This easy Pot Roast recipe is an all-in-one meal with tender, flavorful roast cooked in a delicious gravy with veggies! I’ve included instructions for how to make roast in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, oven, or stovetop!

If you love one-pot meals, try my Braised Short Ribs, Jambalaya, or Baked Ziti.

Cooked pot roast with baby potatoes and carrots and gravy on top.

A tender and juicy Pot Roast is comfort food at its finest! It couldn’t be easier to make with only 15 minutes of prep, and let the oven, slow cooker or instant pot do the cooking! We love to serve roast over mashed potatoes, with homemade rolls on the side! You can make it a well-rounded meal by adding veggies to the pot while it cooks.

How to Make Pot Roast:

Sear meat: Heat a large large skillet over medium-high heat. Season roast with salt and pepper, generously, on all sides. Add oil to the pot and once hot, add the meat, Sear, cooking the meat until browned on the bottom, then rotating it every few minutes until browned on all sides. Place meat in the bottom of a lightly greased slow cooker (or dutch oven or instant pot).

A roast searing in a cast iron pan.

Add sauce: Stir together the cream of soup mixture and dry onion soup seasoning in a bowl. Pour mixture over the meat in the slow cooker. 

Seared pot roast in a pot with sauce poured on top.

Cook covered on LOW for 8-10 hours. (See below for cooking instructions for oven and instant pot.) If adding veggies, add them 1.5 – 2 hours before the timer is up.

Pot Roasted in a slow cooker with gravy, potatoes and carrots.

Instant Pot Pot Roast:

Cut roast in half. Season as directed. Using the sauté setting, sear the roast in the Instant Pot with oil on all sides. Take meat out, deglaze the pot, add 1 cup of beef broth, and return the roast. Pour sauce mixture on top and cook on high pressure for 60-80 minutes (depending how big the roast is), or until tender. Allow a 15 minute natural pressure release.

Oven Pot Roast:

Season and sear roast as directed. Place roast in a large dutch oven pot with 2 ½ cups beef broth. Add sauce mixture on top. Cover with lid and bake at 350 degrees F for 4 hours, or until meat is tender.

Stove Top Pot Roast:

(Only recommended if you don’t have access to oven or slow cooker). Season and sear roast as directed. Deglaze pot and return roast with 2 ½ cups of beef broth. Add cream of soup mixture on top, cover with lid, and cook pot roast at a simmer over medium low for about 4 hours, or until it shreds easily with a fork.

Pro Tips:

  • Meat for pot roast: choose a chuck roast or rump roast with good marbling of fat throughout, which adds flavor and promises a tender roast.
  • For “from scratch” flavor: substitute the canned soups for my homemade condensed “cream of anything” soup recipe (you’ll need to double my recipe). You can use a package of Onion soup mix or my homemade dry onion soup mix is extremely simple (using spices from your pantry).
  • Add vegetables during the last 1.5-2 hours of cooking. We love to add carrots, mushrooms and frozen white pearl onions. You can also add potatoes (baby gold or red), or serve the roast over mashed potatoes with gravy on top.
  • Test if it’s done: Smaller roasts will cook faster than larger roasts. Check if the roast is done by poking it with a fork. If it’s tough, it needs more time to cook. When it’s done it will be tender.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: This recipe can be assembled (but not cooked) 1-2 days in advance (depending on freshness of meat). Place everything in the pot, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

To Freeze: Leftover cooked pot roast can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.

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Recipe

Cooked pot roast with baby potatoes and carrots and gravy on top.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 8 hours
Total 8 hours 15 minutes
Save Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

Optional add-ins:

  • carrots, red or yukon gold potatoes, pearl onions, mushrooms, parsnips, celery.

Instructions
 

  • Season meat with salt and pepper, generously, on all sides.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet it hot, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the meat. Sear on medium-high heat for a few minutes on each side, until all sides are well browned.
  • Lightly grease a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place meat in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Stir together the cream of soup mixture and dry onion soup seasoning in a bowl. Pour mixture over the meat in the slow cooker. 
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.
  • If adding veggies, add them 1.5 – 2 hours before the timer is up.

Notes

Instant Pot Pot Roast: Cut roast in half. Season as directed. Using the sauté setting, sear the roast in the Instant Pot with oil on all sides. Take meat out, deglaze the pot, add 1 cup of beef broth, and return the roast. Pour sauce mixture on top and cook on high pressure for 60-80 minutes (depending how big the roast is), or until tender. Allow a 15 minute natural pressure release.
Oven Pot Roast: Season and sear roast as directed. Place roast in a large dutch oven pot with 2 ½ cups beef broth. Add sauce mixture on top. Cover with lid and bake at 350 degrees F for 4 hours, or until meat is tender.
Stove Top Pot Roast: (Only recommended if you don’t have access to oven or slow cooker). Season and sear roast as directed. Deglaze pot and return roast with 2 ½ cups of beef broth. Add cream of soup mixture on top, cover with lid, and cook pot roast at a simmer over medium low for about 4 hours, or until it shreds easily with a fork.
Make Ahead Instructions: This recipe can be assembled (but not cooked) 1-2 days in advance (depending on freshness of meat). Place everything in the pot, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Freezing Instructions: Leftover cooked pot roast can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 607kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 58gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 209mgSodium: 260mgPotassium: 1004mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 39IUCalcium: 51mgIron: 6mg

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I originally shared this recipe December 2017. Updated September 2021.

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I for got to add, I sprinkle the contents on the top of the seared roast, in the dutch oven then just dump both cans on top of that.

  2. 5 stars
    I have been making this for 50+ years. In my dutch oven, baked covered. I made one change years ago and used 1 can cream of mushroom and 1 can Golden cream of mushroom. So very rich.

  3. If I just have an instant pot but want to slow cook, can I just follow the slow cooker instructions exactly, or do I need to make adjustments?

  4. When making it in the instapot , when to add the vegetables? I let it go for 60 min then quick release. Add the veggies then 20 more minutes with the 15 min natural release. Turns out great. This is a really excellent pot roast.

  5. Hello, I’m relatively new to the instant pot cooking but I’m so excited to try this recipe! My question is, do I need to put the trivet down or place the meat directly to the bottom of the pot? I’m asking cause this has caused problems for me in the past. Thanks so much for your excellent recipes, and for your time in this matter!

  6. 5 stars
    This is absolutely the best pot roast recipe I’ve ever made! I prefer your oven recipe method over the crockpot, but it’s absolutely next level, melt in your mouth, tender deliciousness!! The only way I will make it from here on out. My family loves it!! Thank you!

  7. 3 stars
    The cream and salt overwhelm the natural flavors of the vegetables, herbs and meat, and the recipe turns the meal from healthy to not healthy.

  8. 5 stars
    Very good! But next time I won’t salt the meat. I found that the soups added enough salt. I did use canned celery soup and store bought onion soup envelopes.

  9. 5 stars
    I made this recipe with 3 lb. chuck roast and cream of chicken with the onion soup seasoning. Added baby potatoes and baby carrots. It was delicious. My Grandson isn’t big on new dishes & he asked me to make this again, 🙂

  10. Might seem like a silly question but im just now trying to get the hang of this whole “cooking” thing lol….So when mixing the cream of soup mixture and the dry onion soup seasoning in a bowl….are you only mixing the 2 cans and the packet…and no water? Or do you add water?

    1. You’ve got it, just mix the soups and the onion mix. No water. Please come back and let us know what you think of the recipe!

    1. Great question Michelle! They are not included because it’s a time-consuming extra step, and it may make more sense to cook them on the side/serve with mashed potatoes. If you want to you can release the pressure 8 minutes early, add the vegetables, then pressure cook for 8 more minutes.

  11. 5 stars
    I substituted a boneless Pork Boston Butt roast since my family is not a fan of pot chuck roast and it was amazing! I used 2 cans of Cream of Celery soup with the Onion soup mix and added carrots and red potatoes. My family loved it! The cream sauce makes the meat incredibly tender and flavorful.

  12. 5 stars
    I am a widower and 73 yrs old. My roast was 2.5 lbs. cooked for 5 hrs and was delicious! Very easy to follow and the spice mix was spot on.
    thanx for sharing this.

  13. I’m making it again! My husband and I say this is the best pot roast we have ever had!! I really like most of your recipes. Can’t wait to make more of them. Thank you!

  14. 5 stars
    I don’t normally leave reviews but this was so good. Both my husband and I agree this is the best pot roast we have ever tasted. I followed the recipe exactly including the Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix and the Condensed Cream of anything soup. The only changes I will make is to double the Mix of onion soup and soup so there is more gravy next time for left over roast and cut back on the salt.

  15. Yo Lauren,
    Will make this recipe over the coming weekend. Was drawn in by the homemade dry onion & cream of soups. At the store this am and read the label of just the dry onion soup pk and wasn’t happy about the contents. So I bought some dehydrated onions from the bulk bins and will make your ” clean ” recipe.
    We all should be reading packages for contents but, you know, in a hurry, etc.
    Wanted to thank you for sparking my curiosity and trying to live cleaner.

  16. 5 stars
    This is the most delicious pot roast recipe I’ve ever made! I used your recipe for the “cream of” soup and then a store bought onion soup mix. The meat was tender, gravy was delicious, and our picky daughter even went back for seconds!! We had leftover but my husband and son has them for breakfast the next day. 🙂

  17. 5 stars
    I don’t usually enjoy pot roast but make it because of the convenience of the slow cooker. I actually really enjoyed this recipe. So flavorful and not dry! My husband said, “This is the best pot roast ever!”

  18. Hi Lauren,
    So happy I came across your website. This is one of my two entrees I will be serving on Christmas night. Being the Mother of four grown young men, they always want some kind of meat. Looking forward the final result! Will let you know.

    1. I have a 2.5 lb beef chuck pot roast but it is frozen. Can I place in crockpot frozen, and how long would I cook it for.

  19. I have a 2 lb roast and wanted it done before 8 hours. Do u think I can put on high? Or should I be fine since only 2lb?

  20. 5 stars
    Delicious! Put the whole family in a food coma. We couldn’t stop eating! Had a nap then a little more. Will make this again .Thanks

  21. My daughter has strict sodium limitations so I am very careful on recipes I choose. I really want to try the slow cooker pot roast but I am wondering how you calculated the 260mg of sodium in the nutrition info area. When I jumped over to the homemade onion soup mix recipe to check that out, it is 2,401mg. Adding that recipe to the pot roast and dividing by 6 servings is 400mg per serving. That one ingredient is higher than what you have listed for the entire pot roast recipe. Thanks for helping me understand!

    1. Hi JoLynn,
      The nutrition information in my recipes is estimated using a nutrition calculator plugin. In looking into this further, I can see that you are right, the sodium is much lower than it should be. The plugin offers only one choice for generic onion soup and unfortunately is not reflecting accurately the sodium in this recipe. (As a general note, the nutrition calculations generally seem accurate).
      If it helps,Lipton onion soup mix would add roughly 813 mg of sodium per serving and my homemade recipe would offer about 400mg per serving. I hope that helps!

  22. I started making this recipe this morning, and I realized I had a rump roast, I was wondering if the cooking time differs between the two cuts of meet? Also mine weighed around 2lbs… oh no that’s like less then half of what your recipe calls for?😬 If anyone knows and is on here like now or Asap it’s only been cooking for about 1/2hr

    Growing up my mom would always made this, but we used 2can of both cream of mushroom and celery and 1 can of cream chicken. The gravy is always so good, so I did the cans state above but include your dry onion soup mix. I also put chunks of potatoes around the roast(Cuz those are my favorite) and I am gonna take your advice and add the carrots 2hrs before it’s done.
    I will also make mashed potatoes to accompany the roast as well as corn!

    After Dinner tonight I was post again, on how it turned out, so easy to make and you can leave run places cuz the slow cooker is doing everything else for me!

    Thank you so much for your recipe which I ended up tweaking a little bit

    I am gonna have to try your slow cooked lasagna I’ve heard it’s delicious 😋

  23. 5 stars
    Delicious!! Best roast I’ve every made…and so easy! I believe the homemade onion soup mix made all the difference, I also used 1 can cream of mushroom & 1 can cream of celery. Thank you SO much for all your recipes!!

  24. I made this yesterday and it was fabulous! Am so glad I came across your website and will be making this again. In my family with new recipes, I’ll ask ” Do Over?” This is a resounding Do Over.

    1. I’m so happy to hear that, and glad you found me! I hope you get to try more recipes here soon!

  25. 5 stars
    Thank you SO much for these recipes. I am a lover of creating meals from scratch and tried this one (to include the onion dry mix and the cream of anything soup) a couple of months ago and it was AMAZING. I’ve made it 3 times since and making it AGAIN today! 😀 My ONLY self-critique is to get a much larger roast (though they are EXPENSIVE), because it doesn’t seem worth all the effort for the roast to ONLY last for ONE meal! :/ That being said, it has definitely become a FAVE & satisfying meal for me to make! Thank you, again! 🙂

  26. 5 stars
    The best Chuck roast/using your recipe with the homemade onion soup mix & 2 cans of mushroom soup……that I have ever made. Everyone loved it. I give it 5 stars!!!! Thank you!

  27. 5 stars
    I’m getting ready to make this an sim so excited!! It sounds delicious! I do have a question- if we’re using the canned cream of celery/chicken/mushroom, do we add 2 cans of each or do we pick a soup and only use 2 of those cans?

  28. 5 stars
    I generally don’t post comments on recipes that I make, but I couldn’t resist. This is simply the best roast recipe I’ve ever made. The meat is so tender and the gravy is delicious. Thank you for sharing.

      1. I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to share these recipes with the world. I made this and and the slow cook lasagna and they both turned out AMAZING!! My husband is sooo pleased! Thank you sooo much!! #winning #icancooknow please don’t stop sharing!

  29. This looks AMAZING!!! I do have a question, could I Brown the meat add the soup to the crock pot refrigerat the night before and then just add the whole thing to the crockpot first thing in the morning? Do you think it would still turn out?