Making pot roast in the oven with potatoes and carrots is easy! By cooking chuck roast and vegetables in the oven with seasonings like onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, spices, and plenty of vegetable stock, you can make a delicious and juicy pot roast without having to stand over the stove for hours.
In this article I will cover the type of baking dish as well as the best cut of meat. I will also talk about the ideal time and temp for cooking pot roast in the oven with potatoes and carrots. If you want to learn how to make this recipe, keep reading!
Can You Slow Cook a Pot Roast in the Oven with Potatoes and Carrots?
Traditionally, old fashioned pot roast was cooked in a pot on the stove top, and many modern recipes call for a crockpot or something instant pot. However, making a pot roast in the oven is good because:
- It’s easy – You don’t have to babysit it as much as a pot boiling on the stove.
- You don’t need special equipment – No crockpot or no instant pot? No problem!
- You add the vegetables and meat at the same time – You don’t have to worry about forgetting to add them later.
As you can see, slow cooking a pot roast in the oven has multiple advantages. If you follow my recipe, your pot roast will turn out delicious and juicy for sure!
Can You Cook a Pot Roast in a Casserole Dish or Roasting Pan?
Yes, you can! Everyone has a 9×13 casserole dish or a large roasting pan. Along with some aluminum foil to cover the roast for part of the cooking time, that’s all you need!
How to Make a Pot Roast in the Oven with Potatoes and Carrots
Learning how to make a pot roast in the oven with potatoes and carrots is easy. Pot roast is meant to be an easy and economical meal that is somewhat flexible with what you have on hand. So I’m going to go over some pot roast basics so that you can adapt the meal to your tastes and ingredients.
What is the Best Cut of Meat for Pot Roast in the Oven?
If you’ve never made a pot roast before, choosing the right cut of bit can be a bit daunting. According to a thektchn.com article, the best cuts of meat for pot roast in the oven are:
- Chuck Roast – Boneless chuck roast is the classic cut for homemade pot roast.
- Brisket – I have never heard of anyone using brisket for pot roast, but I think it could work.
- Round – The article recommends rump roast or bottom round, but I would recommend top round.
In addition, I think you could also try:
- Tri-Tip – I have heard that this is good.
- Beef Shank – Although technically not a “roast,” I think it would work well.
However, I would not suggest using a couple ribeyes or NY strip steaks to make pot roast. Pot roast works best with large roasts that have a lot of marbling and collagen, a connective tissue that requires heat and liquid to soften.
Honestly, I think that a boneless chuck roast would be the best cut of meat for pot roast in the oven, but other cuts would work, too.
How Many Pounds Should the Pot Roast Be?
- 2.5 lbs
If using a 9×13 casserole dish like I did, I recommend a 2-3 lb chuck roast, 2.5 lbs being in the middle of the range. My roast was about 2 pounds, but a bit more meat would have been nice.
Less than 2 pounds, and it might not be enough food; more than 3 pounds, and the casserole dish might be too crowded, as well as too heavy.
What Vegetables are Good in Pot Roast?
Large, root vegetables are best for pot roast since they will stand up to long cook times. For this recipe I used:
- White Potatoes
- Red Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Yellow Onions
- Carrots
- Celery
In other recipes I have also used:
- Apples (with pork and beef shank)
- Red Onion
In short, any type of potato or root vegetable would work well. However, if you use beets, be aware that they will likely bleed and turn your braising liquid a dark purple color.
I am curious about asparagus, but I would make sure to submerge it in the liquid so that it doesn’t burn. I’ve never tried it, but I don’t think that broccoli or cauliflower would work well in this recipe.
How Many Vegetables to Add?
For my roast, I used 4 pounds of assorted carrots, potatoes, and onions. If you are using a 9×13 casserole dish and 2-3 lb roast, 4-5 pounds of vegetables is probably the most you could fit in the pan without overcrowding them.
How Big Should I Cut the Vegetables?
Unfortunately, I didn’t really measure when I cut up the potatoes and other vegetables. I would say that I cut the vegetables into roughly 1-1.5 inch chunks, some a bit bigger and some a bit smaller.
I think that is a good size so that the potatoes cook through without falling apart.
Where Do I Put the Vegetables?
As you can see in the video, I placed the roast in the center of the 9×13 casserole dish and then put the vegetables around the roast. I tried my best to lay the vegetable chunks in a single layer, but it was difficult in some areas: as long as each piece of vegetable has contact with the braising juice, you should be fine.
As stated earlier, some stove top pot roast recipes call for cooking the meat alone for a period of time and then adding the vegetables. My recipe calls for adding the potatoes and carrots at the beginning, so that’s one less step later on in the recipe.
How to Season Your Pot Roast in the Oven with Potatoes and Carrots:
To make sure your oven baked pot roast has a lot of season, it’s important to season it well along with the vegetables. Although you could try a lot of things, I recommend:
- Onion Soup Mix – As in other recipes like my squash and zucchini casserole, onion soup mix is a secret ingredient.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Worcestershire sauce is a classic ingredient in traditional pot roast. I think it really brings out beefy flavor and adds a great salty tanginess, so I think it’s an important ingredient for pot roast. If you don’t have any on hand, I would recommend using soy sauce.
- Red Wine – Surprisingly, red wine is a common ingredient in pot roast recipes. It adds a nice complexity to the juice that is delicious. If you don’t have wine, use my substitute:
- Red Wine Substitute: 3/4 cup grape juice + 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- Spices – I used garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. No salt since Worcestershire sauce is already salty.
What Liquid To Use?
In addition to the meat, vegetables, and spices, you need liquid to cook pot roast to help break down the tough connective tissue; otherwise, your roast will be tough.
I used homemade vegetable stock, and most recipes call for the same. Although you could use beef broth , storebought beef broth has a reputation for having an odd taste.
Do I Have to Sear / Brown My Pot Roast Before Cooking?
If you watch my video, you will see that I first brown the outside of the chuck roast in a pan with some oil putting it in the casserole dish. Searing the outside of the meat is an extra step, but it adds a lot of flavor.
Although searing the meat isn’t necessary for the recipe, I highly recommend that you brown the meat since it adds so much flavor. Trust me–you’ll thank me when you take your first bite.
At What Temperature Should You Cook a Pot Roast in the Oven with Potatoes and Carrots?
- 350 F
Braising pot roast on the stove requires long and slow cooking. Likewise, cooking a pot roast in the oven requires a moderate temperature so I recommend 350 F.
How Long to Cook a Pot Roast in the Oven with Potatoes and Carrots?
- A total of 3 hours in the oven
When comes to cooking time, I do something a bit unique with my baked pot roast. During a total of 3 hours of cooking time:
- 0 min – 2 hours: Covered at 350 F
- At 2-hour mark: Remove from oven and baste both the meat and vegetables with the juice. Then return to oven, uncovered.
- 2 hours – 2 hr + 40 min: For the next 40 minutes, cook the roast uncovered at 350 F.
- 2 hr + 40 min – 3 hours: After cooking uncovered for 40 minutes (2 hours and 40 minutes of total cooking time), turn off the oven but leave the roast in the oven–uncovered–for an additional 20 minutes. The residual heat will finish cooking the roast.
Cook Covered or Uncovered?
As I just explained, I started my pot roast covered then finished uncovered. I started the roast covered to lock in the heat and moisture to cook the meat and vegetables all the raw through, melting the fat and collagen in the roast.
Then, I cooked the roast uncovered to crisp up the exterior of the meat and potatoes. This combination of covered and uncovered pot roast in the oven gave everything a very nice texture.
Can You Make a Gravy For This Pot Roast?
Yes you can definitely make a gravy for this oven pot roast recipe. Once the roast is done, reserve the braising liquid and use it to make a thick and delicious gravy for the meat and vegetables.
However, in my opinion, I think that using the braising liquid to moisten the meat and potatoes is enough. Adding thickener like flour or cornstarch would cloud the flavor of the gravy, so I think it’s best to just drizzle the leftover juice over your meal.
What to Serve with Pot Roast?
Although this pot roast in the oven with potatoes and carrots is technically a one-pan meal, you can definitely serve an extra side. With so much juicy braising liquid, something that can absorb it would be very good, such as:
- Rice
- Cornbread
- Mashed Potatoes
- Polenta
- Bread
If you want to make a full, homestyle southern-style, comfort food meal, consider also making:
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Greens
- Corn
I made rice, and I was very satisfied. However, in the future, I would like to serve this with thick pieces of bread to sop up the juice. As you can see, you can definitely serve sides with pot roast besides potatoes.
Variations of the Recipe
As I said earlier in the article, pot roast is an easy homestyle meal that is meant to be economical and adaptable. While researching this recipe, I found other versions calling for things like:
- Cream of Mushroom Soup – To add creaminess to the braising liquid.
- Mushrooms – More vegetables.
- Tomatoes – Tomato sauce, juice, or even crushed tomatoes would replace some or all of the braising liquid, giving the pot roast a whole new flavor.
I have a lot of things to try in the future, so stay tuned!
Possible Changes to the Recipe
Although my pot roast in the oven with potatoes and carrots recipe turned out great, I would like to try a few things:
- Add more vegetables – I’m curious about asparagus.
- White wine instead of red – That might be interesting.
- Make it sweet – I have used apples when making beef shank and pork roasts in the past, so I’d like to try that with a chuck pot roast, too.
Other Pot Roast Recipes
If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my other pot roast recipes, too:
Mississippi Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots in the Oven
Pot Roast in the Oven with Potatoes and Carrots Recipe
Pot Roast in the Oven with Potatoes and Carrots
Ingredients
- 2-3 lb chuck roast (you can also use top or bottom round, but I recommend chuck roast)
- 4 pounds vegetables (I used a mix of white potatoes, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, carrots, yellow onions, and celery)
- 1 cup red wine (I used 3/4 cup concord grape juice + 1/4 cup red wine vinegar)
- 1 packet onion soup mix
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 Tablespoons oil (for searing the meat)
Instructions
- Although searing the meat is optional, I highly recommend that you brown your roast in a skillet using a few tablespoons of oil. This will give your roast a lot more flavor.
- Once the roast is seared, place it in a buttered 9×13 casserole dish.
- Deglaze the skillet with 1 cup of red wine, scraping the bottom to release any bits.
- Once the pan is deglazed, add the onion soup mix, then set side.
- Cut up the potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables and place them around the roast.
- Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper over the meat and vegetables (this step can be done at almost any point).
- Pour the red wine with onion soup mix mixture over the meat and vegetables.
- Pour the Worcestershire sauce and vegetable stock over the meat and vegetables.
- Cover the 9×13 casserole dish with foil and bake at 350 F, covered, for 2 hours.
- After cooking for 2 hours, remove the roast from the oven and baste the meat and vegetables with the braising juice.
- Return the roast to the oven, without the foil, to continue cooking at 350 F, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, turn off the oven, and let the residual heat continue cooking the roast, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes.
- After 3 hours of total time in the oven, remove from the oven and serve.
YouTube Video
Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial:
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