Beer Braised Pot Roast is a savory one-pot meal complete with carrots and potatoes seasoned with onions, garlic and a bottle of beer.
Beer Braised Pot Roast is sure to become a favorite, especially if you’re already a fan of our popular Red Wine Pot Roast or Classic Pot Roast with Vegetables. An easy update of a classic recipe, the beer adds a rich depth of flavor to this comforting dish, which can also be made in a slow cooker or instant pot!
BEER BRAISED POT ROAST
Beer Braised Pot Roast comes together with minimal effort before you pop it in the oven and let it braise and simmer to perfection. I like to make it on a busy afternoon at home when I can let the oven do the work while I accomplish other tasks, and then sit down to a hearty meal that feeds the whole family, with leftovers! You can shred the leftover meat and use it all week for anything from omelettes to sandwiches to tacos.
The addition of beer to the beef broth in this pot roast adds a layer of flavor and makes the roast incredibly moist. A dark stout will work perfectly for this recipe to complement the rich beefy flavors, but if you prefer lighter beers, a brown ale or lager would also work well. If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can use a non-alcoholic beer or replace it with more beef stock.
It is important not to skip the step of searing the meat before adding the rest of the ingredients. Searing will add a nice contrasting texture to the meat with crispy edges and fork tender insides. It will also add a caramelized flavor that tastes amazing with the braised onions and other vegetables in this meal.
Heat the oil on high heat in a large dutch oven until it is shimmering before adding the chuck roast to the pan, and resist the urge to move it for a good 4-5 minutes! Use tongs to gently pull it free from the pan to flip, but if it is sticking to the pan, it needs another minute or two. The meat will naturally release itself from the pan once it is properly seared. Complete this step on each side before adding the vegetables and liquids to the pot.
Cooking the potatoes and carrots with the pot roast allows the vegetables to soak up the savory flavors, and provides the perfect side dish for this Beer Braised Pot Roast. We like to use Yukon Gold potatoes, but you can also use red potatoes in a pinch. We also prefer large carrots to baby carrots so that the vegetables can all be cut to similar sizes.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BEER BRAISED POT ROAST
I like to serve a fresh, crisp salad with pot roast to lighten up the rich flavors of the main course. Here are some salads, sides, and desserts that go well with this Beer Braised Pot Roast.
- Salad: Easy Fruit Salad, Easy Greek Salad, or Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Sides: Sautéed Green Beans, Baked Mac and Cheese, or Beer Bread
- Dessert: Peach Cake, Apple Pie, or Easy Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

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VARIATIONS ON BEER BRAISED POT ROAST
Boneless chuck roast is my preferred cut of beef for pot roast, but there isn’t just one kind of meat for pot roast. Usually a tougher, less expensive cut of meat is used because when it is braised it will become amazingly tender. Here are some other options for cuts of beef to use in pot roast.
- Beef chuck: this is the shoulder, and it makes for a good roast because of how hearty and flavorful it is.
- Brisket: this is a notoriously tough cut of meat, and slow cooking it breaks it down, releasing its natural flavor and making it fall-apart tender.
- Round: round is slightly softer than the other cuts we’ve mentioned, and it’s very lean. You have to be a little careful with round roasts, because they can easily dry out.
- Rump roast: juicy and flavorful, rump roasts can be used with dry rubs or marinated before slow cooking.
SAFE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE
To be cooked through and ready to eat, your roast should have an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (62.8 degrees C) according to the USDA’s website. Make sure to test your roast at the thickest part with a probe thermometer before you eat it just to be sure.
Slow Cooker Beer Braised Pot Roast (Croc Pot)
- Start by seasoning the meat with salt, pepper and thyme.
- Peel and cut up your potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic cloves and put them into your slow cooker.
- In a cast-iron skillet, heat up your vegetable oil.
- Once it’s hot, sear the roast until it is deeply brown on both sides, and then place it in the slow cooker.
- Pour in the beer, beef broth, and tomato paste, cover and set it to cook on low heat for eight hours.
Pressure Cooker Beer Braised Pot Roast (Instant Pot)
- Start by seasoning the meat with salt, pepper and thyme.
- Peel and cut up your potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic cloves and put them aside.
- Set your pressure cooker to sauté and heat up your vegetable oil.
- Once it’s hot, sear the roast until it is deeply brown on both sides, and then add in your vegetables.
- Pour in the beer, beef broth, and tomato paste, put on the lid, and set it to cook on high pressure for 60-80 minutes (60 for 3 pound roast, 80 for 5 pound roast).
- Release pressure naturally for ten minutes then remove lid and serve.
MORE POT ROAST RECIPES:
HOW TO STORE BEER BRAISED POT ROAST
- Serve: You shouldn’t leave your pot roast at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: If you seal it in plastic wrap or a freezer bag, your roast will stay good for 3 days in the fridge.
- Freeze: Roasts are great for freezing when they’re uncooked, and can last from 6 to 12 months. If you’ve already cooked it, you can freeze your pot roast for 2-3 months before it goes bad.


Ingredients
- 4-5 pound beef chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 pound carrots , peeled and cut into 2" chunks
- 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes , peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 large onion , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 cup beef broth
- 12 ounces beer
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
- Season the chuck roast with the Kosher salt, pepper and thyme.
- Add the canola oil to a pan and heat. When it ripples and is hot add in the roast and brown, deeply, for 4-5 minutes on each side (or if you can, brown in your slow cooker.)
- Add carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic, beef broth, beer, and tomato paste, and cook for 3-3 ½ hours.
I doubled the recipe and tried adding extra time. Meat was wonderful! I added celery and celery and onions were cooked fine, but carrots were underdone and crunchy and potatoes were a little firm, too. I did it in the oven, and left it uncovered as specified in comments, but I was worried the potatoes would get dry since they weren’t submerged. If I did it again, I think I’d get it onto the stovetop for 30 minutes or so with lid on to make sure all veggies and potatoes were cooked through, as it would get steamy in there with the lid on the stovetop and would probably help get everything all cooked more evenly.
Good recipe – beer acts as a tenderizer … LOL I let mine slow cook 18-24 hours so I don’t need to worry about that. I also like to keep out potatoes and this sauce makes for killer mashed potato gravy (as is).
Can I cook on the stove top? Covered or uncovered?
On a simmer, covered, would work!
Hi, so..
What kinda of pan?
We used a cast iron pot, but you could certainly sear the meat in any kind of pan before moving it to the pot you’re going to cook it in.
Made this numerous times, it never disappoints, easy to put together and great
Flavor
I made this pot roast tonight with a Venison roast and it was excellent!! I made it in the crockpot on low for about 7 hours. I didn’t have tomato paste so I substituted ketchup. We all love it and it was so tender!
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I’m a little disappointed. I used a roast that weighed less than three pounds but it wasn’t very tender after three hours in the oven. I didn’t cover it, so wanted to, but I didn’t.
Why is the roast not covered when in the oven?
I’m going to use little potatoes and baby carrots in the crock pot, do I still put them in at the same time as the meat since there smaller and will be cooking for 8 hrs?
I would, yes
Hi, Sabrina,
Should the pot roast be covered while it cooks in the oven?
Thanks,
Laurie
Leave it uncovered while in the oven. I hope you enjoy it!
Hello, I need to know what kind of beer for best flavour to roast beef? I plan make this for my first time 🙂
I used a Corona but you can use whatever beer you prefer.
I will definitely make this again! It was so good!
Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I really loved this!! Such a huge hit at my house!
Thanks for the 5 stars.
This is such a delicious meal!! I really can’t wait to make it again!
Thanks for coming back to let me know.
Yum! I love a good pot roast. This recipe is incredible. The beef was so tender and turned out perfectly.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the 5 stars.
This recipe is so yummy! We love this recipe and it was gone in a matter of seconds here at the house! Can’t wait to make this again!
Definitely sounds like a winner!
It looks delicious Do I have to put the beer in it
I have other pot roasts recipes on the site that don’t include beer if you’d like to search those. If you still want to use this one, substitute more broth for the beer though it will adjust the flavor too. Enjoy!