This Stovetop Pot Roast delivers juicy beef that falls apart in savory gravy, made in one pot on the stove. A quick sear builds flavor before the roast gently simmers for several hours until it's fork-tender, with no oven or wine needed. It's a comforting, old-fashioned meal that makes dinner feel special.
Stovetop pot roast at a Glance
- 🧄 Flavor & Texture: Rich, savory gravy coats juicy, fall-apart tender beef with soft carrots and onions.
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: Chuck roast, chicken broth, carrots, onions, seasonings, and cornstarch.
- ⏱️ Total Time: Approximately 4 hours
- 🍴 Servings: 8-10 servings
- 🥗 Dietary Info: Dairy-free and gluten-free when made with certified gluten-free broth and seasonings.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Creamy mashed potatoes, fluffy rice, soft dinner rolls, or green beans.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, refrigerate the roast and gravy together for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- ❤️ Why You Will Love It: This comforting, one-pot dinner delivers incredibly tender beef and homemade gravy without needing an oven or wine.
Summarize and Save This Content On
I used to make pot roast almost every week when my son was growing up, and it was always a hit with them.
I love making it on the stovetop because it comes together faster when I don't have time to get dinner started first thing in the morning. Plus, the roast and savory gravy cook together in one pot, so you get a tender main dish and rich gravy without making a separate recipe.
Do you love pot roast? Try my Mississippi roast in the oven or crockpot pot roast with onion soup mix.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cornstarch thickens without flour: Cornstarch thickens the strained cooking juices into a smooth, savory gravy without needing flour.
- Sear the roast, then simmer: Searing builds a flavorful crust, while a gentle simmer over several hours helps the beef become tender and easy to pull apart.
- Chicken broth makes a lighter gravy: Chicken broth adds savory flavor to the cooking liquid without making the gravy as heavy as some richer alternatives.
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Ingredients
The three components below are key to achieving the best Dutch Oven pot roast possible.
- Roast: Chuck roast is my top choice because it becomes tender and easy to shred after a long simmer. Rump roast works well, too, and any similar cut can be used. I love using chuck roast in my spicy beef stew!
- Broth: Chicken broth gives the gravy a lighter, savory flavor without overpowering the beef. You can use beef broth instead for a deeper, richer taste.
- Carrots: Cut the carrots into large chunks, so they hold their shape during the long simmer instead of becoming too soft.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Chuck Roast vs. Rump Roast
| Beef Cut | Chuck Roast | Rump Roast |
| Texture | This cut has more marbling, so it turns tender and shreds easily. | This is leaner and holds its shape. |
| How it serves | Chuck falls apart into tender pieces. | Rump cuts into neat slices. |
| Best for | Fall-apart pot roast served over mashed potatoes. | Sliced pot roast and next-day sandwiches. |
Both cuts work for this old-fashioned stovetop pot roast recipe with the same cooking method and timing.
Variations
- Add more veggies: Add 2 chopped celery stalks or 2 peeled and chopped parsnips at the beginning of cooking. If you want to add quicker-cooking vegetables, such as 1 cup of peas or cut green beans, add these during the last 20-30 minutes of cooking.
- Add potatoes: To make stovetop pot roast with potatoes and carrots, add 1-1½ pounds of quartered Yukon Gold or red potatoes during the last 45-60 minutes of cooking so they become tender without falling apart.
- Ranch-style pot roast: Add 1 packet (about 1 ounce) of ranch seasoning mix to the broth for a zesty flavor. Since the seasoning contains salt, taste the gravy before adding extra. I also use this in my crockpot ranch chicken and potatoes recipe.
- Creamy mushroom: Sauté 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms until golden, then stir them into the pot with ¼ cup of heavy cream during the last 10-15 minutes for a rich, earthy gravy.
- Tomato: Stir 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste into the pot after searing the roast and before adding the broth. Cook it for about a minute to deepen the flavor and add a little acidity to the gravy.
How to Make a Pot Roast on the Stove
Below are the steps needed to get your stovetop pot roast ready to simmer!
Step 1: Season the roast. Pat the roast dry using paper towels, and then sprinkle the spices generously on all sides of the meat.
Step 2: Heat oil and add the meat. Heat your heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, and add the oil when it's hot. Place your pot roast in the pot on the stove.
Step 3: Sear it. Turn the roast to brown it on all sides, allowing about 2 minutes per side.
Step 4: Add the broth and veggies. Pour in the broth and add the onions and carrots.
Step 5: Cover and simmer. Bring the pot to a medium simmer and cover with a lid. Cook the pot roast for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours or until it's fork-tender. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside. To make the gravy, strain the pot juices and return them to the pot. Whisk in a cornstarch slurry and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, reduce it to a simmer, and cook until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper, if needed, before serving!
Step 6: Shred and serve. Shred the meat and place it on a serving platter. Enjoy it with gravy over slow cooker rice.
How Long to Cook a Pot Roast
The guide below will help you figure out the cook time of your stovetop pot roast with vegetables, depending on the size of the roast.
| Roast Size | Simmer Time |
| 2 lb | 2 to 2 ½ hours |
| 3-4 lb | 3 to 3 ½ hours |
| 5-6 lb | 4 to 5 hours |
Expert Tips
- Don't boil the roast: Keep the heat low so the liquid gently simmers rather than boils. Boiling can make the beef tough and dry, while a gentle simmer, with slow bubbles appearing on the surface, cooks the meat slowly making it more tender.
- Use a deep, heavy pot: A Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot holds heat evenly and gives the roast plenty of room to simmer in the broth.
- Pat the meat dry: Use paper towels to dry the roast before seasoning and searing. This helps it develop a better crust.
- Storing the leftovers: Refrigerate the roast and gravy together in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating the roast and gravy: Warm the beef and gravy in a covered pot over low heat, adding a splash of broth if the gravy has thickened too much. Heat gently until warmed through.
Troubleshooting Stovetop Pot Roast
- Roast is tough: It needs more time to cook, so keep simmering it gently until the beef is fork-tender.
- Meat is dry: The heat may have been too high, or the liquid cooked off or didn't cover enough of the roast. To prevent this next time, maintain a gentle simmer and keep the roast partially covered. If the liquid begins to look a little low, add some more broth to the pot.
- Gravy too thin: Mix another small cornstarch slurry with cold water, stir it into the gravy, and simmer for a few more minutes.
- Lumpy gravy: The cornstarch may have been added dry, or you didn't whisk enough. Always mix cornstarch with cold water first and use a whisk to stir it in the pan. If it still ends up lumpy, run it through a strainer before serving to remove the lumps.
- Bland gravy: Taste and season with salt and pepper after the gravy thickens so you can adjust the flavor without over-seasoning.
Another easy yet delicious pot roast recipe I recommend is my balsamic pot roast!
Serving Suggestions
- Cold-weather gatherings: Enjoy this stovetop chuck roast with homemade dinner rolls to soak up the gravy and a crisp green salad to balance the rich, tender beef.
- Classic Sunday dinner: Serve sliced or shredded pot roast with mashed potatoes and green beans with bacon and brown sugar, spooning some of the rich gravy over everything.
- Hearty leftovers: Use leftover pot roast to make hot beef sandwiches on toasted rolls or homemade old-fashioned bread with provolone and a little extra gravy for dipping.
Stovetop Pot Roast Recipe FAQs
No, the broth doesn't need to cover the entire roast. Keep the liquid about halfway up the sides of the meat, and turn the roast occasionally as it simmers. The covered pot traps steam and helps cook the beef evenly while keeping it moist. If you lose too much during cooking, add more broth as needed.
Not necessarily! The stovetop is simply a convenient option when you want tender pot roast without heating the oven or starting a slow cooker early in the day. You can check the liquid and adjust the heat as it cooks, making it easier to monitor the simmer.
Yes! Brown the roast using the sauté setting, then add the remaining ingredients. Cook on high pressure for about 90 minutes, followed by a 20-minute natural pressure release. Check that the beef is fork-tender before serving, and cook a little longer if needed.
Stovetop Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 4-6 lb pot roast chuck or rump roast
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil or another vegetable oil
- 1 32-ounce carton chicken broth beef or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or more to taste
- 1 medium onion sliced or diced
- 4 carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3-5 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Pat meat dry with paper towel. Sprinkle it with a teaspoon salt, pepper and garlic powder. Be sure to cover all sides of the cut of meat. Press or rub seasonings with your hands.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, over medium-high heat, place oil in pan and heat until it shimmers or a drop of water flicked in it dances.
- Place the meat on one side of the pot. The roast should sizzle right away. Don't let go of if yet. Lift it up and down a few times until the meat does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Then let go and leave it to brown, without moving it, a few minutes per side. Make sure each side of the roast is browned, even the ends! Lean the roast up against the side of the pot if you have to!
- Once the beef is brown on all sides, add a carton of chicken broth, carrots and sliced onions.
- Cover roast and simmer between 3-½ to 4 hours. It should be fork-tender and just fall apart. Add any vegetables you desire for the last 15-30 minutes of cooking time.
- Remove the meat from pot and place on a plate or serving platter. It will likely fall apart, so be careful when removing it. Remove any strings or net holding the roast together, and allow it to rest while making the gravy.
- Strain the juices left in the pot and return the fluid back into the pot. In a small bowl or cup, combine water and cornstarch. Stir until dissolved and set aside.
- Turn the temperature on your stove to medium-high. Bring remaining juices to a boil and add the cornstarch mixture. Using a whisk, stir constantly. Reduce temperature to simmer and stir regularly until gravy thickens.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- After 5 minutes, If gravy doesn't thicken to your liking, mix up a little more cornstarch and water in a small bowl or cup, and once dissolved, add it to the gravy. Whisk while simmering and wait a few more minutes.
- Serve with mashed potatoes and carrots, corn or anything else you desire!
Notes
- Cook over low heat so the liquid gently simmers rather than boils. Boiling can make the beef tough and dry, while a gentle simmer helps it become tender.
- The liquid doesn't need to cover the meat completely. Keep it about halfway up the sides, turning the roast occasionally as it simmers. Keep the pot covered to trap steam and help the beef cook evenly while staying moist.
Chariss says
Tired of my usual boneless chuck roast cooked in two cans of cream of mushroom soup. Found this recipe online and happily I had an onion, two carrots and chicken broth. Simmered my 1.7 lb chuck roast for 2 and a half hours (came directly out of the freezer) and served with mashed potatoes. The meat was tender and very delicious. Thank you for an easy recipe.
Karin and Ken says
As always you’re most welcome! I try my best. I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Take care and enjoy your day! Karin
Janet Johnson says
This wasn't at all helpful to me as there are no weights given for the time it takes to cook the roast. I can't figure out if I am overcooking or undercooking my small chuck roasts, usually 1.5 to 2 lb, as they end up tough, even though I buy the fattiest ones. I have searched the internet and cannot find a time chart for stovetop roasts - they all just start with a 3 or 4-pound roast it seems. I guess the one I am about to cook will be tough again. Sigh.
Karin and Ken says
Hopefully your roast will not turn out dry and tough! On top the stove, always keep the liquid at a simmer and never allow it to boil as rigorously boiling can and will usually toughen up the cut of beef you're cooking. As far as timing goes, the rule of thumb has always been told to me to plan on about a half hour or 30 minutes per pound. I would not cook your 1 1/2 pound roast for longer than 45 minutes myself, maybe an hour, depending how you like yours cooked. Use a meat thermometer to check and confirm your roast is cooked to 135 degrees F for medium rare to medium, 145 degrees, to medium well 150 degrees F. Last, allow your beef to rest, on a plate covered with tinfoil or another plate, before serving. I hope your roast beef turns out great! Thank you for taking the time to comment. As always I am grateful. Take care and all the best. Karin
Joan says
I have been looking for a recipe that would taste like my Mom's roast beef and this is it. I had never used chicken broth with a roast and I believe it did make a huge difference. I cooked mine in a slow cooker for 4 hours and it fell apart like I wanted it to. I LOVED the roast and will be using this recipe always. Thank you so much for bringing back my childhood memories of Mom's roast beef dinner.
Karin and Ken says
I can't thank you enough for taking the time to comment. You truly made my day. I am so glad you enjoy this roast as much as we do. My mom always said that the chicken broth made the gravy lighter and more flavorful. Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much. All the best. Karin
Christina Fratcher says
Yummy, very similar to how I make it, but after browning in a pan I put it into a cooking bag with my sautéed onions an I put carrots in there as well, I have the roast tied with rosemary and any other herb I feel like adding, backing in a bag keeps everything together and clean up is so easy. I will have mashed potatoes too, I have guest coming Saturday and I love this, perfect. Thank you
Karin and Ken says
Thank you so much for sharing the easy method you use to make your roasts. I love the idea of using a cooking bag. I have been hesitant to try it but I will now! Can’t thank you enough for the suggestion! I love this pot roast recipe and have been making it for years so making the roast in a bag will be a nice change. Do you pour the drippings from inside the bag into a pot to make gravy afterwards? I assuming so. Regardless, please let me know what you think of this recipe after you try it. I would love to hear what you thought of it! Take care and all the best to you. Karin