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This Dutch oven pot roast is a chuck roast braised low and slow in red wine and beef broth at 325°F, with the potatoes, carrots, and celery cooked right in the pot. Searing the beef and caramelizing the onions is what makes the flavor of this pot roast so amazing, and that’s about as complicated as it gets! It takes about 3-4 hours, and the oven is doing most of the work!
Quick Look: Dutch Oven Pot Roast
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 4 hours
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 📊 Calories: ~662 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cook Method: Seared on the stove, braised in a Dutch oven in the oven, then the gravy is finished on the stove.
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Rich and savory, with red wine, caramelized onions, garlic, and fresh thyme in the gravy.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy. Most of the time is hands-off in the oven, and it's simple enough for any home cook.
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What Makes This Dutch Oven Pot Roast The BEST
I kept this one simple on purpose so it’s MAKEABLE for any home cook, even on a weeknight! Your house will smell AMAZING while it’s in the oven! And the best part is that the pot is the whole meal…veggies included!
My family eats it shredded, with the veggies, gravy, and fresh parsley on top. You don’t need any sides, but if you want something to mop up that gravy, my fluffy gluten free biscuits are ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredient Notes
- Chuck roast: A 3 lb or a 4 lb roast both work. The size just changes your oven time (it’s in the steps below).
- Red wine: Any dry red wine works. You can use broth instead of wine if you prefer, your call!
- Worcestershire: Make sure it says gluten free on the label. I use Lea & Perrins.
- Beef broth: I use Kettle & Fire beef broth (it has the best ingredients). If you use another brand, make sure it says gluten free, too.
- Arrowroot powder: No flour here! Arrowroot thickens the gravy at the end, and keeps the whole thing gluten-free.
How to Make Dutch Oven Pot Roast
Step 1: Sear the chuck roast on all sides until it’s golden brown. This is the base of the flavor, so don’t skip this step!
Step 2: Sauté the onions for 8 to 10 minutes. You want them caramelized and browned before adding the garlic.
Step 3: Add half of the wine to the pan to deglaze, and stir until it’s mostly reduced. The other half will be added in with the broth.
Step 4: Stir in your tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining wine, and broth. Place the meat back into the pot.
Step 5: Place your bay leaves and thyme right on top, then cover and put it in a 325°F oven. I use an 8 qt enameled cast iron Dutch oven (a HomeGoods find!), but any large oven-safe pot with a lid works.
Step 6: Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery when there’s 1 hour left, so they come out tender, not mushy. The pot roast is done when it’s about 200 to 210°F inside. It takes about 2.5 to 3 hours for a 3 lb roast and 3 to 3.5 hours for a 4 lb roast.
Step 7: Put your Dutch oven back on the stove and stir the arrowroot slurry into the boiling liquid for 2 to 3 minutes until the gravy thickens.
Step 8: Shred the beef, plate it, then spoon veggies and gravy over the top! Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
I’ve made this both ways, so if you’d rather use your slow cooker, the full slow cooker version is in the recipe notes below (it uses a little less broth and a little less arrowroot).
The two steps I never skip are the sear and the onions. That’s where the flavor comes from, so I always give them their full time!
For a totally different pot roast, my slow cooker Mississippi pot roast with pepperoncini has no wine and no veggies. You’ll find more of my gluten free beef dinners in one spot, too.
More Beef Recipes to Try
Healthy Mississippi Pot Roast with Beef Gravy Recipe
Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir Fry (Gluten Free)
Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers Skillet
Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Red Wine Gravy
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb beef chuck roast
- salt & pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced thin
- 5 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup red wine
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, make sure it says gluten free
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 6-8 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 lbs baby yellow potatoes
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
- ¼ cup water
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325. Generously season the beef chuck roast with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium high heat. Add the beef and sear on all sides until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- To the same pot, add the onions and saute for 8-10 minutes until they are caramelized and browned. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze the pan with half of the wine, stirring for 3-4 minutes until it is mostly reduced. Stir in the tomato paste and worcestershire sauce. Add in the beef broth, remaining ½ cup wine, and salt. Stir and add the beef back into the pot.
- Place the bay leaves and thyme sprigs on top. Cover and place into the oven. Bake for 3-3.5 hours (for a 4 lb roast) or until the internal temperature reaches 200-210 degrees.
- When there is 1 hour of cooking time left, add in the potatoes, carrots, and celery.
- When the beef and vegetables are done cooking, remove the pot from the oven and remove the beef. Set it aside on a cutting board.
- Combine the arrowroot powder and water in a bowl to create a slurry. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add the slurry and stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the gravy thickens.
- Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired. Add the beef back to the pot. Slice / shred the roast and serve with veggies, gravy, and fresh chopped parsley on top!
Notes
- Season + sear: Generously season the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and sear the roast for about 3-4 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer it to your slow cooker.
- Build the flavor: In the same skillet, saute the onions for 6-8 minutes until softened and starting to caramelize. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in ½ cup of the wine and scrape up all those browned bits, then let it reduce for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce (make sure it says gluten free!), then transfer everything to the slow cooker.
- Add the liquid: Add the remaining ½ cup wine, 2½-3 cups beef broth, 1 tsp salt, the bay leaves, and the thyme sprigs.
- Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours or HIGH for 5-6 hours, until the roast is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork. For the best pot roast texture, I’d definitely go with LOW!
- Veggies: Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery about 3-4 hours before the end of the cook time on LOW (about 2-2½ hours on HIGH) so they don’t get mushy. (If convenience matters more, you can add them at the beginning. Just leave the potatoes whole or halve only the larger ones, and keep the carrots in big pieces.)
- Gravy: Transfer the beef and veggies to a platter and remove the bay leaves and thyme stems. Pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Whisk together the 1½ tbsp arrowroot and 3 tbsp water, whisk the slurry into the pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened. (If your slow cooker has a saute function, you can thicken it right in the insert. Easy peasy!) Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired.
- Serve: Pour the gravy back over the beef and veggies, slice / shred the roast, and top with fresh chopped parsley!
Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
