Best Pot Roast Recipe

Sammy Montgoms

5 from 16 votes

Jan 12, 2024, Updated Sep 06, 2026

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You’ve found the Best Pot Roast Recipe, and it’s become one of my favourite ways to feed a table full of people without spending the whole day in the kitchen. Most of the work happens hands-off in the oven, so you sear the beef, build a quick gravy base, and let a few hours of low heat turn everything tender. Serve it over mashed potatoes with a generous ladle of that rich, garlicky gravy, and there won’t be leftovers to worry about.

In my opinion, everyone needs a really good pot roast recipe in their back pocket. I love to make it on weekends when I don’t really want to be in the kitchen all day, but I want something incredibly comforting and delicious. The carrots, celery, and onion cook down in the same pot the beef was seared in, so all that browned flavour on the bottom becomes the base for the gravy later. Once the beef pulls apart easily with two forks, straining and simmering the braising liquid turns it into a full gravy without much extra effort. Want more beef recipes? Try Beef Cutlets and Beef Stew Crockpot Recipe.

😍 Why You’ll Love This Easy Pot Roast Recipe

Deep, rich flavour: red wine and tomato paste build a gravy with real depth.
Fall-apart tender: a low, slow braise breaks down the blade roast until it shreds easily with two forks.
Garlic in every bite: whole cloves tucked into the meat infuse the roast.
One pot, minimal cleanup: the beef sears, braises, and the gravy comes together all in the same Dutch oven.

🥩 Ingredients You’ll Need To Make The Best Pot Roast Recipe

Beef blade roast: an affordable, well-marbled cut that turns tender after a long, slow braise.
Vegetable oil: since its neutral flavour and high smoke point are ideal for building a deep crust.
Butter: adds richness and helps deepen the crust’s colour.
Garlic: whole cloves are tucked directly into the roast so it cooks with garlic flavour running all the way through.

Carrots: soften slowly and add natural sweetness to the gravy.
Celery: adds a subtle savoury note to the braising liquid.
Yellow onion: forms the aromatic base the gravy is built on.
Tomato paste: deepens the gravy’s flavour and adds a slight tang.
Beef stock: keeps the roast moist over hours in the oven and the base of the gravy.
Red wine (cabernet sauvignon): deglazes the pot and reduces down, adding acidity that balances the richness of the beef and butter.
Bay leaves: adds a subtle, herby background flavour.

Fresh thyme: adds an earthy note.
Fresh sage: adds a slightly peppery, savoury note that pairs well with the beef and gravy.
Salt: seasons the roast before searing and can be added again to the gravy to taste.
Pepper: seasons the roast before searing.
Onion powder: rubbed onto the roast with the other seasonings for an extra layer of savoury flavour in the crust.
Garlic powder: rubbed onto the roast alongside the onion powder.
Green onions (garnish, optional): sliced and scattered over the finished dish for a pop of colour and mild oniony freshness.

✔ How To Make Red Wine Braised Beef Blade Roast

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Drizzle the beef with a small amount of olive oil and rub it over the entire roast. Generously season all sides with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, making sure to season the edges as well.

Set the seasoned beef aside while you roughly chop the carrots, celery, and onion.

Using a small, sharp knife, make four small slits in the top of the beef. Nestle one whole (peeled) garlic clove into each slit. Set the remaining two garlic cloves aside.

Add the vegetable oil to a large oven-safe pot, preferably a Dutch oven, and set over medium-high heat. Once the pot is hot, add the beef and sear for 4–5 minutes per side, or until a deep golden-brown crust forms. Be sure to sear the edges as well so the roast is evenly browned all over.

Just before removing the beef, add the butter to the pot. Once melted, carefully spoon the butter over the top of the roast several times to baste it.Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. To the same pot, add the carrots, celery, onion, and remaining two garlic cloves. Sauté for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it deepens to a dark red colour. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let simmer for 2–3 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by about half and slightly thickened.

Pour in the stock, then return the beef to the centre of the pot. Add the bay leaves, fresh thyme, and fresh sage. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Roast for 2½–3 hours, carefully flipping the beef halfway through the cooking time.

🤝 Sammy’s Tip for the Best Pot Roast Recipe

• The roast is ready when it is very tender and pulls apart easily with two forks. See notes below for more details.

Carefully transfer the cooked beef to a plate. Strain the liquid from the pot, reserving the cooking liquid for the gravy.Pour the reserved liquid into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5–7 minutes, skimming off and discarding any excess fat that rises to the surface.

🤝 Sammy’s Tip for the Best Pot Roast Recipe

• For a thicker gravy, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Slowly stir the slurry into the simmering gravy and cook for another 2–3 minutes, or until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Don’t toss those vegetables! You can serve them alongside the roast, or discard them if you only want the beef and gravy.

To serve, add mashed potatoes (if desired) to a shallow bowl. Top with a tender piece of roast, ladle generously with gravy, and finish with fresh parsley if desired.

🗒 Variations

More veggies: add mushrooms or pearl onions to the pot along with the carrots and celery for extra texture and flavour in the gravy.
Different wine: swap the cabernet sauvignon for a merlot or another dry red you already have on hand.
Extra richness: stir a spoonful of butter or a splash of cream into the finished gravy for an even silkier texture.
Spice it up: add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the braising liquid for a background heat.

🗒 Substitutions

Beef blade roast: chuck roast is a great substitute, since it braises the same way and gets just as tender.
Beef stock: chicken stock works in a pinch, though it gives the gravy a slightly lighter flavour.
Red wine: if you’d rather skip the wine, use an extra cup of beef stock along with a splash of balsamic vinegar for acidity.
Fresh herbs: dried thyme and dried sage can replace the fresh. Use about a teaspoon of each in place of the handfuls of fresh herbs.

🍴 Leftovers? Lucky you.

Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, and the gravy only gets better as it sits. Reheat gently in a covered pot over low heat, or in the microwave in 30-second increments, adding a splash of beef stock if the gravy has thickened too much.

🤔 FAQ’s

👩‍🍳 Hungry For More?

If you loved the Best Pot Roast Recipe, then make sure to check out a few of my other recipes you may also love:

• Beef Cutlets
• Easy Beef Stroganoff
• Braised Beef Short Ribs
• Beef and Barley Soup
• Beef Stew Crockpot Recipe
• Oven Baked Ribs with Espresso BBQ Sauce

💌 Let’s Stay Connected

Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest! If you do make the best pot roast recipe (or any recipe of mine) don’t forget to leave a review.

5 from 16 votes

Best Pot Roast Recipe

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Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total: 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total: 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

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Equipment

• 1 Dutch Oven or large oven safe heavy pot/pan

Ingredients 

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Beef Blade Roast

• ▢ 2-2.5 lb beef blade roast, boneless
• ▢ 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 tbsp butter
• ▢ 6 garlic cloves, 4 in the roast, 2 in the pan
• ▢ 4 carrots, roughly chopped
• ▢ 4 large celery, roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• ▢ 3 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 4 cups beef stock, low sodium
• ▢ 3/4 cup red wine, cabernet sauvignon
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ small handful fresh thyme
• ▢ small handful fresh sage
• ▢ salt
• ▢ pepper
• ▢ onion powder
• ▢ garlic powder
• ▢ green onions, garnish, optional

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Instructions 

• Beef Blade Roast

  Preheat your oven to 325°F.

  Drizzle the beef with a small amount of olive oil and rub it over the entire roast. Generously season all sides with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, making sure to season the edges as well.
• Set the seasoned beef aside while you roughly chop the carrots, celery, and onion.
• Using a small, sharp knife, make four small slits in the top of the beef. Nestle one whole (peeled) garlic clove into each slit. Set the remaining two garlic cloves aside.
• Add the vegetable oil to a large oven-safe pot, preferably a Dutch oven, and set over medium-high heat.

  Once the pot is hot, add the beef and sear for 4–5 minutes per side, or until a deep golden-brown crust forms. Be sure to sear the edges as well so the roast is evenly browned all over.
• Just before removing the beef, add the butter to the pot. Once melted, carefully spoon the butter over the top of the roast several times to baste it.

  Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium. To the same pot, add the carrots, celery, onion, and remaining two garlic cloves. Sauté for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it deepens to a dark red colour.

  Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let simmer for 2–3 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by about half and slightly thickened.
• Pour in the stock, then return the beef to the centre of the pot. Add the bay leaves, fresh thyme, and fresh sage.

  Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Roast for 2½–3 hours, carefully flipping the beef halfway through the cooking time.

  Sammy’s tip: the roast is ready when it is very tender and pulls apart easily with two forks. See notes below for more details.
• Carefully transfer the cooked beef to a plate. Strain the liquid from the pot, reserving the cooking liquid for the gravy.

  Pour the reserved liquid into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5–7 minutes, skimming off and discarding any excess fat that rises to the surface.

  Sammy’s tips: For a thicker gravy, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Slowly stir the slurry into the simmering gravy and cook for another 2–3 minutes, or until it reaches your desired consistency.

  Don’t toss those vegetables! You can serve them alongside the roast, or discard them if you only want the beef and gravy.
• To serve, add mashed potatoes (if desired) to a shallow bowl. Top with a tender piece of roast, ladle generously with gravy, and finish with fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

-2 lb roast (between 2.5-3 hours)
-3 lb roast (between 3-3.5 hours)
-4 lb roast (between 3.5-4 hours)
-5 lb roast (between 4-4.5 hours)
-6 lb + roast (between 4.5-5 hours)

Nutrition

Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 4106mg | Potassium: 1617mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 10733IU | Vitamin C: 113mg | Calcium: 715mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 512

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