Stovetop Pot Roast

5 from 1 vote

Tender and juicy, this stovetop pot roast and gravy transforms an affordable cut of meat into a delicious comfort food dinner!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword stove top pot roast, stovetop pot roast, stovetop pot roast and gravy

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 3 30

Total Time 3 45

Servings people

Calories 406kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

¼ cup butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 - 3 cups of juices/drippings from the pot (add beef broth if you don’t have enough liquid from the pot)

Mix the flour with a generous amount of salt and pepper on a sheet of waxed paper. Pat the roast dry; dredge it in the flour mixture on all sides.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven (at least 6 quarts or larger) over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Brown the meat to give it nice color (about 5 minutes per side). Transfer the meat to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 cup of the beef broth, scraping with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan (loosening all the browned bits from the bottom). Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes).
Place the roast on top of the vegetables. Add the remaining two cups of beef broth, red wine, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. The liquid in the pot should come about halfway up the side of the roast. If necessary, add water or extra broth to reach this level. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Simmer the mixture gently on the stovetop for about 3 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender when pulled with a fork. As the roast cooks, occasionally check the pot to make sure that the liquid stays at a similar level (adding extra water or broth as necessary). Adjust the temperature to keep the liquid at a gentle simmer, but not a boil (you might need to simmer the pot over low heat instead of medium-low heat).

Strain the juices and drippings from the pot. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat until bubbly. Whisk in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. While continually whisking, gradually add the juices until the gravy reaches the desired consistency.
Continue whisking while the gravy bubbles and cooks for 1-2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Searing the meat before adding it to the liquid and other ingredients helps to brown the surface and enhance the flavor. A hot pan creates a golden, caramelized crust through a process called the Maillard reaction, and will also lock in the meat’s juices. Plus, the browned bits from the bottom of the pot add great flavor to the gravy.
Why is my pot roast tough? Undercooked pot roast will be tough and chewy. If you’re using tougher or bigger cuts of beef, you may need to increase the cooking time to give the meat fibers and connective tissue plenty of time to break down and become tender and juicy.
Why is my pot roast dry? Cooking the meat for too long or at too high of a temperature can result in a dry pot roast.
Cooking for a Smaller Family? This meat freezes really well! I like to package leftovers in individual containers, label them, and stash them in the freezer for later meals. The shredded beef is delicious served on sandwich rolls, but it also works well on salads, tacos, stuffed in baked potatoes, in quesadillas, or on pizza! Get creative and enjoy the leftovers in a variety of ways.