Dutch Oven Round Roast Recipe

When I created this Dutch oven round roast recipe, the aroma of the marinade told me the finished roast was going to be something special. The homemade steak sauce and seasonings give the beef plenty of flavor, and cooking it slowly allows those flavors to develop. This is a recipe I plan ahead for, rather than something I start when supper is only an hour away.

As the roast cooks, the steak sauce and seasonings form a flavorful coating on the outside of the meat. It is not meant to become a hard, crunchy crust. The slow cooking method is part of what makes this roast satisfying, so I give it the time it needs instead of trying to hurry it along.

The important thing to remember is that this is not a quick roast. Between the marinade and the cooking time, it is best suited to a day when you can plan the meal in advance. That little bit of planning makes the actual preparation much easier.

I allow 24 hours for the meat to marinate before cooking. Give yourself that full day, keep the beef refrigerated while it marinates, and then follow the cooking directions for the Dutch oven roast. If you want a different one-pot beef supper, my cast iron pot roast recipe is another option.

Can You Cook A Roast In A Dutch Oven?

Yes, you can cook a round roast in a Dutch oven, provided the pot is large enough to hold the beef comfortably. You need room for the meat, any vegetables you plan to add, and the cooking liquid without filling the pot to the brim.

A Dutch oven is useful for this kind of cooking because its heavy construction helps maintain steady heat. The lid also keeps much of the moisture inside, which is helpful during a long, slow roast.

It is one of my favorite pieces of cookware for hearty meals, but the size and shape of your Dutch oven still matter. Choose a pot that suits the roast you are cooking rather than trying to squeeze an oversized cut of beef into a smaller pan.

A Dutch oven is versatile, but it does not eliminate the need to watch the amount of liquid or allow enough cooking time. Those details help determine whether the roast cooks the way you want it to.

For this recipe, I start with the marinated round roast and build the meal around the meat. You can add vegetables during cooking, but I prefer to think about when they should go into the pot so they do not spend more time cooking than necessary.

This recipe is typically made by taking the round roast and placing it in your Dutch oven with vegetables on top for flavor .

Then, you cover everything with beef broth, making sure to leave enough room for evaporation.

If you're watching your salt intake then you'll want to look into purchasing low-sodium beef stock.

After covering everything with water or stock, add in some herbs and spices such as garlic powder, pepper, paprika, chili powder and celery seed to name a few.

What herbs and spices you use is totally up to you.

Dutch oven round roasts can also be flavored with onions, carrots and potatoes, which are the typical vegetables used to make stews and soups.

I personally do not care for onions, so those have been omitted in my recipe, but feel free to add them in if you choose to.

Although the hands-on preparation is manageable, remember that the marinade takes a full day. You can do that work at home before an outing, but the meat must stay properly chilled until it is time to cook.

You do not need to cook outdoors to enjoy this recipe. I use my Dutch oven at home, where it is convenient to add vegetables toward the end of the cooking time and bring the entire meal together in one pot.

That flexibility is one of the reasons I enjoy cast iron cooking. Once you become comfortable using a Dutch oven, you can use it for everything from roast beef to roasting a whole chicken.

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When To Add The Vegetables

When making this Dutch Oven round roast recipe, I decided to cook the roast by itself, however you can add in vegetables if you wish either at the beginning or after the roast has cooked for a little bit.

During the last two hours of cooking, I added in some potatoes and carrots plus enough extra beef broth to cover them with.

I did not add any additional spices to the pot when I added them.

You can choose to do this - or serve other sides with the round roast.

Either way, adding vegetables to the meat not only helps to add flavor, but also gives you an easy one pot meal that is easy to prepare and easy to clean up afterwards.

Here is my recipe.

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Yes, You Can Cook This Dutch Oven Round Roast Over An Open Fire

There's nothing like having good food with your good friends and family around a campfire or at home in your backyard...and what better way to do it than with a nice, big round roast!

It doesn't matter if you don't own a grill because you can cook this right in your dutch oven once you get the wood or coals hot enough.

Just follow my directions above and there won't be any leftovers.

The one big difference is it can take four to five hours to cook a fork tender round roast over an open fire.

If you are cooking over charcoal, you do need to place some charcoal briquets on top of the dutch oven.

The versatility of cooking indoors or out is just another reason why I love cooking in my cast iron dutch oven!