Remember those days when your mom made pot roast and everything seemed right in the world? When our kids were growing up the first Sunday of every month was reserved for our Family Favorite Pot Roast. It’s a delicious tradition we all loved, and still do, to this day.

Top five reasons you should make Family Favorite Pot Roast this weekend:
- A slow cooked roast is something every cook should know how to make. Follow my directions and it’s virtually fool proof! With very little time and effort it can become your signature comfort food dish.
- You can dress a pot roast up or down. Fam Favorite Pot Roast is a humble and delicious dinner. Add some creamy mashed potatoes (Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes are the easiest recipe you’ll ever make) and throw on a few fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme) and you’ve got dinner fit for company.
- It’s the perfect Sunday or weekday meal. I put this in the oven before church and we come home to a house that smells like heaven. Set the table and you’re ready to feast.
- Everyone loves a good slow cooked pot roast. Grandpa, babies, hungry teens. You name it, everyone loves it. Nothing pleases like a simple slow cooked pot roast.
- Make two roasts and you’ve got dinner ready for the next night. Shred the extra roast, remove any fat remaining, top with a little juice. When you’re ready to serve, warm it up in a pan of Au Jus. Slice and butter some french rolls, grill or broil till golden, top with a little cheese if you’d like, then pile high with shredded beef. Pass bowls of Au Jus for dipping.

We always rounded out the meal with gravy (see directions on recipe) , rolls , some type of green veggie or salad and usually a simple chocolate cake. You simply can’t buy anything from a store that’s more comforting than this meal.


Family Favorite Pot Roast

Ingredients
- 1- 3-3 1/2 lb Roast, pot roast, chuck roast
- 2-3 cups onion, chunked ( I prefer yellow or sweet onion)
- 1 cup celery, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 lb carrots, baby carrots or whole carrots, peeled and cut up in large chunks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, garlic salt
- 2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 2-3 cups beef broth
If making gravy from juice:
- one package or tub of flavor enhancer, I like Knorr brand “Homestyle Stock” beef flavor
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 225 if slow cooking (8 hours) OR 275 if cooking for 4 1/2 hours plus 1 hour in oven with heat off
- Set rack in middle of oven.
- Season meat generously on top and bottom of roast with salt, pepper and garlic salt. About 1 teaspoons salt and pepper each, and 1 teaspoon garlic salt per side. Rub seasoning into meat if desired.
- Heat heavy pan on stove over medium high heat and add oil. This should be the same pan used to slow cook meat in oven.
- Add meat to pan and brown on both sides about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove meat to plate.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to pan if needed. Add chopped onions, carrots, celery. Cook for about 3-4 minutes and loosen the bits of meat from the bottom of the pan. Season with additional salt and pepper.
- Add minced garlic and reduce heat. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Leave the vegetables in the pan and add the meat back to the middle of the pan, pushing the vegetables around the sides of the roast.
- Sprinkle the Worcestershire Sauce and the Balsamic on top of the meat evenly.
- Pour the beef broth around the edges of the pan, do not pour over the top of the roast (it will wash away the seasonings and sauces). The liquid should come about half way up the sides of the roast.
- Drizzle the entire pan with a bit of olive oil.
- Cover tightly with foil or lid.
- If using a roasting pan that is not deep, place the pan on top of a jelly roll pan so any excess juice created while cooking will spill over onto the pan and not the oven.
- Place in oven to bake.
- If baking for 8 hours, oven temperature should be 225.
- If baking for 4 1/2 hours, oven temperature should be 275. After 4-4 1/2 hours, turn off heat and leave roast in oven for an additional hour. The roast will be done at 4 hours but will tenderize as it sits in the oven with the oven off.
for gravy:
- Pour the juice off of the roast and vegetables, or use a bulb and extract the juice.
- Cover pan to keep meat and vegetables warm.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter into a sauce pan over medium heat.
- Add 3 tablespoons of flour, whisk until the flour and butter are a paste like consistency.
- Cook for about 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly add about 4 cups of the juice from the roast, Whisking while adding the liquid.
- Add the concentrated stock tub and whisk until dissolved. Cook until gravy thickens.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!
Angela Grange
Anxious to try this tomorrow! I am cooking a 7.5 lb roast for 20 people. How long would you recommend cooking it? Everything I read says a much higher temp, but I want to cook it slow and low as you suggest.
Si Foster
Hi Angela,
How nice that you’re getting together for a Sunday family meal! This pot roast should be cooked for about 8 hours in a slow cooker. If you bump the temperature to 275 you don’t have to cook it as long. Just check it a few times to make sure it’s fully cooked.
Happy Holidays!
XO,
Si
Angela Grange
Thank you so much for your speedy reply. Merry Christmas!
Sonya
Love this recipe for roast. I only knew how to make it the way my mom did but it was not great. Love to serve this perfect meal to my family. I love that my meals are perfect coming from a bountiful kitchen recipes.
CAndace
This roast recipe is TDF!! It’s the classic Sunday pot roast meal somehow made even better. The roast melts in your mouth and the added balsamic vinegar is just perfection.
Pam
I love the flavor and technique of cooking this. It is my go to pot roast recipe. And even better it is gluten free for those who have celiac. Thanks Sy
Bailey Davis
A regular at our house! Can never get enough good roast!
Rachel Phillipps
I have made the pot roast recipe many times and it is always amazing. I also love the French bread, the pie crust, and the overnight cinnamon rolls. I always check your site first when I want to try something new. Thank you for being wonderful!!!
Carly
I can’t even make a roast any other way now — this is the best!! With the slow cooker mashed potato’s, it’s an easy meal that tastes incredible. Thank you!!
Rachel Allred
This pot roast was amazing!!!! I followed the recipe, except I did not have balsamic vinegar so just didn’t add it. I cooked for 4 1:2 hours and then left in the oven for another hour. The roast was so incredibly tender! My family loved it! The vegetables were also amazing. I added potatoes, celery, carrots and onions. The gravy was also delicious! My family is anxious for me to make this meal again! Next time I will also make the easy french bread! 😊
Si Foster
Thank you Rachel for your positive comments. We love this recipe and so glad your family does as well. Yes. try the french bread- it is always a hit! Thank you for reading ABK!
xo, Si
leigh
Can’t wait to make this. If I wanted to include potatoes and mushrooms in the recipe, like the above photo, how much of each would I need?
PS Both of college kids have asked me to figure out how to mail them the Levain copycat cookies! I told them they’re too fragile so they’ll just come home!
Diane Marshall
I’ve bought all of the ingredients for this Sunday’s dinner but what do you mean by a package or tub of flavor enhancer – Knorr Homestyle stock beef flavor? You put a whole tub in? I’m clueless on this. Thanks.
Si Foster
Hi Diane,
the package is sold as a 4 pack. This recipe calls for one of the little packages (they look like mini tubs) in the 4 pack. You may also use a tablespoon of concentrated beef base such as “Better than Bullion”, which is sold at most grocery stores or Costco!
Hope this helps,
XO
Si
Amy
This pot roast is the best recipe I have found, and not too difficult! The smells just made the anticipation that much greater. We baked it for 8 hours and it melted in our mouths.
Si Foster
Thank you Amy! Waiting is the hardest part of this recipe!
xo
Si
Kim Williams
We have tried this recipe twice and the meat always turns out delicious, but my potatoes and carrots are so overcooked! I am using a Le Creuset pot. Should I add the veggies half way through?
Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Si Foster
Hi Kim, I’m sorry to hear that! Yes, next time add the veggies half way through and see if that helps them not overcook. Thanks for asking and for reading ABK,
xo
Si
Elyse Farris
Y’all this really is the BEST pot roast recipe out there! Melt in your mouth savory goodness! Do yourself a favor and make this (with the crock pot mashed potatoes from Si!) and your family (and stomach) will thank you!
Si Foster
Thank you, Elyse!
xo
Si
Kaitlin
Best roast I’ve ever had! Amazing! Cooked for 7 hrs on low in slow cooker.
Si Foster
Thanks for your comment, Kaitlin! I love this recipe for pot roast, it cooks perfectly every time.
xo
Si
Kirstin
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Si Foster
Kirsten,
Yes, this recipe will work in a crockpot – cook on low. Be sure to check the roast earlier, as a crockpot may cook a little faster than the oven. Let me know how this recipe works for you in your slow cooker!
Thanks for reading ABK.
xo,
Si
Amber
This is one of my family’s all time favorite recipes!! I also pick this often to make it as a meal to take a family — the flavors are perfection! Kids of all ages love it. Great recipe, Si! (…but then again, I have yet to try a recipe of your’s that isn’t great!!)
abountifulkitchen
Thanks so much Amber! Im glad your family loves this recipe! Nothing like a good old fashioned roast and a family gathering.
thanks for reading ABK,
xo
Si
Ann
Hi Si! I can fit almost 6 pounds of roast in my Lecreuset, do you think this much roast will work? Should I cook it longer? Thanks, I love your blog and recipes, this is a winner that I have cooked many a time to perfection, but I am having lots of family over and they want me to cook this.
abountifulkitchen
Hi Ann,
I believe a 6 lb roast will work using this recipe. I would make sure the liquid amount is about 2 cups total to insure there is enough liquid to meat for cooking. Let us know how it turns out!
xo
Si
Isabella
Hi! This recipe looks delicious but I’m confused on the amount of meat you use. I’m planning on feeding a party of 4! Would one pound suffice? And if I were to use one pound, would the amounts for the rest of the ingredients and the cooking times stay the same?
abountifulkitchen
Isabella, The recipe calls for a 3 to 3 1/2 lb roast, which would feed 7-10 people. Usually Roasts are sold 3 lb and up. So yes, this recipe would feed 4 with leftovers!
Justine Holmgren
This recipe is so delicious. This time I am cooking a smaller roast. I have this same question as well about cooking a 1.5 lb roast. How would you suggest adjusting the cooking time and ingredient measurements for a smaller roast? Thanks!
Si Foster
Hi Justine, since you’re using half the amount of roast in the recipe, I recommend just halving the whole recipe. Just insure that there is enough liquid for the meat to cook. The cook time will be the same! Let me know how it goes.
Happy cooking!
Si
Justine
Thank you!
Leslie
Thanks for the delicious recipe Sy! This is now our favorite way to do a pot roast! By the way – where do you find the Knorr homestyle beef flavor stock? I searched all over for it …
Kari
Can I cook this in a crock pot?
Annie
Is it possible to make this dish in a crock pot instead of the oven?