Pot Roast (Keto, No Potatoes, 5g Net Carbs)
- Total time
- 4 hours 30 minutes
- Makes
- 8 servings
- Net carbs
- 5g
- Calories
- 621
Pot roast is Sunday dinner in a lot of American houses. A big chuck roast goes into a heavy pot in the morning, the house smells amazing by afternoon, and the beef comes out so tender you pull it apart with a fork. Carrots, onion and potatoes cook in the juices around it.
The potatoes are the only part that does not fit a keto plate. This version keeps everything else and uses turnips in their place, along with baby carrots, celery and whole mushrooms. The pan juices turn into a quick gravy, and a generous serving comes to 5g net carbs.
My first try was a mess, and it was not the beef. I put every vegetable in the pot at the start, the way my mom did with potatoes. Four hours later the roast was perfect, and the carrots and turnips had turned to mush. Now the roast braises alone for three hours, and the vegetables go in for the last hour. They come out tender but whole, and they still taste like themselves.
Why This Keto Pot Roast Works
Chuck is the right cut. It is full of fat and connective tissue, which is why it is tough if you rush it. After hours in a low oven that tissue melts, and the meat turns soft and juicy. Leaner roasts dry out before they get there.
A hard sear builds the flavor. Browning the roast well on both sides before it braises gives the meat a dark crust and leaves browned bits in the pot. Those bits dissolve into the broth and give the gravy its deep color.
Turnips stand in for the potatoes. After an hour in the beef juices they turn mild and tender, and they soak up the flavor of the pot the same way potatoes do. They add only about 1.5g of net carbs to each serving.
A pinch of xanthan gum makes the gravy. There is no flour here. Half a teaspoon, whisked into the simmering pan juices, thickens them into a smooth, glossy gravy in a couple of minutes.
Recipe Overview
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Serves: 8
- Net Carbs: 5g per serving
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
| Boneless beef chuck roast | 4 lb | One piece, patted dry |
| Salt | 1 tsp | Plus more for the gravy |
| Black pepper | 1 tsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | For searing |
| Beef broth | 2 cups | |
| Onion | 1 medium | Cut into thick wedges |
| Celery | 1½ cups | Cut into 2-inch pieces |
| Baby carrots | 1½ cups | |
| Turnips | 2 cups | Peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks (about 2 medium) |
| Mushrooms | 2 cups | Whole, small cremini or white |
| Fresh rosemary | 2 sprigs | |
| Xanthan gum | ½ tsp | For the gravy |
Look for a chuck roast with plenty of white marbling. It might be labeled chuck roast, chuck eye roast or arm roast. A single thick piece of about 4 pounds fits a 6- or 7-quart Dutch oven with room for the vegetables.
Season the gravy at the end. The broth is already salty, and the pan juices concentrate as the roast cooks. Taste the gravy after it thickens and only then add more salt.
Recipe Timing
| Stage | Time |
| Season the roast, cut the vegetables | 15 minutes |
| Sear the roast on both sides | 10 minutes |
| Braise the roast alone, covered, at 325°F | 3 hours |
| Add the vegetables and braise until tender | 1 hour |
| Thicken the gravy on the stove | 5 minutes |
| Total | 4 hours 30 minutes |
How to Make Pot Roast, Step by Step
1. Season the roast
Heat the oven to 325°F. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels and season it all over with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. While you are at it, cut the onion into wedges, the celery into 2-inch pieces, and peel the turnips and cut them into 1½-inch chunks. Keep the vegetables in a bowl for later.
2. Sear it hard
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lay the roast in and leave it alone for 4 to 5 minutes, until the underside is deep brown. Turn it and brown the other side the same way. If it sticks when you try to turn it, it is not ready yet; give it another minute and it will release.
3. Braise it alone for three hours
Pour the beef broth over and around the roast, put the lid on, and move the pot to the oven. Let it braise for 3 hours without the vegetables. You do not need to touch it.
4. Add the vegetables
Take the pot out, spoon some of the juices over the top of the roast, and tuck the onion, celery, baby carrots, turnips and mushrooms around it. Lay the rosemary on top. Cover the pot again and braise for 1 more hour, until the turnips are tender when you poke them with a knife and the beef pulls apart easily with a fork. If the meat still resists, it needs more time, not less: give it another 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Make the gravy
Move the roast and vegetables to a platter and cover them loosely with foil. Pull out the rosemary. Spoon off as much of the clear fat on top of the juices as you like, then set the pot over medium heat and bring the juices to a simmer. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over slowly while you whisk, so it does not clump, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the gravy coats a spoon. Taste and add salt if it needs it.
Pull the beef into large chunks with two forks, or slice it thick, and pour the gravy over the meat and vegetables.
Tips and Variations
- Use radishes instead of turnips. Two cups of halved radishes is what the recipe I started from uses. They turn soft and mild and carry slightly fewer carbs.
- Do not skip the sear. A pale roast makes a pale, thin gravy. The brown crust is where most of the flavor comes from.
- Leave out the carrots to trim about 1g of net carbs from each serving. Add a little more celery or mushrooms instead.
- Make it the day before. Chill the roast in its juices overnight. The fat sets on top and lifts right off, and the meat slices more neatly cold.
- Add more herbs. A few sprigs of fresh thyme or a bay leaf can go in with the rosemary.
What to Serve With Pot Roast
Pot roast with its own vegetables is already a full meal. When I want something creamy beside it, I make a quick cauliflower mash, because it soaks up the gravy the way mashed potatoes would. A crisp green salad works too, or a side of buttered green beans.
For a slow cooker version of the same cut, our Mississippi mud roast cooks a chuck roast with butter, pepperoncini and a dill and chive seasoning rub. And if you like this kind of long, slow braise, our braised short ribs use the same low oven and beef broth, with rosemary.
Storage and Reheating
Fridge: keep the beef, vegetables and gravy together in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Keeping the meat in the gravy stops it from drying out.
Reheat: warm it gently in a covered pot over low heat, or a portion at a time in the microwave, with a splash of broth if the gravy has thickened too much.
Freezer: freeze the beef in its gravy for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight. The turnips and carrots go softer after freezing, so they are best eaten fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pot roast keto?
The beef is, and so are the broth, onion and celery. The classic recipe is not, because of the potatoes. With turnips in their place and a xanthan gum gravy instead of flour, a serving of this pot roast has 5g net carbs.
Why is my pot roast tough?
Almost always because it has not cooked long enough. Chuck goes through a tough stage before the connective tissue melts. If a fork does not slide in and twist the meat apart, cover it and give it another 20 to 30 minutes.
Can I make it in a slow cooker?
Yes. Sear the roast first, then move it to the slow cooker with the broth and vegetables, cut into larger wedges so they hold up. Cook it on low for 7 to 8 hours, then make the gravy on the stove from the juices.
Which cut of beef is best for pot roast?
A boneless chuck roast. Chuck eye roast and arm roast both work too. They have the fat and connective tissue that make a pot roast tender. Lean cuts like eye of round turn dry and stringy with this long cooking time.
More Low-Carb Beef Dinners and Sides
- Keto Beef Stew with Radishes — cubed stew beef with radishes, carrot and celery in an herb broth.
- Salisbury Steak — ground beef patties in a mushroom and onion gravy, ready in 35 minutes.
- Pepper Steak — flank steak stir-fried with red and green bell peppers in a tamari sauce.
- Creamed Spinach — steakhouse-style spinach with cream cheese and Parmesan, ready in 25 minutes.
- Keto Green Bean Casserole — fresh green beans and mushrooms in a cream sauce under crispy Parmesan onions.
Recipe Card
The full ingredient list and the method in short are in the card below.
Keto Pot Roast
Equipment
- 6- or 7-quart Dutch oven with a lid
- Tongs
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 4 lb boneless beef chuck roast one piece, patted dry
- 1 tsp salt plus more for the gravy
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil for searing
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 medium onion cut into thick wedges
- 1 1/2 cups celery cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups baby carrots
- 2 cups turnips peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 2 medium)
- 2 cups mushrooms whole, small cremini or white
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum for the gravy
Instructions
- Season: Heat the oven to 325°F. Pat the chuck roast dry and season it all over with the salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Cut the onion, celery and turnips.
- Sear: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the roast 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until deep brown.
- Braise: Pour the beef broth over the roast, cover, and bake 3 hours.
- Vegetables: Baste the roast, add the onion, celery, baby carrots, turnips and mushrooms around it and lay the rosemary on top. Cover and bake 1 hour more, until the turnips are tender and the beef pulls apart with a fork.
- Gravy: Move the beef and vegetables to a platter and discard the rosemary. Skim the fat from the juices, bring them to a simmer, whisk in the xanthan gum and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. Add salt to taste and serve over the beef.
Notes
Keep cooking
