Add 3 Teaspoons Of This Pantry Staple To Pot Roast For Extra Flavor (It's That Easy)

Ever make a pot roast and wish it tasted more flavorful and restaurant-worthy? Well, there are a few different secret ingredients that will change your pot roast forever, but for one of the easiest ways to up the flavor factor, it takes just three teaspoons of a pantry staple: granulated beef bouillon. 

For those unfamiliar with this ingredient, it is a dehydrated beef stock or broth, and it usually comes in the form of granules, cubes, or paste. With all the liquid removed from the broth or stock, what's left is highly concentrated glutamates and beefy flavor chock full of savoriness and umami. Some beef bouillon also has added MSG, so using it in beef dishes naturally enhances the meaty deliciousness and flavors. Other ingredients found in granulated bouillon may include sugar, yeast extract, soy protein, and spices such as onion powder, garlic, and parsley.   

So how do we start incorporating this ingredient when making pot roast at home? First, if you haven't stocked up on beef bouillon, grab some the next time you shop for groceries. Be sure to get everything else you need for your go-to pot roast recipe, or try our instant pot roast recipe. For every pound of beef you're cooking, add about three teaspoons of beef bouillon granules, or two to three cubes, if you prefer your bouillon in this form. So if you're making two pounds of beef for the pot roast, be sure to add in double the amount of beef bouillon. 

So when should you add beef bouillon to your pot roast? One option is to mix it into the broth or water you're adding to the meat. Or if you're using granules or powder, you can sprinkle it directly onto the meat itself before cooking. Beef bouillon will get rehydrated as it cooks with the rest of the pot roast, and its flavors will meld in nicely with the dish. 

Since beef bouillon already adds plenty of savoriness and umami, you may want to lower the amount of salt you'd normally use in your pot roast. Also keep in mind that bouillon is a high-sodium food, and consider looking for reduced-sodium options if this is something you are concerned about. You also may want to taste your pot roast when it's close to the end of cooking before adding salt, so it does not end up too salty.  

Just three teaspoons of beef bouillon in your pot roast will make it taste like it was simmered all day in a restaurant kitchen. It will be hard to go back to not using it in your own kitchen when making beefy dishes. For example, you can also use store-bought bouillon to elevate your meatballs.