoy! -Christine xo
Print
Perfect Pot Roast Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
This recipe uses a chuck roast braised in beef stock with a touch of balsamic vinegar for amazing flavor.
Listen to learn how to make this recipe, along with some great tips from Christine:
Ingredients
- 1 (2.5 lb.) chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 8 large carrots
- 3 lbs. red potatoes
- 2 cups low or no sodium beef stock*
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, plus more for serving**
Instructions
- Season the roast all over with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil. Let the oil get really hot. Add the roast to the hot oil. Cook on one side until very-browned, 4-5 minutes. Flip it over and get the other side brown and crusty as well, another 4-5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel the carrots and chop them into large chunks. Halve any smaller potatoes and quarter larger ones.
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Transfer the roast to a roomy roasting pan.
- Pour beef stock into the skillet that you used to sear the roast. Heat over medium-high heat to a simmer. Add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Stir. Pour over the roast in the roasting pan. Surround roast with potatoes. Top the roast and potatoes with the carrots.
- Put a lid on the roasting pan, or cover it tightly in heavy-duty foil. Put it into the oven until the potatoes and carrots are soft and the meat is tender enough that you could pull it apart with your fingers, about 2 hours.
- Remove the meat and potatoes from the liquid. Optionally drizzle the meat with some balsamic vinegar (1 teaspoon or so) or serve it on the side as a dip. If you’d like to serve the braising liquid with the meal, skim off the fat before doing so. I like to use a fat separator like this.
- Slice the meat and serve with the potatoes, carrots, balsamic vinegar, and braising liquid (optional).
Notes
*You might need more or less stock depending on the size of your roast and the size of your roasting pan. What you ideally want is to have enough stock so that the roast is covered half way up.
**For serving, you can use more balsamic vinegar as listed in the recipe, but a drizzle of balsamic glaze is even better. I didn’t list it in the ingredients so that you wouldn’t have to buy an extra thing. But if you already have some, do try it!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Pompeian. All opinions are my own.
This post originally appeared in March 2017 and was revised and republished in March 2020.

Susan says
Do you put roast on a rack?
Christine Pittman says
Not for this one, Susan, you want the roast to be sitting in the stock. Enjoy!
Annie says
This is delicious in its simplicity. Classic and tasty. Took much longer than two hours for my 2.5# roast to be finished so I was glad I wasn’t planning on serving at a specific time. I would make this again.
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
How long did it end up taking, Annie? Glad it turned out delicious though!
Peggy Romero says
Thank you turned out great with the glaze
★★★★★
Peggy Romero says
Thank you
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome!
Sara says
This was such a great recipe. Usually, I add all of these different seasonings to my roasts based on recipes I find online and I was a little nervous about using just salt and pepper for this but it came out absolutely delicious and I realized that was all it needed, other than the veggies, beef broth (I used my home canned beef bone broth) and balsamic vinegar along with it ofcourse. My husband agreed as well. I recently bought an electric roaster and cooked it in that which was great. I will definitely be using this recipe from now on.
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
That sounds wonderful, Sara. Love that you make your own broth!
Norma says
Good recipe! The balsamic vinaigrette gave it a nice flavor.
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
Thank you so much, Norma! Glad you enjoyed.
nils says
I found this recipe after googling “two hour pot roast” because my father-in-law’s recipe takes six hours on 325 for a two-pound boneless chuck. Could two hours on 300 really be accurate?
Lee says
Delicious! Total comfort food. Raves all around. Thank you!
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Lee! So happy you enjoyed.
Aja Ouellet says
Super easy to make and everyone loved it. Made me look like I slaved away all day. I didn’t have beef stock so I used chicken bullion and it turned pour delicious!  Thank you.Â
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Aja! Thanks for letting us know!
Sarah Hembree says
I am single and I like a slow cooker. I buy 2lb roasts, which is enough for my dinner and leftovers. If I cook a roast that small in a slow cooker on low, should I reduce my cooking time?
Christine Pittman says
Sarah, the above recipe is for the oven, not the slow cooker. However, I think that a 2lb. beef roast in the slow cooker would take about 4 hours on low or 6 hours on high.
GINA RUBEN says
Hi, I have 2 packages of chuck roast in small quantity (each .75 or .80 lb) in my freezer. If I want to use these to make a small pot roast how long should I cook them and will I need to adjust the cooking time for the vegetables?
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
Gina, I have never done this so I’m not positive. However, if I was going to do it, I would cook it all for 1.5 hours instead of 2 hours. Then I would test that the vegetables were tender and that the meat is pulling apart easily. If so, then it’s ready. I do think that 1.5 hours will be enough but given that everything has to heat up before it starts simmering, you might still need the full 2 hours even though the pieces of meat are small.
UPDATE: I received an email response from Gina saying that the pot roast ended up needing most of the 2 hours, and that it was delicious :-)
Brenda says
I used to make a similar recipe all the time, but over the years have stopped, and this got rid of a lot of my larger (though lower end) cookware. I’d like to make it again, but want to buy a nice pan. You mentioned it had a lid… did you use a Dutch oven, roasting pan, or braiser?  What size was it?Â
Thank you.
Christine Pittman says
We used a roasting pan like this one – https://amzn.to/2xroPzn If you have one without a lid, you can cover it with foil, Brenda. Enjoy!
Saundra K. Warren says
We’ve always added an onion cut up in chunks as well
Christine Pittman says
Yummy! Thanks, Saundra!
Sarah L says
I like the addition of the balsamic vinegar. And I would make gravy with the stock.
Christine Pittman says
Yummy! Thanks, Sarah!
Debbie Yoder says
One of my favorites! Comfort food at its beat!
Christine Pittman says
Thanks, Debbie!
Susan P. says
I’ve been making pot roast in my Instant Pot and after browning, it takes an hour plus 15 min. for carrots and potatoes.
Christine Pittman says
Thanks for the feedback, Susan!
Anne Higgins says
Thank you for the perfect pot roast recipe. I look forward to trying it for tonights dinner. I have never browned the meat prior to putting it in the over nor did I continue to braise the meat like I do my turkey – so it is no wonder that it dries out more than I want. Thanks again and good luck with the continued success of your website.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and yours!
Christine Pittman says
Thanks so much, Anne! Happy Thanksgiving!
BBJ CHA says
I’m making a pot roast for the first time, so I have a question. If you have to make this in a slow-cooker, would you position the potatoes and carrots in the same way (instead of on the bottom)? Thank you.
Christine Pittman says
You want the roast to be partially submerged in liquid. I fidn that the vegetables can get overly moist if submerged. So I’d keep it the same way.