These Top 5 Grandma Pot Roast Recipes Are Fall-Apart Tender

Our readers love the recipes and it's easy to see why.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published September 03, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Beef Brisket with Carrots on Platter

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Growing up, I got to spend plenty of time with my great-grandmother. She made it to 103, and while her hugs were always a little stiff and bony, she was incredibly sturdy. Whenever I went to her house, she made my favorite meal: beef pot roast. The meat was tender, the vegetables (mainly carrots) still had some bite, and she would always make sure my plate didn't have any onion. Her pot roast was perfect and I still haven't had any better.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have experienced their great-grandmother's pot roast, but thankfully, you can still capture the essence of a time-tested, beloved family recipe, like these favorites of Simply Recipes readers. Whether you have a holiday gathering coming up (pot roast is a popular main for Rosh Hashanah and makes an easy, nontraditional centerpiece for Thanksgiving) or just want a nostalgic family dinner, these pot roast recipes will bring the feeling of love and caring to the table.

  • The Best Pot Roast

    A Dutch oven of pot roast and hands holding two large forks, flaking apart the meat

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Andrew Bui / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

    "My mother cooks her pot roast on the stovetop, but you can make it in the oven, a slow cooker, or a pressure cooker."—Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Instant Pot Pot Roast with Balsamic and Rosemary

    Instant Pot Roast

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    "Save any leftover cooking liquid to use in your next soup or stew, or anywhere you’d use beef broth. It adds lots of deep, savory flavor. It’s something my grandma has always done, and now I do, too."—Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

  • Italian Pot Roast

    A plate of sliced Italian pot roast and sauce, ready to serve and eat

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "This is a simple and delicious recipe that's much like our standard pot roast but with a soffritto base, the addition of tomatoes, and a whole bottle of wine."—Elise

  • Slow Cooker Pot Roast

    Side view of tender pot roast made in a slow cooker with gracy, cooked carrots and potatoes.
    Alison Bickle

    "Leaner cuts of beef are best for the slow cooker or Crock Pot. The long, slow cooking method helps the connective tissue and fat break down slowly over many hours, which yields fork-tender bites of beef."—Summer Miller, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 5 of 5 below

  • Beef Brisket Pot Roast

    Beef Brisket with Carrots on Platter

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "With this beef brisket recipe, feel free to mix it up a bit. You could easily use other root vegetables such as parsnips, turnips, or rutabagas."—Elise

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