This Yankee pot roast is melt-in-your-mouth tender with plenty of savory potatoes, onions, and carrots to enjoy! The meat is roasted low and slow with a simple combination of red wine and beef broth that keeps it delectably moist and juicy. It's a warm and hearty meal that will have the whole family scrambling to the dinner table!
Classic Yankee Pot Roast Recipe
When you think of home cooking, pot roast is a classic, and almost everyone has a memory of eating it as a child. There are so many ways to prepare it, but this Yankee version with potatoes and carrots is always a huge hit.
The roast is braised low and slow in a combination of beef broth and dry red wine. This keeps the meat meltingly tender, and all of that fabulous flavor is soaked up by the veggies!

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🥘 Ingredients For Yankee Pot Roast
I used a beef chuck roast for this recipe, which is my preferred choice when making a juicy, tender pot roast! That, paired with the classic pot roast veggies, makes a fabulous family dinner.
- Butter - 2 tablespoons of butter to sear the roast.
- Pot Roast Seasoning - 2 tablespoons of pot roast seasoning. See my recipe or use a simple combination of 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt and ½ a tablespoon of fresh ground black pepper.
- Flour - 2 tablespoons of flour for dredging the outside of the roast. This helps it get a good sear!
- Chuck Roast - 4 to 5-pound chuck roast, beef shoulder, blade, or arm roast.
- Onion - 1 cup yellow or white onion, sliced.
- Beef Broth - 2 cups of beef broth or stock.
- Dry Red Wine - ½ cup dry red wine. Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Zinfandel would all be great choices. (*See notes below if you would like to omit the alcohol).
- Rosemary - 3 sprigs of rosemary and/or fresh thyme.
- Bay Leaves (optional) - 1-2 bay leaves as desired for an extra level of flavor.
- Potatoes - 1 ½ lbs potatoes (cubed or sliced)
- Carrots - 2 cups of sliced carrots (about 4 medium carrots).
- Celery - 2 cups of sliced celery (about 4 stalks).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Yankee Pot Roast
There are a few steps, but everything is pretty simple if you just follow along. You will need a large Dutch oven, your measuring utensils, a sharp knife, a wooden spoon or spatula for stirring, and some tongs.
A 4-pound roast makes 8-10 servings, depending on how hungry everyone is!
Sear The Roast
- Melt the butter. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Season and dredge. Season the roast generously on all sides with 2 tablespoons of pot roast seasoning blend or salt and pepper. (1 tablespoon of Kosher salt + ½ a tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper may be used in place of pot roast seasoning). Add 2 tablespoons of flour to a shallow dish and dredge your 4-5 pound roast in the flour, making sure to cover all sides. Shake off any excess flour and add the roast to the pot.
- Sear. Sear the roast until on all sides (use tongs to turn the roast every 4-6 minutes per side or until nicely browned.) Transfer the roast to a plate.
Cook Your Roast
- Saute onions. Add 1 cup of onion to the pot and saute for 4-6 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
- Deglaze. Use ½ a cup of dry red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping all the brown bits from the bottom. Let it simmer, stirring frequently until the amount of liquid has reduced by half. Stir in 2 cups of beef broth, 3 sprigs of rosemary (and/or thyme), and 1-2 optional bay leaves.
- Cook. Return the roast to your Dutch oven. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven to cook at 325°F (160°C) for 3 hours.
- Add veggies. Remove the pot from the oven and add 1½ pounds of cubed or sliced potatoes, 2 cups of sliced carrots, and 2 cups of sliced celery, spreading the vegetables all around the roast. Season with salt & pepper, if desired, cover and return the pot to the oven to cook for one more hour.
- Rest. Once the meat and vegetables are tender, remove the roast from the pot and let it rest for 15 minutes with a sheet of foil loosely tented over the top. Arrange the vegetables around the roast on a tray or serving platter and drizzle some of the braising liquid over the top before shredding and serving.
A wedge or Caesar salad would accompany your meat, veggies, and potatoes wonderfully! I also love serving any roast with buttered rolls or Yorkshire puddings for soaking up any extra sauce. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- If time is not an issue, set your roast out to come to room temperature before cooking. This will help you get a nice sear and help it to cook evenly in a timely fashion.
- The seasoning can be a simple combination of 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt and ½ a tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper.
- If you want to omit the red wine, increase the amount of beef broth to 2 ½ cups and add 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.
- If you prefer thicker gravy, try my simple and savory pot roast gravy!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Once cooled, leftover Yankee pot roast can be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Freezing Yankee Pot Roast
The carrots and potatoes will become mushy in the freezer, so I recommend freezing just the meat. Shred your roast and add it to a heavy-duty freezer bag. Skim any excess fat off the top of the braising liquid and add some to the bag with the meat. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating Yankee Pot Roast
You can use your leftover roast as a tasty addition to many other recipes! To reheat the roast on its own, add it to a baking dish with the reserved liquid. Add more beef broth as needed to cover the meat and cover it with foil. Reheat at 325°F (160°C) for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
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❓ FAQ
Covering your pot roast both keeps the meat from drying out and all the tasty liquid from evaporating. If your pot does not have a lid, you should cover it with foil before putting it in the oven.
The main thing that distinguishes a Yankee pot roast from any other pot roast is that there are root vegetables braised along with the meat. This method originates from New England (hence the term 'Yankee').
Yes, you certainly can make this pot roast in a crockpot. I love the crockpot version, too, because you can set it and forget it for 6-8 hours in the morning, and it's ready by dinnertime. Try the crockpot Yankee pot roast here!
😋 More Dinner Ideas
- Chicken Divan Casserole - A cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole that is easy to make on busy weeknights!
- Albondigas Soup - A rich and hearty meatball soup made with tomato and beef broth!
- Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie - This easy-to-make chicken pot pie has no top crust, just fluffy, buttery biscuits!
- Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff - Ground beef with a rich sour cream sauce and tender egg noodles; it's easy and delicious!
- Pepperoni Pizza Casserole - An easy pasta casserole filled with pepperoni, pizza sauce, and cheese!
- Bag Roasted Chicken - The moistest and most flavorful whole chicken you will ever have!
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📋 Recipe
Yankee Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon pot roast seasoning (see recipe, or notes)
- 2 tablespoon flour (to dredge the roast)
- 4 lbs chuck roast (up to 5 pound beef shoulder, blade, or arm roast)
- 1 cup yellow onion (sliced)
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 3 sprigs rosemary (and/or thyme)
- 1-2 bay leaves (optional)
- 1 ½ lbs potatoes (cubed or sliced)
- 2 cups carrots (sliced)
- 2 cups celery (sliced)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.2 tablespoon butter
- Season the roast generously on all sides with pot roast seasoning blend or salt and pepper (see notes). Add the flour to a shallow dish and dredge the roast in the flour, making sure to cover all sides. Shake off any excess flour and add the roast to the pot.2 tablespoon pot roast seasoning, 2 tablespoon flour, 4 lbs chuck roast
- Sear the roast until on all sides (use tongs to turn the roast every 4-6 minutes per side or until nicely browned.) Transfer the roast to a plate.
- Add the onion to the pot and saute for 4-6 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned.1 cup yellow onion
- Use the dry red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping all the brown bits from the bottom. Let it simmer, stirring frequently until the amount of liquid has reduced by half. Stir in the beef broth, rosemary (and/or thyme), and the optional bay leaf(s).2 cups beef broth, ½ cup dry red wine, 3 sprigs rosemary, 1-2 bay leaves
- Return the roast to your Dutch oven. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven to cook at 325°F (160°C) for 3 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven and add the potatoes, carrots, and celery, spreading the vegetables all around the roast. Season with salt & pepper, if desired, cover and return the pot to the oven to cook for one more hour.1 ½ lbs potatoes, 2 cups celery, 2 cups carrots
- Once the meat and vegetables are tender, remove the roast from the pot and let it rest for 15 minutes with a sheet of foil loosely tented over the top. Arrange the vegetables around the roast on a tray or serving platter and drizzle some of the braising liquid over the top before shredding and serving.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- If time is not an issue, set your roast out to come to room temperature before cooking. This will help you get a nice sear and help it to cook evenly in a timely fashion.
- The seasoning can be a simple combination of 1 tablespoon Kosher salt and ½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper.
- If you want to omit the red wine, increase the amount of beef broth to 2 ½ cups and add 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.
- If you prefer thicker gravy, try my simple and savory pot roast gravy!
- To store: Once cooled, leftover Yankee pot roast can be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: The carrots and potatoes will become mushy in the freezer, so I recommend freezing just the meat. Shred your roast and add it to a heavy-duty freezer bag. Skim any excess fat off the top of the braising liquid and add some to the bag with the meat. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: You can use your leftover roast as a tasty addition to many other recipes! To reheat the roast on its own, add it to a baking dish with the reserved liquid. Add more beef broth as needed to cover the meat and cover it with foil. Reheat at 325°F (160°C) for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Kevin H says
Excellent pot roast, just like Mom used to make. No really great family dinner, everyone loved it!