2 tablespoons canola or olive oil – the oil is used to brown the roast before it goes into the oven for its long, slow cooking. Use your favorite cooking oil!
1 large onion, cut into large chunks – the vegetables add lots of flavor to both the roast and the gravy. If you don’t have onion available, add some onion powder to the seasoning or add a tablespoon of dried onion flakes to the pot. Sweet white onions or yellow onions both work well here.
3 medium carrots – large chunks are best as they’ll be cooking along with the roast over several hours. If your carrot pieces are too small, they will be total mush by the time the roast is done cooking. If you want to use baby carrots or smaller carrot pieces, add them to the pot about 45 minutes before it is done cooking.
2 pounds yellow or baby potatoes, cut into large chunks – any kind of potato will work, peel and dice Russett potatoes into large pieces. Baby potatoes, red potatoes, and Yukon gold potatoes don’t necessarily need to be peeled and can be added whole or cut in half.
2 ½ cups beef broth – The broth or beef stock provides the necessary moisture for the long, slow cook period. It also becomes the ultimate, flavorful gravy base. Substitute water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth if you don’t have beef broth available. Water plus beef bouillon is also suitable.
1 sprig rosemary – fresh thyme, bay leaves, and sage also pair well with pot roast. Remove large pieces of herbs after the pot roast is done cooking.
Fresh parsley for garnish – this is completely optional and you can also garnish with freshly chopped rosemary, thyme, or sage. I love to add a sprinkle of fresh herbs as garnish to brighten up the serving platter.
Substitutions and Variations
For a low-carb roast
If you are looking for a low-carb version of this recipe, I suggest omitting the potatoes and adding in some extra vegetables in their place.
You’ll want to use hardy types of vegetables that can stand up to a long period of simmering so that you’re not left with a veggie mush. Turnip roots are ideal low-carb vegetables to use in place of potatoes.
In addition to using turnips, you could also serve your Pot Roast over cauliflower rice to keep the meal as low-carb as possible.
If you need to cut out the flour, you can simply brown the roast in oil with salt and pepper. Skip the flour altogether.
For a spicy dish
If you want to add a kick of heat to this dish, think of including some Ancho chili sauce to the broth or slice some Ancho chilies and add them to the liquid. Pepperoncini peppers are another easy addition for flavor and heat.
For additional gravy
If you LOVE your gravy, you may want to make some extra or thicken the juices that are produced after cooking the recipe.
To do so, transfer your meat and vegetables to a serving platter. Place the pot of juices back on the stovetop. Add additional beef stock, if desired. Combine a couple teaspoons of cornstarch with equal parts water until dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the pot roast juices and simmer until thickened. If the gravy doesn’t thicken enough after 2-3 minutes, add additional corn starch.
Fresh Herbs and Flavors that work well in a dutch oven pot roast
Once you have your classic pot roast mastered, try adding some other flavors into the mix. A splash of balsamic vinegar or red wine will add depth and richness to the pot roast. You don’t need a lot of either of these ingredients – I would try ¼-1/3 cup.
A tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce will also enhance the natural richness of the beef.
Garlic lovers may wish to slice small slits all through the roast and insert cloves garlic for a garlic forward dinner.
Instructions:
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