Oven-Braised Pot Roast With Garlic Gravy

Pot roast is one of those cozy, cool-weather meals that fills your home with delicious aromas while delivering on the promise of pure comfort on a plate. This oven-braised pot roast with garlic gravy is my go-to recipe for melt-in-your-mouth, tender beef and a rich, flavorful gravy.

The best part? It’s a slow, lazy one-pot meal that takes about 30 minutes to prep, then lets you forget about it for hours while it works its magic unsupervised in the oven. Which means you get to take a few hours to do your thing! Read a book, do some yoga, watch the game, take a nap…or maybe take a little trip to TJMaxx 🙂

A Quick Note on The One Pot Meal

Carrots and potatoes pair perfectly with pot roast, but depending on the size of your roast and your pot, cooking them together may not always work. This recipe focuses on the roast and gravy alone, with an option at the end for adding the vegetables. Alternatively, you can roast the potatoes and carrots separately for more control over timing. Or even serve it with mashed potatoes and a different vegetable all together.

The choice is yours!

Why I Prefer the Dutch Oven Over the Crockpot

The key to a perfect pot roast is simple: low and slow cooking. And a Dutch oven is the perfect vessel for the task!

I used to swear by crockpot pot roasts. The convenience of tossing everything together, pushing a few buttons, and coming home after work to a fragrant meal was unbeatable. But I found that while crockpot roasts often fell apart, they were sometimes dry, and the sauce lacked the depth of flavor I craved. Don’t get me wrong—crockpots are fantastic for busy weeknights. But for an even juicier, more flavorful roast? I’m all about the dutch oven.

Here’s why:

• Versatility: You can use a dutch oven on both the stovetop and in the oven.
• Heat retention: Its thick walls ensure even heat distribution, with no hot spots.
• One-pot simplicity: Sear, sauté, simmer, and braise—all in the same pot. Less cleanup!
• Flavor development: Sautéing in the dutch oven allows you to incorporate the browned bits, adding layers of flavor.
• Moisture retention: The tight-fitting lid locks in moisture, intensifying flavors.
• Thick sauces: Dutch ovens create luscious, thick sauces and gravies.

Though they can be pricey, they’re worth the investment and they last forever (and will probably be passed down to your kids or grandkids!). You can often find great deals at places like TJMaxx or HomeGoods (I’ve never paid full price for any of mine).

If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can still make this in a heavy casserole or pot with a tight-fitting lid. Just place some foil under the lid for a tighter seal. And don’t forget the next three essential steps for braising success.

The 3 S’s of a Great Braise: Select, Season, Sear

1. Select the Right Cut
   For a juicy, tender pot roast, I recommend either English roast or chuck roast. These cuts are affordable and rich in connective tissue that melts into the meat (think of this like basting from the inside out!). They also become more tender the longer they cook and have lots of beefy flavor. English roasts have less fat than chuck roasts, so they may cook a bit faster, but both are equally delicious.
2. Season Ahead
   For deeper flavor, season your roast ahead of time—ideally an hour or two before cooking. Using kosher salt ensures even seasoning without oversalting, and if you want to take it up a notch, try using Red Boat salt for an umami-packed flavor boost. (Read more about Red Boat salt and why I love it in this post for steak salad with jammy eggs)
3. Sear for Flavor
   You might be tempted to skip this step but I URGE you not to! Searing your roast before its long, slow braise does more than just make it look good. It’s all about the Maillard reaction—that magical browning that gives you deep, rich flavor and helps lock in moisture. Plus, searing creates those irresistible savory brown bits (called “frond”) on the bottom of the pot. And trust me, frond equals flavor! When you add liquid later, those flavorful bits will incorporate into your sauce, resulting in a deeply satisfying roast.

(Red Boat salt is optional but adds a delicious umami punch!)

Here’s how to get the perfect sear

• Room temperature roast: Let the meat sit out for about an hour before searing to take the chill off. And don’t forget to season it generously!
• Pat it dry: This helps the roast get that beautiful, golden-brown crust.
• Use the right oil: You’ll need 1-2 tablespoons of oil with a high smoke point, I use avocado oil. If you have duck fat or pork lard on hand, even better! Skip the butter—its low smoke point means it’ll burn.
• Get the pot hot: You should hear a lively sizzle when the roast hits the pan.
• Patience is key: Let the roast sear for 3-4 minutes per side before turning it. Don’t rush! The meat will naturally release when it’s ready to be flipped. Don’t forget to sear the sides and ends too!

Let’s Build Some More Flavor!

Now that your roast is beautifully seared, it’s time to build even more flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Yellow onions or shallots
• Anchovy paste (optional but adds a fantastic depth of flavor—don’t worry, it won’t taste fishy!).
• Tomato paste for richness.
• A whole head of garlic, cut crosswise so all the cloves are exposed.
• Herbs, like fresh thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
• Beef broth

Once the roast is seared and set aside, sauté your onions in the same pot until they start to soften. Then add the tomato paste (and anchovy paste if you’re using it). Cook just long enough for everything to combine and deepen in color. Next, pour in some beef broth, stirring to scrape up all those glorious browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Hellooooo, flavor!

Make a Garlic and Herb Bundle

Here’s a little trick to infuse even more goodness into your roast: Take a piece of cheesecloth and wrap your fresh herbs and the split head of garlic inside, tying it up into a neat little bundle. Nestle it into the liquid along with the roast. The roast should be sticking up out of the liquid by about an inch or two.

Tip: It’s important that the roast is sticking out of the liquid. If it’s completely submerged it will boil instead of braise and end up tough and chewy.

(And if you’re wondering about the wine cork floating around in my pot roast, it’s because I read years ago that a wine cork tenderizes the meat during braising. I have no idea if it’s true, but it can’t hurt, right? And, honestly, there’s never a shortage of wine corks around our house!)

Braise Low and Slow – Trust the Process

At this point, you’re ready to pop a tight-fitting lid on your dutch oven, slide it into the oven, and let it do its thing for a few hours. Trust me—your house is going to smell amazing all afternoon. The low, slow braise is the secret to achieving that fall-apart texture and deep, rich flavor.

Creating a Luscious Garlic Gravy

At the 3-hour mark, check the roast using a pair of tongs to see if it pulls apart easily. If it’s done, there will be no resistance, and the meat will be meltingly tender. If there’s any resistance, spoon some liquid over the top, cover with the lid, and continue cooking. Check it every 30 minutes until it’s fall-apart tender.

If your roast is on the larger side, it may take a bit longer—trust how it feels when you try to pull it apart! Once it’s ready, transfer the roast to a large serving platter and cover it with foil to keep warm.

Next, remove the herb and garlic bundle from the pot. Discard the herbs but keep the garlic. Let the garlic cool just enough to handle, then squeeze the soft cloves out of their skins and back into the pot. Use an immersion blender to blend everything into a smooth sauce

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also do this in batches in a regular blender.

(And if that’s not an option? Smash the garlic cloves into a paste with a fork in a smaller bowl and then add some of the liquid from the pot stirring until it’s all smooth. Stir this mixture into the pot. It won’t be thick and smooth but will still have great flavor!)

Finally, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.

When your sauce is finished pull roast apart into serving size pieces and drizzle some of the sauce over. Serve the remaining sauce along side. Alternatively you can just put the roast back into the dutch oven, pull it into chunks turning in the sauce and serve right from the pot. Either works!

Want To Add Potatoes and Carrots?

The best time to add carrots and potatoes to your pot roast is about an hour to an hour and a half before the roast finishes cooking. This allows them to become tender without overcooking or turning mushy. I like to use small new potatoes because they cook quickly and don’t need peeled, and I try to use carrots that are roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.

Here’s how to time it:

1. Cook the roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, allowing the meat to become tender and develop deep flavors.
2. After that, add the carrots and potatoes directly into the braising liquid around the roast. Make sure they are nestled in the liquid to soak up the flavors.
3. Continue cooking for another hour to hour and a half, or until the vegetables are fork-tender and the roast easily pulls apart.

This timing ensures your veggies cook just long enough to be soft and flavorful but still hold their shape.

I hope you enjoy this Pot Roast with garlic gravy as much as we do!

And, as always, I love to hear how my recipes turn out for you (and I especially love to see your food photos)! So tag me at @breathingandcooking on facebook and Instagram with your creations!

And don’t forget to breath, trust yourself and enjoy the process ❤️