Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Red Wine

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This fall apart braised pot roast comes together in one Dutch oven. The tender pieces of beef are cooked with onions, garlic, and big chunks of carrots in a silky red wine reduction. Every bite is a bit of comfort that you can only get with old fashioned home cooking.

hero shot pot roast in Dutch oven with salad on side

This recipe brings it all together in one Dutch oven. The chuck roast is so juicy and tender that you can pull apart the chunks with just your serving tongs.

The chunks of carrots hold up and take on all of the flavor from the pan gravy.

The red wine pan gravy requires no extra steps. Adding butter and flour to the pan before the red wine helps the braising juices come together to form a thick, rich gravy to serve over the beef.

You can make Dutch Oven Pot Roast using either your oven or stove top.

Contents hide

Ingredients

How to make it!

FAQs

Tips for Success

What to Serve with Pot Roast

Related Recipes

📖 Recipe

Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Red Wine

Oven Method

Stove Top Method

Ingredients

Beef Roast- I typically use chuck roast for this recipe. It is a very inexpensive shoulder cut that has a nice amount of fat. However, there are a few other cuts that do really well including rump roast, London broil, and top round.

Red Wine- Choose a nice red that you like to drink. I tend to go for blends or something in the Cabernet family. The red wine makes up the base for the pan gravy that builds up with the beef broth, and stewed tomatoes.

How to make it!

Step 1

The first step in making a really good pot roast is browning the meat. That initial sear locks in the juice and starts the flavor building process.
Be sure to heat your Dutch oven thoroughly. It is best to use a medium heat and let the pot sit on the stove a little longer to warm up evenly.
Drizzle olive into the pan,and lay the roast seasoned with salt and pepper into the pan. You should hear a nice sizzle.
Don’t rush this step because the nice bits that stick are the foundation of the deep flavor this dish will develop.
Once the first side is brown, turn it over and brown the under side. Then, remove the roast and set aside.

Step 2

Add another two tablespoons of olive oil to the Dutch oven, and add roughly chopped yellow onion.
Sauté the onion until they start to soften.
Next, add some minced garlic, carrot chunks, and season with some salt and pepper.
Add butter to the sautéing vegetables. Stir and get everything well coated in the butter. Then, add the flour and let it brown slightly.

Step 3

Deglaze the pan with red wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bits of browed meat and vegetables off the bottom of the pot.
Then, bring the wine to a simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the wine a bit. You will notice the butter and flour will make the red wine slightly cloudy. This is the start of the gravy that will develop in the Dutch oven as the roast cooks.

Step 4

Next, add stewed tomatoes and beef broth to the Dutch oven along with two bay leaves.
This is the remainder of the cooking liquid for braising the roast.

Step 5

Finally, return the browned roast to the Dutch Oven and nestle the meat in the cooking liquid.
Place the lid on tight and use either the oven or stove top method to cook.

Oven Method

Preheat oven to 325°. Place the Dutch oven with the lid firmly on into the oven and let cook for two and a half to three hours. The typical roast is between 2.5-3 pounds and takes about an hour per pound to cook.

Check your cooking liquid around the halfway mark. You can add more beef broth if it looks too low or too thick at this point.

Stove Top Method

Once you’ve placed your browned beef into the braising liquid, bring the juices to a low simmer. Turn your heat to low, place the lid on top, and cook for two to three hours.

I find I need to check the braising juices more frequently on the stove top because even with the lid on I get more evaporation and the direct heat tends to intensify the cooking process. So be sure to set the temperature to a very low setting and keep an eye on the simmering liquids.

You don’t want to cross into the boiling because it will toughen the beef.

FAQs

Why use a Dutch oven?

Dutch ovens are heavy and have well-fitted lids. This helps them reach and maintain the correct cooking temperature. They are really versatile and can be used on the stove or in the oven. This makes them perfect for one pot cooking.

How long should I cook my pot roast?

At a low temperature, pot roast takes around 1 hour per pound of meat.

Why is my pot roast tough?

If the roast doesn’t fall apart using tongs, it probably just needs to cook a little longer. The fat and sinew in an inexpensive roast take time to break down. I recommend an hour for every pound of beef.

Always, check the cooking liquid in the pan around half way through to make sure it isn’t drying out.

Why is my pot roast dry?

It can be confusing to cook a piece of meat in liquids only to find it dried out. The problem usually lies with cooking temperature. A large piece of chuck or rump roast has a good deal of connective tissue. These need to be cooked very slowly so that they get tender and break down. If they get hot too fast, like when your simmering liquid crosses into a boil, those fibers shorten and contract. This will squeeze the natural moisture right out of your roast.

It can’t be said enough, low and slow is the best way to ensure tender pot roast.

Tips for Success

Brown the meat well. Make sure the Dutch oven bottom is hot before putting the olive oil and roast down inside. Don’t rush the process. It’s a large piece of meat and a few extra minutes to get good browning won’t cause overcooking.

Make sure to deglaze the pan and really work those bits of flavor off the bottom of the pan. Working them up into the sauce will add depth to the red wine pan gravy.

Also, anything left stuck to the bottom could burn and add a burnt taste to the sauce.

Season as you go. Add salt and pepper to taste to the beef when browning, and then the vegetables when sauteeing, and so on.

Don’t kick up the heat to finish the pot roast faster. Boiled roast is tough and dry. Go low and slow!