This Smothered Sweet and Sour Pot Roast is sure to amp up your dinner menu with a delicious twist on a classic pot roast with gravy. When I was a child pot roast was our Sunday dinner special. After church we all sat down to a big Sunday lunch as a family. It wasn't unusual for there to be a few extras, around our table too. This pot roast has a bit of a twist, in that the sauce takes the flavor palette in a different direction.

Smothered Sweet and Sour Pot Roast

This smothered roast is a nice change from a classic roast with mushroom gravy. The sweet tomato sauce is a blend of Chinese five spice powder, brown sugar, pineapple preserves, rice wine vinegar and seasonings. I know Chinese five spice sounds like an odd ingredient but, it adds such a beautiful enhancement to the flavor overall that's undetectable. It's a really unique way to enjoy a full flavored chuck roast, and it goes equally well with creamy mashed potatoes or rice. I know the struggle of coming up with a meal that the whole family will like, and, after experimenting with flavors, my family voted that this one goes into the "keeper" column. I hope your family enjoys it, too! You may also like to try this Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe from Dinner then Dessert.

How to Make Smothered Sweet and Sour Pot Roast in a Slow Cooker

This recipe may be adapted to a slow cooker. To do so:

Brown the roast on the stovetop then layer in a 6 quart oval slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Pour the juices into a saucepan and thicken per the recipe instructions on the stovetop at the end of cooking and just before serving.

Other Pot Roast Recipes to Add to the Menu

There's nothing like a hearty and filling pot roast for dinner. Other pot roast fix it and forget it recipes to try:

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Smothered Sweet And Sour Pot Roast

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Resting time10

Total Time3 25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pot-roast-recipes, smothered-sweet-and-sour-pot-roast

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 689kcal

Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

1 4 lb chuck roast
1 teaspoon each garlic salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb peeled baby carrots
1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
1 small yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
1 medium purple onion sliced
3 tablespoon soy sauce
For the sauce you'll need:
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
½ cup pineapple preserves may adapt with orange or apricot, if desired
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
cornstarch

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the chuck roast on all sides with garlic salt and black pepper to your taste. In a large dutch oven, sear the roast in olive oil on all sides.
While the roast is searing, slice the peppers into 1 inch slices and slice the onion into wedges. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together, the tomato sauce, pineapple preserves, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, Dijon and seasonings. [Start with ½ teaspoon of Chinese five spice, and add up to 1 teaspoon to your taste.] Whisk together until well blended. Reserve the cornstarch for thickening the sauce at the end.
Center the chuck roast in the dutch oven, or baking dish and arrange the carrots around the edges. Drizzle the roast with 3 tablespoons of soy sauce.
Arrange the peppers and onions on top of the roast. Season the veggies with a sprinkle of garlic salt and black pepper to your taste.
Drizzle the sauce over the roast and veggies, and cover. Bake for 3 hours. Adjust the cooking time depending on the weight of the chuck roast.
Check the roast for tenderness with a fork. Use a slotted spoon to remove the roast and vegetables from the dutch oven. Cover and keep warm while you thicken the sauce.
To thicken the sauce place the dutch oven back onto the stove top, and bring the liquid to a boil.
Dissolve 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch in a small amount of cold water and whisk this into the hot liquid. Depending on the amount of liquid, you may need more or less cornstarch. Once the liquid has thickened to your satisfaction remove from the heat.
To serve, carve the roast, and arrange on a platter with the carrots, peppers and onions. Drizzle with the sweet and sour sauce and serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Notes

If you don't have a dutch oven, you can use a heavy covered baking dish. To thicken the sauce, pour the pan juices into a stove top sauce pan and thicken to your preference.
Slow Cooker: Brown the roast and layer in an oval 6-quart slow cooker per the recipe instructions. Cook for 8-10 hours on low. Thicken the sauce on the stovetop per the recipe instructions at the end of cooking.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

Comments

Julie

June 26, 2016 at 11:53 am

Hi Melissa,could you use a crock pot for this recipe?

- Melissa
  
  June 26, 2016 at 12:10 pm
  
  Hi Julie, you sure can! Brown the pot roast per the recipe then layer per the instructions in a crock pot instead of a Dutch oven. Cook for 8-10 hours on low.
  
Melissa

October 04, 2013 at 2:49 pm

Hi Holly,
I actually share your dislike for black licorice and I enjoy 5-Spice powder. Star anise does have a licorice flavor, however, in my opinion it's not the strongest flavor. Only you know your personal tolerance, so, if you're concerned, you might consider using ground ginger in place of the 5-spice powder. Enjoy!

Holly B

October 04, 2013 at 2:35 pm

Thanks for the recipe! I've heard the 5 spice powder smells kind of like black licorice which I hate, does the meat end up with that flavor at all?

Melissa

March 20, 2012 at 1:27 am

I do too, Didi!:)

Didi

March 20, 2012 at 1:25 am

OMG, that looks and sounds amazing... I love, love 5 Spice powder!!!!