Full disclosure – this isn’t my recipe! This is a tried-and-true beloved recipe of The Pioneer Woman but I make it gluten-free!
A few things to note:
Going Gluten-Free
The original recipe is gluten-free except for the stock and broth. It’s super easy to switch these out and it isn’t going to affect the taste or outcome!
Chuck vs Pot
You can totally do this with a standard pot roast like the one pictured above! But…I’m going to argue for the chuck roast and The Pioneer Woman agrees with me! I think it’s juicier, more flavorful, and typically serves more people than a typical pot roast. I buy my meat at Costco – great cuts for great prices. You can usually get either for $20 and it gives you two in the pack. Perfect if you’re feeding a crowd or freeze one for a rainy day!
Veggies
I follow her recipe pretty closely but you can add anything you like in with your meat – most root vegetables are going to be so good with this dish!
[/flex_row] We also add a lot of veggies – lots of carrots, plenty of onions but I gotta agree with TPW again on this one: cook your potatoes separately! You can easily pair this dish with a classic jacket potato or some slow roasted small fingerlings. Or go for a classic mash – they’re all good options and will cement this as a family favorite.
Slow Cooker
If you don’t have 3-4 hours to sit at home or have a busy Sunday, try this in your slow cooker (crock pot) instead. You can still follow all steps on the stovetop and then move everything over to the slow cooker immediately after deglazing your pan. Set to low and cook for 8 hours. This will allow you to go to work, take care of the household, run errands, and still come home to an amazing home-cooked meal.
Cutting The Liquid
When cooking a chuck roast in a slow cooker, you are breaking down every single piece of fat in that thing and you’re going to have a lot of liquid. You can even forego all but 1 cup of beef stock and substitute in more butter for a super moist, tender roast.
Try the recipe as written below and then get creative! Honestly, it’s a hard dish to mess up and one I make for my family ALL the time!
The Perfect (Gluten-Free) Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck or Pot Roast
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Butter
- 2 whole Onions
- 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
- Salt To Taste
- Pepper To Taste
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 2 – 3 cups Beef Stock Note: If you don't want to use beef broth and beef stock, stick with beef stock. You'll thank me for it later!
- 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
- 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste
Instructions
- Salt and pepper both sides of your pot or chuck roast.
- Melt 2-3 Tbsp of butter in a large oven-safe pot or dutch oven over medium heat. If you're using olive oil, you can heat it up the same way!
- Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the butter/oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.
- Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.
- If needed, add a bit more butter or olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
- With the burner still on high, use the beef broth/stock (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.
- When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme. (if you don't have fresh, don't sweat it, use dry)
- Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.
