Delicious Italian Pot Roast Recipe (Slow Cooker, Instant Pot or Oven)
This pot roast recipe is the kind of dependable, from scratch dinner that fills the house with good smells that brings everyone to the table. Made in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or oven with simple ingredients and Italian inspired seasonings, it turns a basic cut of beef into a tender, flavorful meal with only minutes of hands-on time.
This is my favorite pot roast recipe. I know you’ll love this Italian style pot roast recipe as much as I do because it has all the things going for it that make it a keeper recipe:
- You can throw everything in a slow cooker in about 15 minutes and forget about it (seriously. love.). However, if you forget to put it together in the morning, you can use either an instant pot or an oven with the directions included in the recipe card.
- It’s seasoned with wine, garlic, and Italian herbs that changes it up from regular pot roast, giving it a ton of flavor.
- There’s lots of tender beef and flavorful vegetables.
- It makes a wonderful ‘au jus’ to use as a gravy for mashed potatoes or to dip bread.
Now, not being Italian and all, I’m the first one to admit that I have no idea if they eat anything like this in Italy. In fact, I’d guess not. But how else to describe a roast that has wine, mushrooms, tomatoes, lots of garlic, and Italian seasonings? From an American standpoint, Italian pretty much covers it.
The other difference between this recipe and typical pot roasts is that it doesn’t include potatoes (though of course you can add them). But that’s always been my favorite part, because you can keep it lower carb or serve it with garlic and sour cream mashed potatoes (which obviously is what I do – so, so good).
Ingredient Notes
Oh, and did I mention the bacon? Now I know you’ll want to try this!
- Boneless beef chuck roast: This cut provides the tenderest meat at the end of a long cooking. Other pot roast options are point cut brisket, which is leaner and will be easier to slice, and bottom round roast, which is also leaner. Chuck roast is usually the most affordable of these cuts.
- Bacon: Pancetta is probably more Italian, but either works to deliver that great flavor, so it’s all good.
- Vegetables: Key are onions and carrots with optional mushrooms. You can also use other root vegetables like parsnips and turnips.
- Canned diced tomatoes: Store bought is great, but I do love to be able to use my home canned fire roasted tomatoes.
- Red wine: this provides some wonderful flavor, but you can easily substitute beef broth.
TIP: Don’t forget this kitchen tip for having bacon available in just a few strips at a time for recipes like this – it’s a quick video showing what I do with almost every pound of bacon we get.
How to Make Italian Pot Roast
- In a slow cooker, layer the vegetables, roast, tomatoes, wine, and seasonings in that order. (See the recipe card for Instant Pot and oven options).
- Roasts do best cooked low and slow, so cook on low for 10 hours or start out on high for one hour and then 7-8 hours on low.
TIP: If you have time and feel like it, you can brown the meat first before adding it to the bowl of the slow cooker or instant pot (but I usually just throw everything in).
After cooking all day the flavors in this are perfection.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve it with garlic & sour cream mashed potatoes and I promise your family will be begging you to make this combo regularly.
- Of course, it’s also good served with artisan bread which is wonderful to soak up the delicious juices.
- And don’t forget a green salad dressed with your own vinaigrette (choose from 4 ways!) or a tangy honey mustard dressing.
This is cold weather comfort food at it’s best! I hope you love this pot roast recipe like we do – if you make it, be sure to leave a recipe rating to let me know (you can also save the recipe for later by pinning it or clicking on the heart in the lower right hand corner).
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Italian Pot Roast Recipe – Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, or Oven
Equipment
- 4 to 6 quart slow cooker OR Instant Pot OR 5-6 quart dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 1 pound carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms, optional
- 3 to 4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast (bottom round roast or point cut brisket also work for leaner options)
- salt and pepper
- 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1 cup dry red wine or beef broth
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 slices bacon
- chopped parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
Slow Cooker Intructions
- Layer onions, carrots and mushrooms (if using) in the bowl of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.
- Season roast with salt and pepper and place on top of vegetables in cooker.
- Add undrained tomatoes around the edge and pour wine (or broth) over all. Mix garlic and herbs together and spread evenly over the top of the roast; lay the bacon slices on top.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour, turn to LOW and cook for 7-8 hours (or cook on LOW for 10 hours).
Instant Pot Instructions
- Add onions and drained tomatoes to Instant Pot (Note: do not add carrots and mushrooms here). Place the roast on top, season with salt and pepper, and pour wine or broth over all. Mix the garlic and dried herbs together and spread over roast, then lay the bacon slices on top.
- Close the lid, press the "Manual" button and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes (add 15 min to come up to pressure, so it will be about 75 minutes for 3-4 pounds roast).
- After the cooking time is complete, press "Cancel" and carefully release the pressure. Once pressure completely releases, open lid and add the the carrots and mushrooms or other vegetables.
- Close lid and pressure cook for an additional 10 minutes. When cooking has finished press "Cancel" and release the steam pressure again. (NOTE: the total Instant Pot time with 2 times reaching pressure and 2 releases is 2 hours + the 15 minutes prep.)
Oven Pot Roast Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add onions and undrained tomatoes to a 4 to 6 quart dutch oven or roaster (Note: do not add carrots and mushrooms here). Place the roast on top, season with salt and pepper, and pour wine or broth over all. Mix the garlic and dried herbs together and spread over roast, then lay the bacon slices on top.
- Cook, covered, for 2 hours. Remove from oven, add the carrots and mushrooms, cover and return to oven for another hour or until a meat thermometer registers 145 to 150 degrees. (Note: if it looks like it's drying out when you add the vegetables, add 1/2 cup more broth.)
- Tip: You can remove the cover the last 15 minutes to see about crisping up the bacon, if you'd like.
To Serve
- Transfer roast to a cutting board and slice against the grain. Arrange on a platter with the vegetables and spoon some of the juices over all. Pass the remaining juice at the table.
Notes
- Sour cream & garlic mashed potatoes or sliced artisan bread.
- Green salad with balsamic vinaigrette.
Nutrition
More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Sausage Cassoulet
- Slow Cooker Spiced Whole Chicken
- Slow Cooker Garlic Scallop Potatoes
This recipe has been updated, it was originally published in 2012.
This is scrumptious! Such good flavor!
What a beautiful Pot Roast so packed with wonderful flavor.
Holy moly! This is absolutely delicious!
This looked great- I tried it and it was so tender and flavorful.
this looks good! i’m going to give it a try – thanks for sharing 🙂