Does Garlic Belong In Pot Roast? How Much To Add For A More Robust Flavor

Garlic is a foundational aromatic ingredient that's utilized at the start of a diverse range of dishes, from soups and stews to stir fries and salad dressings. And whether you're using it raw or sauteeing it for more complex, caramelized flavors, garlic will benefit in just about any savory recipe you have in mind. So, does garlic belong in pot roast? The answer is, absolutely. We recently spoke with Dagan Lynn, executive chef for "Beef. It's What's For Dinner." who is an enthusiastic advocate for adding garlic into pot roast.

According to Lynn, "Garlic is a natural fit for pot roast because it enhances the rich, beefy flavor of the roast, and pairs well with complementary ingredients such as onions, beef broth, red wine, thyme, and peppers, and the flavor melds with the rest of the ingredients during the slow-cooking process." Garlic's robust profile will stand up to the equally strong flavors of umami-rich beef, but while some people believe you can never have too much garlic, Lynn thinks that an excessive amount could overpower the taste of the roast. 

"The amount of garlic really depends on how pronounced you want the garlic flavor to be," says Lynn. "But for a typical 3- to 3.5-pound pot roast, I'd recommend about 2 tablespoons of minced garlic." If using a Dutch oven, briefly saute the garlic after searing the beef along with diced onions before adding in your braising liquid.

We've amassed an impressive list of pot roast recipes you need to try, many of which contain garlic — all of them will benefit from the measured ratio of garlic that Lynn recommends. Other ingredients that you can add to the pot along with garlic include Dijon mustard for a sharp and tangy flavor upgrade that'll boost aromatics and add balance to the roast. To add an earthy sweetness to the beef roast, try adding parsnips to the pot. Garlic will also pair well with spicy ingredients like pepperoncini or other fresh diced peppers — think: a Caribbean-style sofrito — to cut through the richness of the beef. Of course, the easiest way to intensify the taste of the beef so that it'll shine no matter how much garlic you add to the pot is by letting the raw meat sit uncovered in the fridge to dry out prior to searing and braising it.

For garlic lovers, you could even slide garlic cloves into slits carved in the beef before browning it. If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can sear the roast in a cast iron skillet and then add it into a slow cooker. According to Lynn, pot roast is "a great meal to pull together in the slow cooker in the morning before work, and it will be ready to serve by dinnertime." In fact, you can even add minced garlic directly to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients and braising liquid, skipping the sauteing and deglazing steps required of recipes made in a Dutch oven.