Cider Braised Pot Roast Recipe
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This melt-in-your-mouth cider-braised pot roast recipe is infused with savory fall flavors and simmers with caramelized onions, potatoes, carrots, and apples. It’s easy, delicious, makes its own gravy, and is the ultimate comfort food!
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Why I Love This Pot Roast Recipe
Sunday dinners and pot roast are a perfect pair. Growing up, after Sunday services, my mom would often have pot roast slowly simmering and ready when we walked in the door.
And oh my were we ready for it! Dinner was cooked in one pot, with only one pot to clean. Happy days.
Today, this pot roast recipe is a twist on the classic my mom used to make. And infused with fall savory flavors I love. It’s just as simple, just as delicious, and as easy as easy can be!
Cider Braised Pot Roast Recipe Ingredients
All of the classic pot roast recipe veggies like onions, potatoes, and carrots are here. But I’ve also added apples to subtly complement the cider flavors. When you mix apples and thyme together, it creates the most beautiful flavor combination!
Here’s what you need:
- Beef Chuck Roast: For the best flavor and melt in your mouth texture, chuck roast is always best.
- All-purpose flour to thicken the braising liquid that will ultimately become your gravy.
- Vegetables: Yellow onion, carrots (I’m using rainbow colored carrots today), and small to medium potatoes.
- Butter: Brings flavor and helps caramelize the onions.
- Aromatics: Minced garlic and dried or fresh thyme
- Braising liquid: Apple cider (don’t skip this, it brings incredible flavor to the pot roast), and beef or vegetable broth
- Apple: This helps highlight the subtle apple flavor and if you leave the skin intact, the pectin also helps thicken the gravy.
How to Make This Pot Roast Recipe
Begin by preheating the oven to 325° F.
Step 1: Season the roast
Season the roast with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour to lightly coat. If using dried instead of fresh thyme, season the roast with thyme, salt, and pepper before dredging in the flour.
Step 2: Caramelize the onions
Heat a large oven-safe Dutch Oven or braiser over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and the onions and let cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 cup apple cider, season with salt and pepper, and cook another 5 minutes, or onions are soft and golden. Nestle the roast into the onions and pour in the remaining cider and broth.
Step 3: Roast
Arrange the potatoes, carrots, and apples around the roast and top with fresh thyme. Cover and roast in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until very tender.
Optional Step 4: Caramelize the roast
Remove the pot from the oven and increase the temperature to 425° F. Transfer the potatoes and carrots to a platter with a slotted spoon and season with salt and pepper. When the oven is at temperature, return the uncovered pot roast and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the roast is deeply caramelized on top. Add broth or cider as needed.
Serving
I like to transfer the pot roast to a serving platter with the potatoes, carrots, and apples but you can also serve straight from the pot along with the gravy it makes during cooking.
How to thicken the pot roast gravy
To thicken the gravy, remove the roast, carrots, potatoes, and onions from the pot. Bring the braising liquid to a boil and make a slurry by whisking equal amounts of cornstarch and water (I start with 2 tablespoons of each). Once the liquid is bubbling, slowly stir in just enough slurry to thicken as desired.
Can you make this roast in a crockpot?
Absolutely. Here’s how: Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of your crockpot, arranging the potatoes, carrots, and apples around the roast. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
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Cider Braised Pot Roast Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound beef chuck roast
- salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 cups Beef broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 pound potatoes small to medium (halved in larger)
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 large apple quartered (peeled or unpeeled)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° F.
- Season the roast with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour to lightly coat. If using dried instead of fresh thyme, season the roast with thyme, salt, and pepper before dredging in the flour.
- Heat a large oven-safe Dutch Oven or braiser over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and the onions and let cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 cup apple cider, season with salt and pepper, and cook another 5 minutes, or onions are soft and golden. Nestle the roast into the onions and pour in the remaining cider and broth.
- Arrange the potatoes, carrots, and apples around the roast and top with fresh thyme. Cover and roast in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until very tender.
- Remove the pot from the oven and increase the temperature to 425° F. Transfer the potatoes and carrots to a platter with a slotted spoon and season with salt and pepper. When the oven is at temperature, return the uncovered pot roast and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the roast is deeply caramelized on top. Add broth or cider as needed.
- I like to transfer the pot roast to a serving platter with the potatoes, carrots, and apples but you can also serve straight from the pot along with the gravy it makes during cooking.
- To thicken the gravy, remove the roast, carrots, potatoes, and onions from the pot. Bring the braising liquid to a boil and make a slurry by whisking equal amounts of cornstarch and water (I start with 2 tablespoons of each). Once the liquid is bubbling, slowly stir in just enough slurry to thicken as desired.
Notes
- Crockpot Instructions: Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of your crockpot, arranging the potatoes, carrots, and apples around the roast. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.