This Dutch oven pot roast with beef gravy recipe features a juicy, tender chuck roast in the oven, cooked low and slow with carrots, onion, celery, and fresh herbs. Topped with a homemade beef gravy made from the pot roast cooking liquid, this flavorful stew is cozy, delicious, and a family favorite! Simple ingredients, easy prep, and a Dutch oven that does all the work!

a closeup photo of a fork slicing a piece of beef from the dutch oven pot roast recipe this recipe

What Makes This Recipe Great

Comfort food is my absolute favorite part of winter. Juicy, tender roast cooked low and slow all day long in my oven on a Sunday while we have a cozy family day and smell our delicious Sunday dinner cooking away. It is such an easy dinner to throw together and one of the most flavorful and mouthwatering dinners I make.

I’ve tweaked the recipe just a tad, and now it is completely diet-friendly! Paleo, Whole30, gluten-free, dairy-free, and low-carb. But just as delicious as ever. All you taste is succulent beef cooked in carrots, onions, beef broth, and fresh herbs low and slow for 5 hours. Plus, an easy homemade beef gravy recipe that tops the whole thing off!

This Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipe is truly a meal the whole family will love!

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Note: You can also watch this recipe video on YouTube.

Ingredient Notes

a dutch oven pot roast on a white serving tray with cooked onions, carrots, and celery.

For the full list of ingredients, see the recipe card below.

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

  • Boneless Chuck Roast: Look for a cut of meat that has very small veins of marbling throughout, rather than 1 giant vein of fat/marbling down the center. The smaller veins of marbling will give you the most flavorful and tender pot roast. I have the best luck with Whole Foods.
  • Veggies: This recipe calls for onions, carrots, celery, and garlic.
  • Beef Broth: You can use beef stock, bone broth, or beef broth. I love Kettle & Fire brand. Usually, this recipe calls for red wine, however, to keep it paleo I omit this. It tastes just as good!
  • Fresh Herbs: I use fresh rosemary and fresh thyme.
  • Salt and Black Pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Tomato Paste

Beef Gravy Recipe

  • Ghee: You can also use regular butter or vegan butter if you prefer.
  • Pot Roast Braising Liquid: Strain the fat first. If you don’t have 4 cups worth of liquid left over, you can use beef broth to supplement.
  • Tapioca Starch: This is a healthy thickening alternative to cornstarch. You can substitute cornstarch or arrowroot powder– whatever you have on hand.

Step-By-Step Instructions

step by step photos showing how to make this dutch oven pot roast recipe

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

  1. Preheat oven to 325ºF with the oven rack in the bottom third. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  2. Pat the pot roast dry with a paper towel, then season all sides with kosher salt. (I don’t season the meat with pepper because I find that browning it at this high heat gives the pepper a bitter taste.)
  3. Brown the beef in the dutch oven by adding the olive oil, then searing the meat on all sides until it is golden brown, about 4-6 minutes per side.
  4. Remove the meat from the dutch oven and transfer it to a plate.
  5. Scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the dutch oven by adding 1 cup of the beef broth to the same dutch oven, then scrape up all the brown bits into the liquid. This is where you’ll get a ton of flavor.
  6. Layer the pot roast. Add half the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and herbs to the bottom of the dutch oven. Return the browned pot roast to the dutch oven on top of the herbs and veggies. Then arrange the remaining half of the onion, carrots, celery, herbs, and garlic around the edge of the pot roast.
  7. Add the broth and tomato paste to the dutch oven. You want enough to cover all the veggies and 9/10ths of the pot roast. This will be anywhere from 6-8 cups. I like to stir the tomato paste into 4 cups of broth first, so it distributes evenly.
  8. Cover the dutch oven with its lid, and cook in the oven for 5 hours, until the beef is fork tender.
  9. Remove from the oven. With a large spatula, lift the pot roast out from the dutch oven and transfer it to a cutting board to rest. Careful! It’s super tender and falls apart easily! With a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots and onions to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Discard the garlic and herbs.
  10. Strain the fat from the pot roast braising liquid to use for the homemade beef gravy. You’ll want 4 cups.

Beef Gravy Recipe

  1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Melt the butter/ghee. Add in the tapioca flour and whisk vigorously until combined and there are no lumps. Cook for 30 seconds.
  3. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the beef braising liquid. Cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened, whisking every few seconds.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
a close up of a cooked dutch oven pot roast topped with homemade beef gravy next to cooked onions, carrots, and celery

The Perfect Chuck Roast

There are a few tips I have found that really make a huge difference in making the perfect chuck roast in the oven.

First, you want to pick out a cut of beef that is well-marbled with fat. You don’t want just one, huge fat line down the center and the rest is just straight meat. Try and find a chuck roast that has a lot of spidered off fat lines throughout the meat. This meat will turn out more juicy and flavorful after cooking.

Then, I like to brown my pot roast really well so it gets a nice golden brown crust. Then when I add in the beef stock braising liquid, I stop pouring it in to leave the top 1/2″ of the pot roast out. The resulting pot roast is almost completely tender, with the top of it still crusty and seared off. The best texture combination.

Expert Tips

  • Braising Liquid: If for some reason too much of your braising liquid has cooked off, and you don’t have 4 cups remaining for the beef gravy recipe, use beef broth to make up the difference.
  • Gravy Thickener: To keep this paleo and gluten-free, I love to use tapioca flour, also known as tapioca starch. You could use all-purpose flour if your diet allows it. Same quantity.
  • Dutch Oven: I have this 6-quart Lodge brand Dutch oven and love it. Works just as well as a Le Creuset but at a fraction of the price. Any Dutch oven that is at least 6 quarts will do.

Serving Tips

  1. Shred the pot roast with 2 forks into large chunks.
  2. Serve the pot roast warm with the carrots, celery, and onions, topped with the beef gravy recipe. Best served with my mashed potatoes or roasted red potatoes.

Storage Tips

Store leftover pot roast in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator—Reheat in a large pot over the stovetop or individual portions in the microwave. Leftovers have so much flavor- this is one of those dishes that is even better the next day!

Alternative Cooking Methods

Crock Pot Instructions: Transfer the browned pot roast and all the veggies, herbs, and broth to your slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.

Instant Pot Instructions: I also have this Instant Pot pot roast version that is great too! Especially if you’re short on time.

Recipe FAQs

Can make this pot roast in the slow cooker?

You can, but I don’t like it as much. It tastes much better cooked in the oven in my dutch oven. I think the dutch oven holds the heat much better, and the meat comes out more structured.

When I make it in the slow cooker I find it is just a tad more “mushy”, as if it has been steamed more than braised. It’s still good in the slow cooker, but I really prefer it in the dutch oven. Plus, I use my dutch oven to sear it off anyway, so I might as well cook the whole thing in it!

How long do I cook this dutch oven pot roast?

A lot of pot roast recipes call for you to cook it for 3-4 hours, but I like cooking mine for 5 hours. I find that extra hour makes the pot roast even more tender, but not so tender it is falling apart.

When I’ve cooked it for 4 hours, it still has a little more chew to it than I would like. But after 5 hours, the meat is so wonderfully fall-apart tender I don’t even need a knife to cut it. It just melts in my mouth. Adjust the cooking time according to your preferences.

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Easy Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Beef Gravy Recipe

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
This dutch oven pot roast with beef gravy recipe features a juicy, tender chuck roast in the oven, cooked low and slow with carrots, onion, celery, and fresh herbs. Topped with a homemade beef gravy made from the pot roast cooking liquid, this flavorful stew is cozy, delicious, and a family favorite! Simple ingredients, easy prep, and a dutch oven that does all the work!
4.98 from 34 ratings
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Ingredients 
 

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

  • 4 pounds boneless chuck roast
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 whole onions, skins removed, cut in quarters
  • 8 medium carrots, scrubbed, cut in 2" chunks
  • 8 ribs of celery, scrubbed, cut in 2" chunks
  • 1 head of garlic, cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 6-8 cups beef broth
  • 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme

Beef Gravy Recipe

  • 4 tablespoons ghee or butter, or high quality grass fed butter if diet allows
  • 4 tablespoons tapioca flour
  • 4 cups of the pot roast braising liquid, fat removed
  • salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

Instructions 

Dutch Pot Roast

  • Preheat oven to 325ºF with the oven rack in the bottom third. Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat.
  • Pat the pot roast dry with a paper towel, then season all sides with kosher salt. (I don't season the meat with pepper because I find that browning it at this high heat gives the pepper a bitter taste.)
  • Brown the beef in the dutch oven by adding the olive oil, then searing the meat on all sides until it is golden brown, about 4-6 minutes per side.
  • Remove the meat from the dutch oven and transfer to a plate.
  • Scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the dutch oven by adding in 1 cup of the beef broth to the same dutch oven, then scrape up all the brown bits into the liquid. This is where you'll get a ton of flavor.
  • Layer the pot roast. Add half the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and herbs to the bottom of the dutch oven. Return the browned pot roast to the dutch oven on top of the herbs and veggies. Then arrange the remaining half of the onion, carrots, celery, herbs and garlic around the edge of the pot roast.
  • Add the broth and tomato paste to the dutch oven. You want enough to cover all the veggies, and 9/10th's of the pot roast. This will be anywhere from 6-8 cups. I like to the stir the tomato paste into 4 cups of the broth first, so it even distributes.
  • Cover the dutch oven with its lid, and cook in the oven for 5 hours.
  • Remove from the oven. With a large spatula, lift the pot roast out from the dutch oven and transfer to a cutting board to rest. Careful! It's super tender and falls apart easily! With a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots and onions to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Discard the garlic and herbs.
  • Strain the fat from the pot roast braising liquid to use for the homemade gravy. You'll want 4 cups.

Beef Gravy Recipe

  • Heat a medium size sauce pan over medium heat.
  • Melt the ghee. Add in the tapioca flour and whisk vigorously until combined and there are no lumps. Cook for 30 seconds.
  • While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the beef braising liquid. Cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened, whisking every few seconds.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serving

  • Shred the pot roast with 2 forks in to large chunks.
  • Serve the pot roast warm with the carrots, celery and onions, topped with the gravy. Best served with my mashed potatoes.
  • Leftovers will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 5 days.
  • See the Recipe Notes below for more tips, FAQ's and ingredient substitutions.

Notes

Beef: Look for a chuck roast that has very small veins of marbling throughout, rather than 1 giant vein of fat/marbling down the center. The smaller veins of marbling will give you the most flavorful and tender dutch oven pot roast. I have the best luck with Whole Foods.
Slow Cooker Instructions: Transfer the browned pot roast and all the veggies, herbs and broth to your slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
Instant Pot Instructions: I also have this instant pot pot roast version that is great too! Especially if you’re short on time.
Braising Liquid: If for some reason too much of your braising liquid has cooked off, and you don’t have 4 cups remaining for the beef gravy recipe, use beef broth to make up the difference.
Gravy Thickener: To keep this paleo and gluten free, I love to use tapioca flour, also known as tapioca starch. You could use all purpose flour if your diet allows. Same quantity.
Dutch Oven: I have this 6 quart Lodge brand dutch oven and love it. Works just as well as a Le Creuset but a fraction of the price. Any dutch oven that is at least 6 quarts will do.
Cuisine: American
Course: Main Course
Author: Natalie
Calories: 539, Total Carbs: 15.4g, Protein: 62.9g, Fat: 24.2g, Fiber: 3.8g, Net Carbs: 12g
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