Nothing beats this recipe for a flavorful, fork-tender recipe that is in the oven in 15 minutes with pantry ingredients and a bottle of red wine.
I’ve included an adaptation for this recipe to go in your slow-cooker! It couldn’t be any easier.
If you love roast don’t miss my Slow Cooker Shredded Pork Roast for a Crowd that is srsly the best ever, or Pot Roast with Onion Soup Mix Recipe: Slow Cooker / Crock Pot which is as easy as can be and perfect for roast newbies.
Enjoying a Pot Roast after a Sunday church service has been a staple in American homes since the tradition was brought over by British and Irish immigrants in the late 18th century. The meal was traditionally started in the oven before church, ensuring it would be ready by the time the family got home. Over time, the oven was replaced by the modern crock pot (don’t worry, I’ve included the adaption to this recipe for cooking in the slow cooker), but that is no replacement for a pot roast made “the old-fashioned way”.
This Pot Roast is a great stand-in for Grandma’s secret recipe and is sure to bring a kick of nostalgia when enjoyed on a relaxing Sunday afternoon.
Cooking a Pot Roast in the oven may seem difficult, but it is a very simple process that only requires a little time in the oven. Since this Pot Roast does not require any active management, it is the perfect recipe to start before you spend the day picking up the house, playing with the kids, or watching a movie.
Looking for easy Sunday Family Meal recipes? They are a favorite around here. Here are some favorites:
- Ground Beef Wellingtons
- Guinness Beef Roast –perfect every time!
- the simplest CRISPY SKIN Baked Chicken Legs Drumsticks
- Homestyle Meat Pie
- Authentic Swedish Meatballs recipe
- and many more Family Meals perfect for Sunday dinners.
One of the best things about a Pot Roast is that it tastes even better with cheaper cuts of meat. The long and slow cooking methods allow for all of that tough connective tissue to break down into a tender meal with velvety smooth drippings.
Equipment used for this Oven Pot Roast:
- Dutch Oven or Cast Iron pan. You need a dutch oven or equally thick pan that can transfer from the stove to the oven. The thickness of a dutch oven is ideal for consistent cooking of the meat and to keep hot spots from forming below the roast.
Key ingredients:
- Red Wine. Red wine is both alcoholic and acidic, both of which assist with tenderizing the meat. The brighter acidity also helps to balance out all of the fatty richness from the roast. Plus you get a great excuse to drink the bottle of wine that you have been meaning to open.
- Beef Roast. Using a fatty piece of beef ensures that the roast is never tough or dry. Cheaper cuts of meat often contain more connective tissue, which will slowly break down, which thickens the drippings into a luscious broth. While I used an arm roast, you can use any fatty or cartilaginous cut of beef. Regardless of the cut of beef you choose, you will need about 3 pounds for this recipe.
- Russet Potatoes. You are welcome to use any number of potato varieties for this recipe, but the extra starch in a Russet is the perfect match for this rich and savory roast.
- Veggies. Traditional veggies for a red wine pot roast are potatoes, celery, carrots, and onion but this recipe shines with any root vegetable. Rutabagas, Turnips, and even Sweet Potatoes make excellent additions to this already wonderful recipe. If you choose to add more veggies, add some extra beef broth or water to help prevent the roast from drying out when the vegetables absorb moisture.
To Make (for slow-cooker method check the recipe notes):
- Season the roast well with seasoning salt. Add roast to hot dutch oven pan and sear on both sides.
- Remove the roast from pan and add onions and garlic. Saute until garlic is fragrant and browned.
- Place the roast back into the pan.
- Add the red wine to the pot.
- Cover pan and bake for half the cooking time.
- Remove pan from oven and add veggies and pour broth over the meat.
- Cover and bake for another 1-1.5 hours or until vegetables are tender and meat is cooked.
Tips for the easy Oven Pot Roast :
- How do I avoid having soggy vegetables?
Don’t add the veggies at the same time as the Beef! Cooking the beef for about an hour and a half before adding the vegetables will ensure that everything is cooked to perfection, with no soggy veggies. - Do you cover a beef roast in the oven?
There are a couple thoughts on this, but generally it depends on the type of roast. For this traditional Pot Roast, it is necessary to cover it in order to allow the heat and steam to work their magic tenderizing the roast. I have cooked a roast uncovered before, and it can turn out delicious if you are diligent in basting the roast often. You can also add a round cut piece of parchment paper between the dutch oven and it’s lid in order to help create an even better seal. - How long do you cook a beef roast in the oven?
For a 325°F oven, you should plan on roughly an hour per pound of beef. This means that a 3 pound roast will take 3 hours, and a 5 pound roast will take closer to 5 hours.
Store/Freeze:
- In the unlikely event that you have leftovers, they can be stored in the refrigerator for around 3 days and used in any number of dishes from a Breakfast Hash to a Sandwich, or even in Soup!
- This recipe freezes beautifully. I recommend freezing the meat in a separate container from the veggies. Cut the meat into the size you’ll want it for future use prior to freezing it.
Sunday Oven Pot Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3lb beef arm roast (or similar beef cut)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups full-bodied red wine
- 1/2 cup beef broth or use water and bouillion
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, chunked
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 4 large russet potatoes, chunked
- 1 tablespoon seasoning salt (I use Lawry’s)
Instructions
Oven Roasted Method
- Preheat the oven to 325. Heat the oil in the pot on medium-high heat. Sprinkle seasoning salt on roast. Add roast to pan, cook 5 minutes. Turn to brown each side.
- Remove the roast from pan and add onions and garlic. Saute until garlic is fragrant and browned. Place the roast back into the pan. Add the red wine to the pot. Cover pan and bake for 1.5 hours.
- Remove pan from oven and add veggies and pour broth over the meat. Cover and bake for another 1-1.5 hours or until vegetables are tender and meat is cooked.
- If desired, add the leftover broth to a small saucepan with a bit of cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and water) and heat for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly, to create a gravy. Note: try a tablespoon or two of slurry, heat that and then repeat as needed to thicken.
Crock Pot version
- Heat the oil in the pot on medium-high heat. Sprinkle seasoning salt on roast. Add roast to pan, cook 5 minutes. Turn to brown each side
- Add roast to the crock pot and add all the additional ingredients.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
- In the last hour, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water and add it to the slow cooker to thicken the sauce or add the leftover broth to a small saucepan with the cornstarch slurry and heat for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly, to create a gravy. Note: try a tablespoon or two of slurry, heat that and then repeat as needed to thicken.
No, not any more liquid than the recipe calls for. But be sure to cover the pot while baking to keep all the steam in the pan and keep the roast from drying out.
Does the roast need to be covered with liquid when cooking?
Yes, usually. That helps them not dry out. But go ahead and add them on top and about half way through the cooking time give them a little drizzle of the broth from the pan to help them not dry out.
When you add the veggies, do you put them under the roast?
Oh no!! Important stuff. I just adjusted the recipe. Add the roast back after the garlic is sauteed. Pour the wine over and place it into the oven. The broth can go in now, if you like. I like to pour it over the roast when I add the veggies.
No mention of adding roast back to the pan or when to add the broth?!
The broth is to help give enough liquid to the veggies to cook without drying the meat out. If you still have time, go ahead and slowly pour it over the meat and put that right back in the oven. But I’m betting it will still be good without it!
So I’m currently making this but didn’t add the beef broth because it doesn’t say when to add? So I’m hoping the wine alone is okay. 😬
I apologize for being late to get this to you! You can sub out broth for the wine without any problems!
Do you have any substitute for the wine. It is Sunday and my town does not sell alcohol on Sunday and I would like to make this roast today:
Oh no oh no oh no!! Those are major issues. We will get that fixed, soon. Thanks for letting me know!
You do not include times or tempratures at all in your recipe for Grandmas Sunday Pot Roast. What would they be? Such as oven temprature. You also did not include the “steps” such as when to add ingredients .