4 Best Cuts of Beef for Pot Roast (+ Easy Recipes)

Wondering what the best cuts of beef for pot roast are? I have you covered!

In the comfort food hall of fame, pot roast is the MVP.

It tastes like home with tender pieces of juicy beef, hearty potatoes, and veggies. 

Wondering how to make your pot roast like mom used to make it? The secret likes in the best cuts of beef for pot roast. 

Good marbling and a tough cut of beef yield that wonderful texture and rich flavor for the perfect pot roast.

And the best part is these cuts of beef are so affordable. 

So, without further ado, let’s get into the best cuts of beef for pot roast. 

Tough Meat For The Best Pot Roast

Save expensive fillets and rib eyes for another day. 

For pot roast, you want a tough cut of beef. Cuts like chuck roast, rump roast, brisket, and short rib are the cuts you want.

So, what about these notoriously tough cuts of beef make them so perfect for pot roast? 

Tough cuts of beef are the most flavorful because they have a higher fat content.

When your beef cooks, all those fatty juices ooze out to make the most amazing gravy. 

Marbling also provides a good fat-to-meat ratio. The higher the fat content, the more flavorful your pot roast will be.

While most of the cuts I provided before will deliver excellent pot roasts, they differ.

Rump roast, for instance, isn’t as fatty as other cuts. It’s just as tender and delicious but lower in fat and calories. 

Tough cuts of meat demand more cooking time to tenderize but are worth the wait. Trust me. 

And luckily for you, they are also the most affordable!

There are a few different types of tough meat at the supermarket.

Check out these options below to ensure that your pot roast tastes first-rate.

1. Chuck Roast

Chuck roast is arguably the king of the hill.

This cut comes from the shoulder area of the cow, and it’s known for its incredible flavor and marbling. 

It’s also a relatively tough cut, which means it can withstand the long, slow cooking required for a great pot roast.

One of the great things about the chuck roast is its reasonably inexpensive beef cut.

It’s a great choice if you’re cooking for a crowd or on a budget. 

Plus, it’s easy to find at most grocery stores.

2. Round Roast / Rump Roast

Rump roast, or bottom round roast, comes from the cow’s hindquarters. 

Different supermarkets label this cut differently, so look for rump roast, round roast, or bottom round roast. They are all the same thing. 

It’s a little leaner than chuck roast and doesn’t have as much marbling, meaning it’s a little leaner in calories. 

While it has less fat than other cuts, it doesn’t mean it isn’t as flavorful.

Cuts of beef from the cow’s hindquarters, like round roast, are notorious for being beefy and tasty.

It yields rich beefy flavors but isn’t quite as fatty.

It’s perfect if you want comfort food but want to keep the fat content low. 

3. Brisket Cut

Brisket is common at backyard BBQs for its terrific beefy flavors (that pair so well with BBQ sauce), but it also makes a beautiful roast. 

This beef cut hails from the cow’s lower chest and is a little more tender than other cuts.

It’s rich in beefy flavors and yields a pot roast that is tender, succulent, and flavorful. 

The best thing about brisket is that you get a real bang for your buck.

It’s often sold in very large cuts (that’s super affordable), which makes it perfect when feeding a large group. 

4. Short Rib

Short ribs come from exactly where you’d expect: the ribs. This cut of beef comes in small pre-chopped pieces. 

Short ribs are a great option if you want a mouth-watering meal but only have a little time. 

Since they come in much smaller pieces, they cook quickly but are still as tender and flavorful as other cuts of beef. 

Bonus points: short ribs save you from slicing your cooked beef roast.

Since the butcher does all the slicing, you can toss it into your crock pot and serve it immediately. 

Opting for short ribs is a great option if you’ a’re short on time. 

Best Pot Roast Recipes To Try 

Now that you know what type of beef cut to pick up at the supermarket, it’s time to fire up those ovens (or Crockpots)! 

1. Mississippi Pot Roast

Mississippi pot roast delivers intense melt-in-your-mouth flavors that are out of this world.

The veggies in this recipe take a back seat in this beefy main course. 

It pairs perfectly tender and juicy chuck roast with a jar of pepperoncini peppers and a packet of ranch dressing. 

It’s so easy to whip together in a jiffy, and that rich and flavorful ranch dressing-inspired gravy will leave you licking the plate!

2. Perfect Pot Roast

It’s rustic, flavorful, and lives up to its name. If you’re on the hunt for a classic pot roast recipe, look no further. 

It incorporates pot roast’s greatest hits with potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms in a thick and hearty gravy. 

While crusty bread isn’t required for this recipe, I highly recommend it!

You need something to sop up all that extra pot roast gravy. 

3. Oven Pot Roast

This oven pot roast recipe is a classic. With heart veggies like carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and celery, it hits all its marks. 

And with a perfectly-marbled chuck roast, it oozes those rich juices right into the veggies. 

And with plenty of fragrant spices like rosemary, thyme, and red wine, the flavors taste like home. 

My mouth is watering just thinking about it. 

4. Pot Roast Soup

Pot roast soup is the fusion of two wintertime classics: pot roast and soup.

If you want a hearty meal to warm your bones this winter, look no further!

It pairs pot roast staples like potatoes, carrots, and onion simmered low and slow in a hearty beef broth. 

Pot roast recipes always create plenty of leftovers, so this soup is a great way to repurpose a leftover pot roast in new and exciting ways. 

And don’t forget the crusty bread!

5. Pot Roast Sandwich 

This pot roast sandwich is another great way to use all those leftovers. 

These pot roast sandwiches make an excellent lunch the following day, and they come together in a flash. 

I mean, what’s better than a tender cut of pot roast with a slice of cheese, and tender caramelized onions sandwiched between two slices of bread? 

It’s a serious melt-in-your-mouth sandwich that ensures no one goes to bed hungry!