No.52 The 100 Most Popular Recipes Ever · October 2026

Pot roast

Made famous by Ree Drummond

Photo: Mark Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From The Pioneer Woman Cooks, 2009. The Pioneer Woman is No. 48 on the Hot 100.

The Sunday dinner of American farmhouses, and The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast is one of the most cooked beef recipes on the web.

Written in our own words and tested in a home kitchen. Get the original in The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

Ingredients

• One 3 to 5 lb (1.4 to 2.3 kg) chuck roast
• Fine salt and black pepper
• 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, peeled and halved
• 6 to 8 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup (240 ml) red wine (optional; or more stock)
• 3 cups (720 ml) beef stock
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary and 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 lb (450 g) small potatoes (optional)

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 275F (135C). Season the roast generously all over with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the onions cut side down, then the carrots, 2 minutes each, and set aside.
3. Add more oil if needed and sear the meat 3 to 4 minutes a side, until a deep brown crust forms all over. Don't rush this; the crust is the flavor.
4. Lift out the meat. Pour in the wine and scrape up every browned bit from the bottom.
5. Return the meat and add stock to come halfway up its side. Tuck the onions, carrots, potatoes and herbs around it.
6. Cover and roast 3 to 4 hours (about 1 hour per pound), until the meat is fork-tender and pulls apart easily.
7. Lift out the meat and vegetables. Skim the fat from the liquid and simmer it on the stove until slightly reduced. Season.
8. Shred or slice the meat and serve with the vegetables and plenty of juices.

Chef's tips

• If it's tough, it needs more time, not less.
• Leftovers make great sandwiches or hash.

This is Chef Amazing's write-up of the dish, tested for a home kitchen. The original is in The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond: get the book, No. 90 on The 100 Greatest Cookbooks.

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