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

  • 4-5 pounds chuck roast
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 Tablespoons oil (vegetable or canola oil)
  • 1 batch homemade dry onion soup mix , or 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
  • 2 batches homemade cream of anything soup , or substitute 2 cans cream of chicken/mushroom/celery soup

Optional add-ins:

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

  • 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.

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.

Calories: 607 kcal Carbohydrates: 1 g Protein: 58 g Fat: 42 g Saturated Fat: 16 g Cholesterol: 209 mg Sodium: 260 mg Potassium: 1004 mg Sugar: 1 g Vitamin A: 39 IU Calcium: 51 mg Iron: 6 mg

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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.