This pot roast is made super tender in the oven and doesn’t use any canned soup or soup mixes, so it’s allergy-friendly!

My family LOVES pot roast. Probably because I make it so seldom 🙂 

There are two reasons for this:

1. Beef roast is typically pretty expensive, and it’s hard for me to spend so much money on a single piece of meat.
2. I’ve tried making roast in the crock pot before, but it never turns out as soft and tender as I think it should.

Enter this recipe for pot roast in the oven! It always turns out nice and soft! It can be sliced, or easily shredded, and it’s always a hit!

Ingredients for Pot Roast

For this pot roast, you will need:

• pot roast
• cups of beef broth
• Worcestershire sauce
• dry minced onion
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• pepper
• bay leaf
• carrots and potatoes (optional)

How to Make Pot Roast in the Oven

To sear or not to sear…

Lots of pot roast recipes will tell you sear the roast in hot oil in a pan on the stove before baking or putting it in your crock pot. There has been a myth for years and years that searing meat is to “seal in the juices.” I hate to burst your bubble, but searing meat does not seal in the juices. (This myth was debunked in the book The Food Lab, which you can find in my list of recommended books here).

Searing the meat does cause the outside of the meat to brown (this is called the Maillard Reaction) and creates some extra flavor. However, I have not found this to be a necessary step with pot roast. So I’m going to save you the trouble and tell you not to do it!

How to prep the roast for the oven

Get a 9×13 pan and place the roast in the center. Turn the roast so that any fat is on top. This is so that as the fat melts, it will trickle down into the meat, making it more tender.

Add carrots and potatoes all around the roast. I used baby carrots, but you can also use regular carrots. Cut the pieces of both the carrots and potatoes rather large, since they will cook faster than the meat.

You can use any type of potatoes you like. I used a mix of red and russet, just because that’s what I had on hand. 

Mix together the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and all the rest of the spices, and pour over the top of the beef.

Then cover with aluminum foil.

How to bake the pot roast

Heat your oven to 425 degrees F. to start.

Place your covered roast into the hot oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, turn the oven down to 300 degrees F. and continue roasting for another 4-5 hours.

How to serve the pot roast

Once removing from the oven, carefully lift the roast out of the pan (use tongs or a large meat fork) and place it on a cutting board to rest for about 15 minutes before carving.

Remove the potatoes and carrots with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.

If desired, you can make gravy with the broth and drippings left in the pan. I strain the liquid using a large mesh strainer and put the strained liquid into a pot on the stove. Then I heat it to boiling and add some corn starch mixed with water to slightly thicken it. You could also use flour mixed with milk to thicken the gravy. I always use corn starch, because my daughter is allergic to wheat and milk.

When ready to serve, just cut the roast into slices, or shred with a fork.

There you have it! The perfect pot roast recipe made in the oven! It’s just as easy as doing it in a crock pot, and it turns out so moist, tender, and delicious! Give it a try!

This recipe adapted from Best Pot Roast, Carrots and Gravy on Carlsbad Cravings.

Pot Roast Oven Recipe

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

This pot roast is made super tender in the oven and doesn't use any canned soup or soup mixes, so it's allergy-friendly!

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Ingredients

• 2-4 pound pot roast
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tablespoons dry minced onion (or 1/4 cup minced fresh onion)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound carrots or baby carrots (optional)
• 2 pounds potatoes (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place your pot roast in the center of a 9x13 pan with the fat side up.
3. Place baby carrots or regular carrots cut into large pieces all around the roast. (Optional)
4. Cut the potatoes into large chunks and place on top of the carrots around the roast. (Optional)
5. In a separate small mixing bowl, stir together the 3 cups of beef broth, 2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tablespoons of dry minced onion, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
6. Pour over the top of the meat and vegetables. Add the bay leaf to the broth.
7. Tightly cover with aluminum foil and place in the hot oven.
8. Roast for 30 minutes at 425 degrees F.
9. After 30 minutes, turn the oven temperature down to 300 degrees F. and continue roasting for another 4-5 hours (depending on how much your meat weighs and how tender you want it to be).
10. After removing from the oven, transfer the meat to a cutting board and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing or shredding. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and place in a serving bowl.
11. Slice or shred the meat and serve with the potatoes and carrots.

Notes

To make gravy with the broth and drippings left in the pan, first strain the liquid using a large mesh strainer.

Then add the liquid to a pot on the stove and add salt and pepper to taste. Then bring to a boil.

In a small cup, mix about 2 Tablespoons of corn starch with 2 Tablespoons of water. When the broth comes to a boil, slowly pour in the corn starch mixture, stirring constantly. If gravy does not thicken to your liking, add more corn starch mixed with water.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 439Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 833mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 30g

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