Slow Cooked Japanese Pot Roast

Recipe Video

If you’re craving a melt-in-your-mouth dish with minimal prep, my Slow Cooked Japanese Pot Roast is the perfect choice! I crafted this recipe with tender cubes of chuck roast slow-cooked creating a rich, flavorful base that pairs beautifully with my one-of-a-kind dipping sauce! This easy-to-make, restaurant-quality dish will bowl your socks off, and the dipping sauce? It’s a signature blend I’ve perfected over years of experience—trust me, you’ll want to try it!

Why I Love This Recipe

I absolutely love my Slow Cooked Japanese Pot Roast because it’s a unique and easy-to-make dish! Inspired by Japanese flavors, this recipe features chuck roast slow-cooked to perfection and served with my signature dipping sauce, which you may also recognize from my popular Japanese Oven Baked Pot Roast dish!

Preparing this dish is similar to my Japanese Beef Curry and Miso Stew, but instead of a stew or curry, you get tender beef in a sweet-savory sauce packed with umami goodness—perfect with a bowl of rice on the side! This one-pot meal is ideal for anyone looking for an affordable, delicious, and family-friendly main dish. I crafted this recipe to ensure melt-in-your-mouth beef with minimal prep and maximum flavor. You’ve got to try this now – it’ll quickly become a new favorite!

Ingredients

1 lbs Chuck Roast – I recommend using chuck roast beef as it provides the best flavor and becomes very tender after baking in the oven for extended time. However, you could also try round or brisket if you’d like to experiment with different cuts.
1/4 tsp Salt – sea salt preferred.
1/4 tsp Black Pepper – ground.
1/2 tbsp Neutral Oil – no taste or flavor with high cooking temperature. Some choices are sunflower oil, peanut oil, sallower oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil.
1 Stalk Green Onions – fresh and chopped used for garnish.
1/4 Cup Pot Roast Broth – the liquid from the slow cooked chuck roast.
2 tbsp Dashi – fish broth made from steeping kombu and bonito flakes with boiling water. Can also use Hondashi mixed in water for instant dashi. Used as the flavor of the sauce.
1 tbsp Soy Sauce – low-sodium Soy Sauce preferred. Can also use tamari for gluten-free.
1 1/2 tsp Sweetener – use your preferred sweetener.
1 Garlic Cloves – grated using a hand grater.
1/4 tsp Red Pepper – ground red pepper.

🥢 Dashi Pro Tip

For easier preparation of the dashi, use Hondashi mixed with water. This quick tip simplifies the process and ensures a flavorful base for your dish.

Essential Kitchen Equipment

Dutch Oven
Pressure Cooker (highly recommended)

Directions

Step 1 Cut the chuck beef into bite-sized cubes and season generously with salt and black pepper.

🧂 Seasoning Pro Tip

To ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed, Season the Beef from a Higher Up. This simple technique helps the seasoning cover the meat more evenly.

Step 2 Heat 1/2 tbsp of cooking oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over high heat. Once hot, add the cubed beef and sear until browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. Add water, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.

⚡ Shortcut Pro Tip

For a quicker method, Use a Pressure Cooker like an Instant Pot to cook the beef cubes. This will reduce the cooking time to just 40 minutes under high pressure, making the process much faster.

Step 3 For the dipping sauce, mix soy sauce, sweetener, dashi, grated garlic, red pepper, and some of the broth from the slow-cooked pot roast after cooking.

Step 4 Remove the cubed chuck from the pot and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with green onions and serve with the dipping sauce.

Recipe Variations

For a simple variation, you can bake the pot roast for 2-3 hours to make my Japanese Style Pot Roast plate. This method gives the roast a slightly different texture with a rich, caramelized crust while keeping the flavors of the dipping sauce!

Pairing Recommendations

This dish pairs perfectly with a bowl of rice, which complements the tender beef and savory dipping sauce. For a complete meal, serve it alongside a warm bowl of Miso Soup or Hibachi Mushroom Soup!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know when the beef is fully cooked?

The beef should be tender and easily shred with a fork after 2 hours of slow cooking. If it’s still tough, let it cook longer until it’s fork-tender.

Can I use a different cut of beef for this recipe?

While chuck roast works best for tenderness, you can try brisket or round roast, but cooking times may vary.

Can I skip searing the beef before cooking?

While searing adds depth of flavor and helps lock in the juices, you can skip this step if you're short on time. The roast will still turn out tender but with a slightly different texture.

Storage Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, where they will keep for 5-7 days.

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Watch How To Make It