A fork-tender beef chuck roast recipe with potatoes and carrots, slow-roasted in a beefy gravy made with Lipton onion soup mix.
JUMP TO RECIPEI've cooked beef roasts six ways from Sunday but my all-time favorite is the way my mama cooks it!
She uses Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix to cook the roast then makes gravy with the rendered broth. And it is divine!
This roast cooks low and slow in the oven and is fall-apart perfect every time.
8 FAQ ON MAMA'S POT ROAST
1 .Can I make this in a crock pot? Technically, yes. But this way is better. Maintaining an exact temperature from all sides helps the collagen and connective tissue break down without overcooking the roast. Even with the lid on, the dry oven causes the cooking liquid to reduce some which intensifies the flavor. But MOST IMPORTANTLY, when the top of the roast is able to slow roast without being submerged (or contained in a crock pot steam bath), the roast will have so much more flavor and cook more tenderly.
2. Yeah, whatever, but how do I cook this in a crock pot? There are just too many steps with the vegetables and gravy to rewrite this recipe into a crock pot recipe so... I'm just not going to.
3. Oye, really? Really, friend.
4. Can I make this if I don't have a Dutch oven? Absolutely! Sear the meat in a skillet then place it in a roasting pan or 3-quart 13x9 pan. Deglaze the hot skillet with the 2 cups of water then stir in the soup mixes and garlic powder. Pour mixture around the roast in the pan. Searing the meat creates a ton of flavor in the pan so definitely deglaze it so you don't lose any! Cover with aluminum foil to bake if you don't have a lid.
5. How can I make extra gravy? You should end up with about 3 cups of gravy but if you know you'll need more, add 1 14.5-oz can can beef broth (or 1.75 cups) and an additional 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch to the water and cornstarch in Step 7. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
6. Can I make this without the vegetables? Of course! My crew likes mashed potatoes a LOT so I often make this without the potatoes so I can make mashed potatoes instead.
7. Do you have to sear the meat first? Yes, ma'am! For crock pot beef roast recipes, I don't know that it's necessary but because of the way this cooks in the oven, searing the meat is a must.
8. What if I can't find the BEEFY Lipton Onion Soup Mix? Regular Lipton Onion Soup Mix can be used but the Beefy variety is best! Consider only using 1 packet of the regular soup mix and adding 1 can Beef Consommé if you aren't able to find the Beefy soup mix.
Recipe for Mama's Pot Roast
Mama's Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 1 3-lb chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- 2 envelopes Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2.5 cups water, divided
- 4-5 medium potatoes, peeled
- 3 large carrots
- 2 medium onions
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Season roast on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven on high heat. Sear each side of roast 2 minutes or until nicely browned on each side. Remove from heat. 1 chuck roast, 2 Tbsp oil
- Combine both soup mixes, garlic powder and 2 cups water in a small bowl then stir well. Pour soup mixture around roast (not on top of the meat). Cover then bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours. 2 envelopes soup mix, 1 tsp. garlic, 2 c. water
- Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Peel/clean carrots then cut into 3-inch pieces (consider cutting the thickest pieces in half lengthwise so all carrots pieces will be roughly the same thickness). Quarter onions and discard peel. 4-5 potatoes, 3 carrots, 2 onions
- Remove roast from oven then place potatoes, carrots and onion pieces evenly around roast. Season vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, continue baking for 1 hour, then remove from oven.
- Remove roast and vegetables from rendered broth into a serving dish, arranging vegetables around roast. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- Heat Dutch oven with rendered broth over medium heat on stove. Whisk remaining 1/2 cup water with cornstarch until smooth then pour into broth. Cook and stir until bubbling then continue cooking 2-3 minutes or until gravy thickens. 1/2 c. water, 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- To serve, slice meat in the serving dish then drizzle a little gravy over meat. Serve remaining gravy with the meal.
Notes
- Tips and any questions you may have are likely answered in the FAQ section above the recipe card.
- Recipe updated 2023 to include garlic powder and an additional tablespoon of cornstarch to make the gravy a wee bit thicker. The written instructions were also cleaned up a tad but everything is still the same.
