The best pot roast! Fall apart tender and full-flavored, Italian pot roast may be our favorite way to prepare beef roast. Slow cooked until it reaches succulent perfection, this pot roast has everyone who tries it exclaiming, This is the best roast ever! My mother-in-law says it’s “out of this world!” Even my mom, who usually turns her nose up at any beef, likes it. I may have even seen her vying for the leftovers. How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, 5 to 10 hours to slow cook Equipment you’ll need: large skillet, slow cooker Servings: 8 So flavorful! If you’re of Italian descent, you may know this slow-cooked beef with tomato sauce as “stracotto de manzo.” There are lots of different recipes for Italian pot roast but most include tomato, and often red wine. I add a jar of roasted red peppers which cook down completely into the sauce, providing a wonderful layer of flavor. Perfect for family dinners! You’re going to love Italian pot roast. I’m so excited to share it with you! It’s just perfect for a family dinner and once it goes into the crockpot, simmering for hours, it’s all hands off. The reward is mouth-watering, tender pot roast that everyone will just love.
How to Make Italian Pot Roast
Perfect for inexpensive chuck roasts, the slow cooking method breaks down the tough connective tissue, the collagen, and turns it into gelatin which gives the roast such a rich flavor and silky texture (a little science lesson for you). Brown the beef. The beef is dredged in flour, salt, and pepper, and seared on all sides in a hot skillet. After it’s browned, put it into your slow cooker. Add everything to the crockpot. Italian pot roast includes the trio of chopped carrots, celery, and onion, known as “soffritto.” I mix the soffritto with tomato sauce, roasted red peppers, garlic, and lots of herbs, and pour it over the roast. That’s it! Your crockpot will do the rest of the work. Let it slow cook. Plan on cooking the roast for at least five hours on High, or 10 hours on Low. The meat should be fall-apart tender.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Italian pot roast with mashed potatoes, risotto, creamy polenta (make it in your Instant Pot!), or pasta. It’s great with spaghetti squash with Parmesan and herbs, too.
What you’ll need
Boneless chuck beef roast and flour, salt and pepper for dredging, oil for searing the meat prior to putting it in the slow cooker. Vegetables: You’ll need onion, carrots, celery, roasted red peppers, and tomato sauce. The vegetables and tomato sauce create the most perfect sauce for the tender beef. Seasoning: Lots of fresh garlic, fresh parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, and bay leaf give this recipe so much flavor!
Make It Your Own
Truly, this roast is so good, I’d hate to change anything!
Use stewed tomatoes instead of roasted red peppers, if you prefer. Traditional pot roast: Looking for a pot roast recipe with potatoes and carrots? Try my Instant Pot pot roast recipe or stovetop simmered pot roast. Red wine braised beef short ribs are pretty amazing too. Make Instant Pot short ribs if you’re in a hurry. Not a fan of beef? Try this delicious chicken cacciatore! It’s easy and so delicious! Braised lamb shanks are another favorite. They are slow roasted in the oven and turn out meltingly tender.
Storage & Reheating TIps
Refrigerate: Italian pot roast is almost better the next day! Refrigerate overnight and reheat over medium-low heat on the stove. Freeze: You can successfully freeze the pot roast, too, since it doesn’t have potatoes which tend to get mushy when frozen. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
