Golden Corral Pot Roast Recipe [Copycat] (2024)

Golden Corral Pot Roast Recipe [Copycat] (1)Written by Nate Teague · Updated on

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Golden Corral is the godfather of pot roasts. Founded in North Carolina back in 1973, this fast-food chain specializes in buffet and grill-style food in a family-friendly environment.

Golden Corral Pot Roast Recipe [Copycat] (2)

The Golden Corral pot roast is well known for being tender and full of flavor. The meat melts in your mouth. So wouldn't it be good to make your own at home? As you'd expect, the official recipe is kept under lock and key, with very few exposed to the exact details. But that doesn't stop us from creating our own masterpiece of a meal at home that's just as good as the original.

Recipe

Golden Corral Pot Roast Recipe [Copycat] (3)

Copycat Golden Corral Pot Roast

This golden corral pot roast recipe takes a lot of patience to cook, but once done and you tasted it, you'll never be sorry! The meat melts in your mouth and oozes that tasty, juicy roast flavour that you love.

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total Time 8 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 lb chick roast
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 packet onion soup mix
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • 4 carrots diced
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3 large potatoes quartered
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 2 sprigs of thyme

Instructions

  • Add oil to a hot pan and then add the meat. Brown each side of the meat then remove and place in the slow cooker.

  • Mix beef broth with soup mix and apple sauce then pour into slow cooker around and over the meat.

  • Add carrots, onion, beef broth, potatoes, celery, and herbs to the slow cooker. Cook on low setting for 8 hours or until tender.

Keyword golden corral pot roast, pot roast

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Table of Contents
  • Recipe
  • Tips for perfect cooked meat
  • Final Words

Tips for perfect cooked meat

It's true, the steps required to cook a pot roast are very simple. So why do so many fail to live up to expectations? There are a few reasons - so let's look at how you can make an aromatic, tender roast every time.

1. Be thrifty

Forget about those expensive cuts of ribeye that'll dry out when cooked all day. You want to find a really cheap chuck roast that has plenty of fat. This cut of meat would be a disaster fried, but slow cooking causes the fat and meat tissue to break down magically.

Hint: Cut off any large chunks of fat but keep everything else.

Golden Corral Pot Roast Recipe [Copycat] (4)

After several hours, the fat, tendons and tough muscle tissue will break down and form a thick gelatinous liquid that is packed with umami flavor from the beef. Later, you'll discover how to use this for the perfect sauce.

2. Sear to seal the goodness

Another word for searing is browning. Heating a pan and searing the meat on all sides seals in the flavor and juices and caramelizes the outside of the meat. This process is known as the Maillard Reaction - a technical term for making meat taste very good!

Golden Corral Pot Roast Recipe [Copycat] (5)

Don't overdo the searing process. You want to briefly brown each side, if you leave it on the pan too long you'll cook the meat which isn't what you want.

3. Low and slow is your path to perfect meat

Time is your friend when it comes to slow cooking. Rushing the cooking process won't help. Your goal should be to cook on a low heat for around 8-10 hours. This will vary depending on the size of your meat and the slow cooker you use. After 6 hours test the meat by trying to pull it apart. If it begins to pull away easily then it's ready; if it still feels a little tough, keep cooking.

Hint 1: Avoid the temptation to remove the lid and test the meat throughout the day. Just leave it and trust that the end result will be delicious.

Hint 2:A slow cooker doesn't require much water when cooking meat so avoid the temptation to add lots of water at the start.

Hint 3: Keep the lid on tight, not slightly off. You don't want any steam to be released as this will contribute to dry meat.

4. Remember the sauce

Once you remove the meat and vegetables from the slow cooker, you'll notice leftover bits of meat and some liquid that doesn't look very appealing. This is the beginning of your gravy.

Scrape all the leftovers into a frying pan and begin heating on a medium heat. Add a cup of beef stock and continue heating. As the liquid heats, mix 1 Tbsp of cornflour with a little water so that it makes a slurry. Whisk this mixture into your gravy to help thicken it up. Use this sauce resource to learn more about making the perfect gravy.

To add some additional depth of flavor to your gravy, add a cup of red wine, a splash of lemon or vinegar, and some salt and pepper to season.

Final Words

Cooking a Golden Corral pot roast is well worth the effort. Even a novice chef could easily follow this recipe, so long as the tips are also followed. The biggest challenge to making a good pot roast is time: you need to be organised and have all your ingredients ready to go early in the morning. Then it's simply a case of tossing everything into the slow cooker and letting it work its magic on the meat.

I can't stress how important it is to buy a cheap cut of meat with plenty of fat content. No matter how well you cook the meat, quality lean beef will dry out if cooked all day.

Admittedly, cooking the Golden Corral version is tricky to achieve the exact same flavor. However, you will be able to make a version that's just as tender - I'm talking "melt in your mouth" style meat!

Do you have a favorite recipe for cooking a pot roast? Let us know in the comments.

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Golden Corral Pot Roast Recipe [Copycat] (2024)

FAQs

What cut of meat makes the best pot roast? ›

The best meat for pot roast is a beef cut with abundant connective tissue, like chuck roast, beef brisket or bottom round roast. This connective tissue called collagen is what makes pot roast melt-in-your-mouth tender.

How to make a pot roast kit? ›

Place roast in a 4-6 quart ovenproof pot or 9x13x2 ovenproof baking dish. Mix seasoning packet with 1 cup water and pour over roast. Remove vegetables from bag and evenly distribute throughout the dish. Cover with lid or foil and cook for 3-4 hours; verify internal temperature of roast is 160°F with meat thermometer.

How to make a tough pot roast tender? ›

Use a moist cooking environment: Add broth to the pot roast to create and cover with a lid or foil to trap in steam and moisture to prevent the meat from drying out. Cook long enough: If your chuck roast isn't as tender as you like, cook until tender!

What causes a pot roast to be tough? ›

Leaner roasts such as rump, chuck, or brisket have less fat marbling, so they can become chewy if not cooked correctly. It is the fat and connective tissue in the roast that is softened by long, slow cooking to produce flavor and tenderness.

Does pot roast get more tender the longer it cooks? ›

Contrary to an already lean and tender piece of meat, which needs a shorter cooking time and dry, high heat, a chuck roast needs to cook for several hours in moist heat. In other words, low & slow to break down fat and tenderize the meat for that fall-apart doneness a good pot roast is known for.

Which roast is the most tender roast? ›

  • Tenderloin. The most tender roast of all—it's under the spine— with almost no fat or flavor. ...
  • Top sirloin roast. Also: top butt. ...
  • Tri-tip roast. This small triangular roast is taken from the top of the sirloin and has "perfect marbling," said Gathy. ...
  • Top round roast. ...
  • Bottom round roast. ...
  • Eye of round roast.
Dec 17, 2015

What not to do to pot roast? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking Pot Roast
  1. Using the wrong roast.
  2. Not browning the roast.
  3. Deglazing with just broth.
  4. Cooking the vegetables too long.
  5. Not thickening the gravy.
Mar 29, 2017

Should a pot roast be covered in liquid? ›

Traditionally, this means the meat is partially covered in liquid and cooked for hours until it becomes juicy and tender. In this case, the steam from the slow cooker creates moisture for the meat to braise in.

What makes pot roast fall apart? ›

The key to cooking pot roast is cooking it low and slow. The meat should just fall apart, hence the name, and if it doesn't, you probably have not cooked it long enough. Also, I like to cook the potatoes separately, as they tend to be a little to mushy for my liking when you cook them with the roast.

Why is my roast still tough after 7 hours? ›

Why is my pot roast still tough? It's because you haven't let the collagen break down. Extend the cook time, make sure there's enough liquid and keep an eye on the dish.

Why are my potatoes still hard in the crockpot? ›

Insufficient Liquid: If there wasn't enough liquid in the crockpot, it could have caused uneven cooking. Potatoes need to be fully submerged in liquid to cook evenly. Old Potatoes: Very old or stored potatoes can become starchy and may not soften as well during cooking. It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes.

Is it better to cook a roast in the oven or crock pot? ›

It's delicious both ways. If you want to give your crock-pot a whirl, here's a slow cooker pot roast recipe for you. But pot roast is plenty easy to make in the oven! You do all the browning and roasting all in the same pot and it requires less time than in a slow cooker roast.

Should I cut my pot roast before slow cooking? ›

A large piece of meat takes longer to cook thoroughly, especially in the middle. By cutting the meat in half, the entirety of the meat will reach an internal temperature to your liking, which should be at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Is 4 hours long enough for pot roast? ›

directions. Place roast into crockpot and surround with vegetables. Combine beef broth and vegetable soup mix, then add to crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.

What is the most tender beef roast for a slow cooker? ›

Chuck roast is one of the more popular slow-cooker options because of how tender and flavorful it becomes after several hours of cooking on low.

What cut of roast falls apart? ›

A perfectly cooked beef joint makes a wonderful centrepiece for a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner. To cook it until it's so tender it falls apart, you'll need to choose a joint like chuck and blade or beef brisket and either braise, slow roast or slow cook it for at least a couple of hours.

What cut of beef is best for Sunday roast? ›

For roasts, the best cuts include rib (on the bone or boned and rolled), sirloin, top rump and fillet. For quick cooking, try fillet, entrecôte, rib eye, sirloin or rump steaks. Brisket, topside and silverside are good for pot roasts, and stewing and braising steak are good for stews and casseroles.

Is bottom round or rump roast better for pot roast? ›

Similar to a rump roast, a bottom round roast makes for a great pot roast and stands up well to other kinds of braising, such as in the Italian dish that combines steak with leftover pizza sauce, carne alla pizzaiola. However, it also responds well to marination.

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