This one-pan Mediterranean pot roast is a slow-roasted garlic-infused pot roast with tender potato wedges, baby carrots, and caramelized onions. The tender pot roast cooks low and slow in the oven for 4 hours, similar to this boneless leg of lamb recipe. It's the perfect recipe for chuck roast, chuck shoulder, brisket, or any decent-sized beef or lamb roast (about 2.5 lbs to 4 lbs).
If you'd like a stovetop option, check out this juicy stovetop pot roast recipe.
What I Love About This Recipe
This Mediterranean pot roast is flavorful and so easy to make. The beef is fork-tender and the potatoes literally melt in your mouth. This recipe reheats well, serves a decent crowd, and literally takes 10 minutes to prepare (with a 4-hour cooking time that's hands-off). This one-pan pot roast uses a 9" x 13" baking dish with a foil cover making an easy clean-up.
Ingredient Notes
- Meat: Use chuck roast, brisket, shuck shoulder, or any beef or lamb roast that has some fat marbling. Leaner cuts of meat tend to dry out easier, so pick a cut of meat that has a tad higher fat content. This recipe doesn't use any additional fat, so the meat flavors the vegetables underneath it.
- Potatoes: Use any type of potato (Yukon gold, red potatoes, Russet potatoes, etc) cut into large wedges.
- Carrots: Baby carrots or large carrots are suitable.
- Onion: Use white onion, yellow onion, red onion, or brown onion.
- Fresh Garlic: The key ingredient to this Mediterranean pot roast is fresh garlic. You need a whole head of garlic with the end cut off and some garlic cloves for the mashed garlic marinade.
- Herbs: Use fresh herbs or dried herbs. Any variation of rosemary, thyme, and oregano will work for this Mediterranean roast.
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.
How To Make Mediterranean Pot Roast
Preheat the oven to 325 ℉ (162 ℃). Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges. Wash and chop the celery. Peel and slice the onion. Cut the end off of a garlic head. Add the potato wedges, baby carrots, celery, sliced onion, and garlic head to a baking dish. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of water or beef broth to the baking dish.
Mash the garlic with some salt into a paste. Alternatively, use a garlic press to form a garlic paste. Rub the garlic paste all over the outside of the roast. Season the roast with salt, pepper, and herbs. Squeeze a whole lemon over the vegetables and roast.
Tip: The pot roast does not need to be submerged in liquid to be moist. The vegetables will sweat out some liquid as well, keeping the roast moist as it slowly cooks.
Place a piece of parchment paper over the roast and vegetables, tucking the parchment paper into the sides of the baking dish. Tightly cover the baking dish with foil, pressing the edges firmly to seal.
Cook at 325 ℉ (162 ℃) with foil for 4 hours. Remove the foil and parchment paper and broil for a few minutes to caramelize the top of the roast. You can skip the broil if desired.
Remove the meat onto a cutting board and slice. Using a slotted spoon, separate the vegetables from the liquid in the pan. Serve the sliced meat on top.
Optional Gravy
If making gravy, strain the drippings from the pan. In a saucepan add 2 tablespoons of butter on medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add in 2 tablespoons of flour using a whisk. Continue whisking for about 30 seconds then add 2 cups of the strained drippings. Whisk until the gravy thickens up.
Tips and Tricks
- Seal the baking dish tightly so the pot roast doesn't dry out. This is key for a tender and moist pot roast!
- Mash the garlic cloves to form a paste. Mashed garlic is different in flavor than minced garlic.
- Cook low and slow. The temperature and time are great for roasts that are 2.5 lbs to 4 lbs in size.
Variations and Substitutions
- Change up the vegetables such as using parsnips, mushrooms, or pearl onions.
- Use fresh herbs in lieu of dried Italian herbs.
- Cut slits into the beef roast and stick garlic cloves inside.
- Use a Dutch oven with a cover instead of a 9" x 13" baking dish.
Equipment
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Peeler to peel the potatoes and carrots (if not using baby carrots)
- 9" x 13" baking dish or large Dutch oven
- Lemon squeezer to juice the lemon
- Mortar and pestle to mash the garlic
- Parchment paper and foil to cover the pot roast while cooking
Storage
Store this Mediterranean pot roast in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I don't recommend storing the pot roast in the freezer because it may become dry when reheated.
FAQs
The best cuts of meat for pot roast are fattier cuts of meat such as chuck roast, chuck shoulder, brisket, and round roast.
Pot roast is typically cooked for a longer cook time at a slower temperature whereas roast beef is cooked at a higher temperature and lower cook time. Pot roast is well-done and roast beef is usually medium (pink on the inside).
The key to a tender pot roast is to cook it at a low temperature over a long period of time.
The pot roast does not need to be submerged in liquid, however liquid does need to be in the pan to keep the roast moist throughout the cooking time. Also, the roast should be covered with foil tightly.
If your roast is not falling apart, then it's either dry or didn't cook long enough. Make sure there is enough liquid in the pan (doesn't need to submerge the roast). Also, cook for a longer time.
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Mediterranean Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 2½ to 4 lbs of beef see note 1
- 3 cups of baby carrots
- 1 large onion sliced
- 4 medium potatoes
- 2 cups of celery
- 1 head of garlic end cut off
- 1 cup of water or broth
- 4 to 6 garlic cloves mashed
- 1 lemon
- ½ tablespoon dried Italian herbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 ℉ (162 ℃).
- Peel and cut the potatoes into quarters. Peel and slice the onion. Wash and chop the celery into chunks. Add the baby carrots, potatoes, onion, and celery to a 9"x13" (or equivalent) baking dish. Salt and pepper the vegetables. Add the whole head of garlic (with one end sliced off). Add the water (or broth) to the vegetables.
- Mash the garlic cloves with a pinch of salt. Rub the mashed garlic all over the pot roast. Place the pot roast on top of the vegetables. Squeeze the lemon on top of the roast and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Season with dried Italian herbs.
- Place parchment paper on top of the pot roast. Tuck the sides of the parchment paper into the baking dish. Tightly wrap the baking dish with foil.
- Put the pot roast baking dish in the middle of the oven at 325 ℉ (162 ℃) for 4 hours.
- Remove the foil and parchment paper from the pot roast. Broil the pot roast for about 4 to 5 minutes until the top of the roast caramelizes.
Notes
- Use chuck roast, brisket, round roast, or chuck shoulder. I prefer chuck roast.
Jan
Turned out great. I didn’t do the last step broil. Instead I seared the roast on the stovetop before putting it in the oven. Tender and tasty, oh, and the potatoes were delicious. I will definitely be making again.
Lily
Thanks Jan for the comment and sharing an alternate method!