Whole30 Pot Roast Recipe

By: Olivia Updated: 3/2/24

This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. See Disclosure Policy.

Jump to Recipe Jump to VideoLeave a Review

Making a Whole30 pot roast is perfect for a winter afternoon. Cooked low and slow in the oven, this meal is healthy and filling and the vegetables can cook in the same pot.

This Whole30 pot roast recipe is gluten free, so fits with all kinds of eating plans. It easily accommodates low-carb dieters and is paleo friendly as well. This hearty meal is just what everyone craves as cold weather sets in. But this high protein version is not something you have to save for a special occasion.

While it takes lots of time to cook, it needs little supervision. Even the vegetables are all cooked together in one pan. Want to make this faster? Try my Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe!

Is pot roast healthy?

The best cut of beef for a pot roast recipe is a beef chuck. This comes from the shoulder and neck region of the animal. It is a heavily used muscle so can be tough. But a pot roast, is cooked for a long time in low heat. This gives the meat plenty of time to break down and become juicy.

Beef chuck is also known for its marbling of fat rather than the layer on top like other cuts of beef have. Because of this, it is higher in saturated fat, but the taste is much better.

Beef roast will provide a huge serving of protein and nearly half your daily requirement of iron.

How to Make Pot Roast

Ingredients

Olive oil — or oil of your choice.
Butter — use ghee if you are on a Whole30 diet.
Boneless beef chuck roast — avoid getting chuck roast that is too lean. You want a piece that is well marbled with fat.
Salt and pepper
Sweet onion — chopped. If you don’t have sweet onion, try yellow onion.
Garlic — minced
Dry red wine — use balsamic vinegar if you’re on a Whole30 diet.
Beef broth — use low sodium beef broth.
Potatoes — peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces Yukon Gold.
Carrots — peeled and cut on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces
Fresh herbs — I used fresh rosemary and fresh thyme.
Dried bay leaves

Instructions

Sear the Beef

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a Dutch oven or an oven-safe pot, add olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.
Season the beef all over with salt and pepper.
Sear the chuck roast all the sides of it for about 15 minutes in the Dutch oven. Set aside.

Add the Rest of the Ingredients and Simmer

Add the onions and garlic to the Dutch oven and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Don’t forget to stir occasionally.
Add the wine and deglaze the pot, bringing the liquid to a simmer.
Let the wine simmer until it reduces to half.
Add the beef stock and bring to boil. Add the beef back to the pot and add potatoes, carrots, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves.

Transfer to the Oven

Cover the pot with a lid and bring it to the oven. Roast for about 4 hours or until the beef is super tender.
Discard the rosemary, thyme springs and bay leaves from the pot and place the veggies on a platter.
Using 2 forks, shred the beef or pull it into chunks. Place the beef on the same platter you add the veggies, pour a little bit of the cooking liquid on top of the beef, and serve warm.

Does a Whole30 pot roast need to be covered in liquid?

Due to the extended amount of time the pot roast will be in the oven, you want to use moist heat to tenderize the fibers.

The best way to do this is to cover your roast while it is cooking. If your pot doesn’t have a lid, you can tent foil over the roast instead.

Do the vegetables go on top or bottom?

If you like your veggies to get tender, place them under your roast. They will cook faster this way and any juices that run from the roast will infuse them with flavor.

If you prefer your veggies to stay firm, leave them on top of the roast.

Potatoes are a staple for a pot roast side, but other hard veggies you may want to use are:

Carrots
Parsnips
Radishes
Winter squash
Beets
Turnips
Rutabaga

Want to make extra vegetables for dinner? You can make this Easy Roasted Vegetables Recipe in the oven while the roast is cooking. Or if you want another one pot beef and vegetable dish, then try this Quick Beef and Zucchini Skillet and Instant Pot Sweet Potato Kale Beef Soup!

How do you know when a pot roast is done?

Give your Whole30 pot roast plenty of time to cook. In an oven set at 325F, it will take about four hours.

You can also cook a pot roast in a slow cooker. It will take about eight hours on the low setting.

You can tell that your Whole30 pot roast is done when it is fork tender. That means that the meat easily pulls apart with a fork. If it’s not at that point yet, let it cook a while longer. You want it to be perfectly tender when you serve it.

Now that the roast is done, if you have leftovers, you should try this Leftover Shredded Roast Beef Pasta!

Recipe Tips

Don’t be tempted to skip the bay leaves! The bay leaves add a lighter note and help the other flavours shine. It’s a small step and a single ingredient but it does a lot.
If your pot doesn’t have a lid, cover the pot with tin foil.
Don’t skip searing the meat as the caramelized surface imparts a ton of flavour to the pot roast.

Storage

Store leftover pot roast in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container or the pot with a tightly fitted lid.
If you plan on freezing this, I suggest freezing only the meat and not the potatoes or carrots. Freeze the beef with some of the liquid from the pot in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 2 months.

More One Pot Dinner Recipes to Try:

No Bean Whole30 Butternut Squash Chili: This No Bean Whole30 Butternut Squash Chili is a perfect recipe to indulge yourself with this fall. It’s thick, rich, and hearty, and also low-carb, paleo, and gluten-free.
Easy One-Pot Cauliflower Curry Recipe: Easy One-Pot Cauliflower Curry Recipe is ready in 20 minutes. It’s made with cauliflower, green peas, diced tomatoes, curry powder, and coconut milk. This recipe is gluten-free and vegan.
Instant Pot Short Ribs Recipe: This Instant Pot Short Ribs recipe lets you enjoy the tender flavorful ribs without the hours of cooking time usually required. This set-it-and-forget it recipe makes it easy to cook the perfect meat.
Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe (Whole30 & Paleo): Instant Pot beef stew will provide you with winter comfort food in a fraction of the time. Made with protein-rich beef and lots of veggies, it will be satisfying on cool nights.
Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup: Make a hearty vegetable beef soup in no time with this Instant Pot soup recipe. Goodbye to all-day simmering, this is a quick and easy dinner for any busy weeknight. This delicious soup is also Whole30, paleo, and gluten-free.