I Tried Our 5 Most Popular Pot Roast Recipes and My Favorite One Is Also the Easiest

It's the perfect classic comfort food.

Cooking a big piece of meat for dinner isn’t a usual occurrence in my house. I prefer meals where vegetables are the star. That being said, I love eating beef — I just don't love cooking it. That’s why when I was asked to find and then try the best pot roast recipe on Allrecipes, I hesitated. Did I want to buy all of that beef, let alone cook it all in my tiny kitchen? Well, you’re reading this so you know how I answered. After doing some digging for recipes and then putting them to the test, I’m ready to share the results.

Which Pot Roast Recipes Did I Test?

How much does the Allrecipes community love pot roast? Well, we have five pages of recipes (if that tells you anything) After scrutinizing the star ratings and reviews, I finally landed on my top five. One of the pot roasts uses a collection of seasoning packets for seasoning and another uses condensed mushroom soup. One relies on a quick sear before cooking in a slow cooker and another simmers low and slow in the oven. The other sits on the stove as it cooks with aromatics and vegetables.

• Beef Pot Roast by Teresa C. Rouzer

• Slow Cooker Pot Roast by keylimeone

• Marie's Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast by Marie Bongiovanni Thomas

• Stove-Top Pot Roast by Sarah

• Oven Pot Roast by BECKYSMITH

How I Judged the Pot Roast Recipes

It’s no easy feat to make and then taste test pot roast recipes, but I did my best and tried to keep things fair. The beef I purchased came from the same butcher counter on the same day. I prepared each recipe as written, not using the reviews or comments for any adjustments. I judged the final dishes on flavor, but also on tenderness of the beef.

The Results

Best Minimal Ingredient Pot Roast: Beef Pot Roast

• The recipe: Beef Pot Roast submitted by Teresa C. Rouzer

• Average rating: 4.6

• Rave review: “I was looking for a different way to cook a pot roast, something faster than my usual slow cook method in beef stock. This recipe was very easy and half the time of my usual recipe. I was, however, leery that it would not have enough flavor. The cooking method plus the simple ingredients created an easy, faster pot roast option.” – K. Payne

I appreciated that the recipe only calls for six ingredients (olive oil, onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper) besides the roast. Many of them were items that I already had stocked in my kitchen. The method of preparation was mostly easy, although searing a 4-pound piece of chuck roast presented some challenges, mostly figuring out which combination of tools would help get the job done (I used tongs and a spatula). I also liked being able to take the roast from stovetop to the oven to finish cooking, but that meant I’d have to plan accordingly.

After 2 hours of roasting the meat came out tender, but lacked any real flavor. Next time, I’ll add more salt and black pepper and coat with flour before searing. I’ll also add a bit of beef broth and herbs to simmer alongside while it’s roasting.

Get the recipe: Beef Pot Roast

Best for Setting and Forgetting: Slow Cooker Pot Roast

• The recipe: Slow Cooker Pot Roast submitted by Marie Bongiovanni Thomas

• Average rating: 4.6

• Rave review: “I made this on a hot summer day - and it was delicious! Didn’t change a thing and it is probably one of the best roasts we’ve had in our 35 years together!!” – Allrecipes Member

Slow cooker roast recipes are my favorite. There’s nothing better than combining ingredients and letting them work their magic for 8 hours while you get on with life. There is a bit of prep involved with this one — you’ll have to sear the chuck roast before adding to your slow cooker, but that extra step is worth it for the results.

The roast came out beautifully and the addition of onion soup mix along with carrots, potatoes, onion and celery added amazing flavor. I would absolutely make this one again and maybe double the vegetables to have for serving.

Get the recipe: Marie's Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Best for a Full Meal: Stovetop Pot Roast

• The recipe: Stove Top Pot Roast submitted by sarah

• Average rating: 4.2

• Rave review: “A dish that I will definitely be making again my family LOVED IT & I added some cornbread on the side, DELICIOUS!” – TayNeisha Eaton

I must confess, out of all of the recipes on this list, this was my least favorite. It’s cooked on the stovetop which meant there was quite a bit of babysitting — manning the stove for close to 3 hours isn’t my idea of fun.

After browning the roast, I added water (enough to cover the roast), celery, garlic, onion, basil, salt, and pepper and brought it to a boil. I let it simmer on the stove for about 2 hours before adding turnips and potatoes. Thirty minutes later I added some carrots and then simmered some more, until the beef was tender.

Even with all of those vegetables and seasonings this roast turned out pretty boring and bland. It also wasn’t as tender as other roasts on the list. The one nice thing were all of the vegetables, which helped this feel more like a meal. For me, though, this recipe just wasn’t a winner.

Get the recipe: Stovetop Pot Roast

Best Pot Roast with Gravy: Oven Pot Roast

• The recipe: Oven Pot Roast submitted by BECKYSMITH

• Average rating: 4.7

• Rave review: “I have made hundreds of pot roast. This was the best of all of them. The cream of mushroom soup makes a gravy that is absolutely incredible. I served it over Jasmine rice.....soooo Good!!! The best recipe yet!!!”-- Allrecipes Member

This recipe felt classic and I loved it! I liked starting the roast by seasoning and dredging in flour before searing. This created the most delicious crust that just got better as it cooked in the oven. After searing, I added a mixture of condensed cream of mushroom soup, some vermouth and an envelope of dry onion soup mix. It didn’t look like anything special, but looks can be deceiving, I suppose.

After cooking in the oven for 3 hours, the roast came perfectly tender and absolutely delicious. The mushroom/vermouth/soup mixture added a fabulous umami flavor to the tender beef. The resulting drippings were flavorful and made for a tasty gravy to spoon over the top. Next time I’ll add a cup or so of water while it roasts to create even more gravy to enjoy.

Get the recipe: Oven Pot Roast

Best Overall: Slow Cooker Pot Roast

• The recipe: Slow Cooker Pot Roast submitted by keylimeone

• Average rating: 4.7

• Rave review: “I have to admit, I was skeptical with the flavor of the three dry mixes called for, but this was the best tasting roast I've ever had! Used ‘herb gravy mix for beef’ which was the only one I could find and it was delicious. Had a lot leftover so I made wide noodles the next day and we had a yummy version of beef stroganoff. Definitely a keeper!” – sgatesue

This recipe called for three types of packaged mixes, which included beef gravy mix, ranch dressing mix and Italian-style salad dressing mix. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but the recipe has a 4.7 star rating for a reason.

After covering the bottom of the slow cooker with onions, I added my seasoned and floured roast. I stirred the mixes with water and poured the mixture over the roast before adding some carrots.

After covering and cooking on low for 8 hours I ended up with the most ultra-tender pot roast, easily pulled apart with a fork. The trifecta of mixes was a genius idea that added great flavor, but not overwhelmingly so. This recipe is fantastic. It's delicious and easy to make — and I’ll absolutely make it again.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Pot Roast