The 12 Best Pot Roast Recipes Ever Developed in Our Test Kitchen (2024)

Look no further: We've rounded up the best pot roast recipes to come out of the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen. Full of rich, savory flavor, it's no surprise these delicious recipes will make any dinner a success. From speedy Instant Pot to set-and-forget slow cooker ideas, these meaty meals are sure to satisfy.

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Pomegranate Pot Roast

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Talk about a holiday-worthy Dutch oven pot roast! This showy dish takes the rustic cut of beef and transforms it into an Instagram-ready entrée. Plenty of fresh herb stems (rosemary and thyme), vibrant and tangy persimmons, and ruby-red sweet-tart pomegranate seeds make the magic happen right before your eyes.

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Sunday Oven Pot Roast

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Whether it's a fancy family gathering or a simple sit-down meal, Sunday suppers are at their best when they feature a pot roast. As a bonus, no side dishes are required when you serve this all-in-one meal. Juicy, tender beef and a colorful medley of sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips fill out this tantalizing recipe.

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Classic Pot Roast

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Quite possibly the best pot roast recipe ever if you're trying to follow in Grandma's footsteps, this traditional recipe is full of everything you love about the hearty dish. Tender melt-in-your-mouth beef, caramelized onions, red potatoes, and sweet cooked carrots—the gang's all here, in one comforting dinner. Garlic, Italian parsley, and white wine give the pot roast its classic flavor.

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Chili-Style Pot Roast

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On those nights when you can't quite decide between spicy chili and rich pot roast, we say, "Have both!" This Mexican-inspired dinner starts with the traditional beef chuck roast, just like the rest of these top-rated pot roast recipes. From there, chili powder, pinto beans, Anaheim peppers, and cilantro infuse each bite with bold flavor.

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Coffee-Braised Pot Roast

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"Best pot roast I ever made!" raves one BH&G home cook of this Dutch oven pot roast. We're guessing that's because it's surprisingly complex in flavor, due to instant espresso powder, crushed red pepper, allspice, garlic, and crushed pineapple in the braising sauce. The sweet heat will keep everyone coming back bite after bite.

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Pot Roast with Fruit and Chipotle Sauce

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Beef and dried fruit: it sounds crazy, but tastes crazy-good. With just six ingredients and 15 minutes of prep, this is one slow cooker pot roast recipe you'll want to make over and over again. Its sweet-and-spicy flavor comes from a tasty mix of dried fruit and chipotle peppers.

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Caliente Pot Roast

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Here's the best pot roast recipe ever—when you're crunched for time. Follow our Test Kitchen's lead and turn packaged pot roast into an impressive dinner in just 20 minutes. Fresh mushrooms, picante sauce, and sides like couscous and avocado add hints of Southwestern flair to the meal.

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Chunky Pot Roast Portobello Soup

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Fight off the chill with this uber cozy and delicious pot roast recipe. The magic happens in the warm, bubbly broth. The hearty, savory stew is full of tender meat, portobello mushrooms, and chopped red bell pepper alongside a base of rich red wine and beef broth.

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Pot Roast Paprikash

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Rich, colorful Spanish paprika is at the heart of many Hungarian dishes, and this delicious pot roast is no exception. The spice adds a sweet, smoky flavor to the sauce, noodles, and beef. Roasted red peppers lend another smoky punch, while sour cream offers a nice balance and a luxurious creamy quality.

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Saucy Pot Roast with Whole Wheat Noodles

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Take a break from spaghetti and meatballs and savor this delicious pot roast recipe (plus pasta) instead. The best way to serve this meat-and-tomatoes dish is on a bed of cooked noodles to soak up more of the juices. Simply treat the tomato mixture like marinara sauce, and dig in.

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Spiced Pot Roast Recipe

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After just 15 minutes of prep time, this slow cooker pot roast is ready to set, forget, then savor four (on high) or eight (on low) hours later. The tender beef roast tastes like you worked on it all day, thanks to the unexpected sweetness brought by apple juice and dried fruit. Carrots, potatoes, and onions are delicious additions to this wonderful comfort food.

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Maple Harvest Pot Roast

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The secret behind the rich flavor of this Dutch oven pot roast? An irresistible gravy of Marsala wine, basil, garlic, and plum preserves. Potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, and onions add to the richness of this hearty braised beef.

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The 12 Best Pot Roast Recipes Ever Developed in Our Test Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is the most tender meat for pot roast? ›

The best meat for pot roast is a beef cut with abundant connective tissue, like chuck roast, beef brisket or bottom round roast. This connective tissue called collagen is what makes pot roast melt-in-your-mouth tender.

What's the difference between a pot roast and a chuck roast? ›

The difference between chuck roast and pot roast is that chuck roast is a specific cut of beef, whereas pot roast is a method of slowly cooking meat to make it tender. Chuck roast comes from the shoulder of a steer and is flavorful but tough.

What kind of onion is good in pot roast? ›

Though you can use white onions, sweet onions, or red onions, we recommend using yellow ones because of their unique flavor profile. Yellow onions are a widely used onion type in the US and is great with meat dishes such as pot roast, roasted chicken, lamb rack, stew, and more.

Does pot roast get more tender the longer it cooks? ›

Yes, pot roast absolutely becomes more tender the longer it cooks. Roasts are generally made from tougher cuts of meat, such as chuck or brisket, which contain a lot of collagen, connective tissue, and fat. These tougher tissues require a long cooking time to break down and for the collagen to converts into gelatin.

Which beef roast falls apart when cooked? ›

A perfectly cooked beef joint makes a wonderful centrepiece for a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner. To cook it until it's so tender it falls apart, you'll need to choose a joint like chuck and blade or beef brisket and either braise, slow roast or slow cook it for at least a couple of hours.

What are best potatoes for roasting? ›

Russet potatoes will produce crisper crusts and fluffier centers. Yukon Golds will be slightly less crisp and have creamier centers, with a darker color and deeper flavor. You can also use a mix of the two. The potatoes should be cut into very large chunks, at least 2 to 3 inches or so.

What is the most flavorful roast? ›

The Rib-Eye Roast is the boneless center cut of the rib section. Very well-marbled, tender and flavorful, it is the most desirable and the most expensive of the roasts.

Why is my crock pot pot roast tough? ›

Usually because there is not enough fat throughout the meat. a pork roast can be cooked that way, but for some reason beef cannot. Because you used a crock pot and not a pressure cooker. Collagen does not begin to break down until it reaches 180F, and doesn't break down completely until 195F.

What kind of roast is best for pot roast? ›

Popular Cuts for Pot Roast

Braising a boneless roast with a good balance of fat and muscle will result in a juicy Pot Roast that you enjoy eating even without gravy on top. For most people, the best meat for Pot Roast is the beef Chuck Roast.

Can you overcook pot roast? ›

Not using a meat thermometer

It's easier than you'd imagine to overcook pot roast. Sure, it's not as finicky as grilling a chicken breast or roasting a piece of salmon. While it does take some time for the meat to fall apart on its own, overcooking can lead to a roast that is mushy and overcooked.

What can I add to pot roast for more flavor? ›

I opt for basil, thyme, paprika, dried bay leaves, and black pepper. These add a lovely, almost Italian-inspired flavor to this pot roast recipe. Veggies. Including onions, garlic, carrots, and potatoes (all of which are also in my beef stew!).

How to get more flavor in pot roast? ›

  1. Three ways: develop flavor on the surface of the roast, aromatics and good stock.
  2. Start by searing the roast on all sides until deep brown in color. ...
  3. Aromatics, like carrots, onions, celery, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, wine, et al, add complexity to the flavor of a pot roast.
Apr 27, 2022

What makes pot roast taste good? ›

For pot roasts, and other slow cooked tough meats, fat is your friend! Not only does fat deliver flavor, it helps keep the meat from drying out in the long slow cooking. So look for cuts that are well marbled with fat.

Which is better for pot roast chuck or rump? ›

Compared to rump cuts, chuck roasts generally make for a slightly less tender roast in terms of taste and texture. 3. Cooking style: The total time spent cooking chuck roast depends on how chewy you want the meat to be. Consider cooking your chuck cut of beef as a pot roast in a Dutch oven or slow cooker.

What is the best cut of meat for a fall apart pot roast? ›

Beef becomes tougher and more flavorful when using more muscle. The muscles clustered around the steer's shoulder, chest, belly, and hip include familiar cuts such as the chuck, brisket, and round. Surprisingly, the tough connective tissues in these cuts make them choice options for a pot roast.

Which is better chuck pot roast or rump roast? ›

Chuck roast comes from a cow's shoulder portion. The hindquarters and shoulder area are both well-used parts of the cow, so these two cuts of meat are naturally pretty tough. Most people agree that roasted rump is the more tender of the two.

Is bottom round or rump roast better for pot roast? ›

Chuck pot roasts have more fat, and therefore more flavor, than those from the round. Beef round roasts suitable for pot roasting are round tip, round rump, bottom round and eye round roasts. Most beef round and chuck pot roasts can be used interchangeably, with only slight adjustments in cooking time.

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