Bison Pot Roast: A Colorado Fall Favorite

Fall in Colorado is always a unique time of year. One day we can be enjoying 80-degree sunshine, and the next we’re bundled up for a chilly, 50- or 60-degree rainy week. You never quite know what Colorado is going to throw at you!

But when those cooler temperatures roll in, one thing I know I can always count on is a good pot roast. It’s one of my favorite go-to meals for a chilly fall evening. There’s just something about a roast slowly cooking in the oven, filling the house with the smell of herbs, garlic, and savory goodness.

For this version, we’re putting a twist on a classic comfort food favorite by using bison.

Bison is a great choice for a pot roast because it is naturally lean and full of flavor. The key to cooking bison is to keep it low and slow, giving the meat plenty of time to become tender without drying it out.

I love serving this bison pot roast with hearty vegetables from our garden like carrots, potatoes, and onions. As everything cooks together, the vegetables soak up all those rich, savory flavors from the roast, making this a meal that feels just as comforting as it tastes.

And honestly, this is the kind of meal I love most about fall. It’s simple, hearty, and meant to be shared around the table. Whether you’re coming in from a rainy afternoon working on fences in the pasture or just looking for something cozy to make on a cool evening, a pot roast always seems to hit the spot.

So when Colorado finally decides to trade those warm summer days for cool fall evenings, pull out the Dutch oven, grab a bison roast, and let dinner slowly take care of itself.

Now, let’s get cooking!

Bison Pot Roast

This hearty Bison Pot Roast is the perfect meal for a chilly evenings. A tender bison roast is seared and slow-cooked with onions, garlic, red wine, bison broth, and fresh herbs, then finished with carrots and potatoes. The result is a flavorful, tender pot roast that is pure fall comfort food.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Servings: 4 People

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3lb lb Bison Pot Roast
• 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion Sliced
• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Garlic (or about 2-3 large cloves) minced
• 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 Cups Red Wine Is used Cabernet
• 2 Cups Bison Broth Or Beef Broth
• 1-2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
• 1-2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2-3 Large Carrots cut into large pieces
• 7-8 Small Potatoes Diced I used a mix of red and new potatoes

Method

 

1. Instructions

   Season the roast. Generously season all sides of the bison roast with salt and pepper.

   Sear the roast. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the roast and sear on all sides until nicely browned. This helps develop a flavorful crust. Once seared, remove the roast from the Dutch oven and set aside.

   Cook the onions. Add the butter and onions to the Dutch oven. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent and beginning to caramelize.

   Add the garlic and tomato paste. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently so the garlic and tomato paste don’t burn.

   Deglaze the pan. Pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Those little bits are where so much of the flavor comes from!

   Add the broth. Pour in the 2 cups of bison broth and stir to combine.

   Add the roast and herbs. Return the seared roast to the Dutch oven. Add the fresh herbs. I like to tie my herbs together with cooking twine to make a little bundle, which makes them easy to remove at the end.

   Start cooking. Cover the Dutch oven and place it in a preheated 325°F oven. Cook for 1 hour.

   Add the vegetables. After 1 hour, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and add the remaining vegetables. Cover and return it to the oven for another 2 hours, or until the roast is fork-tender.

   Let it rest. When the roast is finished cooking, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and let the roast rest in the juices for about 30 minutes before slicing. This gives the meat time to relax and soak up all those delicious juices.

   Serve and enjoy! Slice or gently pull apart the tender bison roast and serve with the carrots and potatoes. Spoon some of the flavorful cooking juices over the top and enjoy!

Notes

Cooking Note

Bison is leaner than beef, so keeping the roast surrounded by liquid and cooking it slowly is especially important. Every roast is a little different, so use tenderness as your best guide. When the roast is fork-tender and easy to pull apart, you know it’s ready.

Nothing says fall quite like a pot roast simmering away in the oven—and using bison makes this classic comfort food feel right at home here on the Ranch.