13 Store-Bought Sauces To Elevate Your Pot Roast

There's nothing quite like a tender, slow-cooked pot roast on a cold day. It's deeply warming and comforting, and its savory aromas waft through the whole house as it cooks. There are countless pot roast recipes out there for you to choose from, whether you want to go with a classic flavor profile or harness some unique flavors (like a German-style pot roast with beer gravy) to make for a more unexpected dish. But if you're wanting to switch it up even further, you may be on the lookout for some interesting ingredients that can add a pop of flavor to an otherwise standard pot roast recipe.

However, just because you want to add more flavor to the dish doesn't mean you have to spend a ton of time and energy doing so. The following store-bought sauces make for especially simple additions to your weekend pot roast, and because you don't have to make them from scratch, they won't tack on any time to the already lengthy cooking process. Check your fridge or your pantry to see if you have any of these sauces on hand, and your next pot roast may just be the best you've ever made.

Flavor balance is important with any dish, including pot roast. And when you're working with a dish that's usually so savory and salty, you may need to add a little sweetness to the recipe to tone down those intensely savory flavors. That's where ketchup comes into play. Ketchup, with its signature sticky sweetness, provides the dish with enough sugar to balance things nicely without totally overpowering the roast with a sugary flavor.

But, of course, ketchup does more than just provide a level of sweetness. It also packs a mild acidity, which adds depth and complexity to the finished dish. The cooked tomatoes in the sauce offer a touch of umami flavor, which makes things even more interesting. And although it works to balance saltiness, it also offers a bit of salt as well. And since, chances are, you already have some of it in your fridge, it makes for an easy flavor addition to an average pot roast recipe. Give it a try when you want your roast to have the slightest touch of sweetness.

Mustard is one of those ingredients that can be used in almost endless ways — and that includes in pot roast. However, if you go to the condiment section of your local grocery store, you'll find a slew of different mustard varieties to choose from. When you want to add a pop of flavor to your pot roast, Dijon mustard is definitely going to be your best bet when it comes to ingredient additions to upgrade your pot roast. As opposed to yellow mustard, Dijon offers a more complex flavor and doesn't pack the same jarring acidity. Dijon also offers a subtle spice that can add a lot of interest to the finished dish.

Wondering whether to use smooth or grainy mustard? It really depends on when you want to add the condiment to your roast. If you want to make the meat as flavorful as possible, you can rub whole grain Dijon mustard onto the meat before you set it in your slow cooker. This will allow those intense flavors to really soak into the roast. On the other hand, if your goal is to make a more flavorful broth for your pot roast, you can simply use the smooth version of Dijon to add right into the sauce itself. Either way, by using this ingredient, you're guaranteeing a much more flavorful dish.

For those who really don't like heat in their dishes, there are plenty of pot roast recipes to choose from. In fact, most don't seem to include any spicy element at all, making them ideal for those with sensitive palates. However, not all of us fall into that camp, and some of us are looking for a way to infuse just about any dish we make with some heat. There are a few ways to do this when you're making pot roast, but adding some hot sauce to the dish may just be one of the most flavorful. That's because not only are you getting the heat from that sauce, but you'll also be contributing other complex flavors to the mix — like acidity or sweetness, depending on which sauce you use — upping the flavor ante even further.

So, what kind of hot sauce should you use? It all depends on what you're going for. Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce are both great options if you want some mild heat with a bracing pop of acidity, while a habanero-based hot sauce could be a good choice for anyone who wants an even more pronounced spiciness in their roast. Feel free to get creative here, though — you can use basically whatever hot sauce you already have on hand.

If you're craving some spiciness in your pot roast recipe but don't exactly want that heat to be too pronounced, harissa may be the ingredient you're looking for to provide your pot roast with that extra touch of flavor it needs. This ingredient, which hails from Tunisia, offers a bold blend of spices that can contribute a ton of complexity to just about any dish it touches. Harissa is based on red chili peppers, but it also contains ingredients like lemon, salt, and olive oil, in addition to cumin, garlic, and mint, depending on the brand you use or the recipe you follow. The result is a slightly spicy, earthy, and intensely savory ingredient that can really amp up the flavor profile of your pot roast.

There are two basic types of harissa you'll find on the market: a liquid, oil-based version and a dried spice blend. Either works for adding to pot roast, but if you want a bit of extra richness in the dish, we suggest using an oil-based version. Wondering where to get your hands on harissa? Some grocery stores carry it, or you may be able to find it at a local specialty shop. Worst case scenario, you can always order it online so you'll have it on hand whenever you want to make pot roast (or basically anything else that needs an extra flavor boost).

There's nothing like a rich, slightly smoky hunk of meat. That smokiness offers a ton of complexity to a dish and makes it feel like you're enjoying your meal next to a warm, blazing fire. But unless you're literally cooking your pot roast over a fire for hours at a time, that flavor can be difficult to achieve. Unless, of course, you're using liquid smoke. This ingredient offers any dish it touches a smoky flavor without the use of a grill, which makes it an essential for everyone who loves those BBQ notes in their chunk of meat (but still want to cook it in their slow cooker).

Just keep in mind that liquid smoke can pack a huge punch of flavor even when you only use small amounts of it, so you'll want to start slow and only use a few drops of the stuff when you're adding it to your pot roast broth. If you want more of that smokiness, you can add it at the end of the cooking process. Regardless of how much you add, though, it's definitely going to take an average pot roast recipe up a notch.

There are few sauces that pack quite as much flavor as Worcestershire sauce. And don't worry: You don't have to be able to pronounce it to add it to your pot roast. This anchovy-based sauce offers a punch of umami flavor that keeps things tasting super savory, with lightness from the addition of vinegar. There's often some molasses in Worcestershire sauce, as well, which creates an incredible depth of flavor and a touch of sweetness to balance out all those intensely salty flavors, and you might even find some garlic, cloves, and chili pepper in the recipe.

But you don't have to worry about every specific ingredient that goes into crafting a good Worcestershire sauce if you simply bought the store-bought variety to add to your pot roast. It's an easy addition: Just drizzle some of the liquid into the broth mixture you're cooking the roast in, and watch those bold flavors bloom. Worcestershire sauce is an ingredient that we always recommend you have on hand, and it's a no-brainer for a rich, hearty, and deeply flavorful pot roast.

Admittedly, horseradish isn't for everyone. It has that back-of-the-throat spiciness to it that some people hate. But if you're the kind of person who absolutely adores horseradish (like we do), you should definitely consider adding some to your pot roast recipe. When it comes to pot roast, the worst-case scenario is ending up with a bland hunk of meat, which is a possibility when you don't add enough seasonings and sauces to the recipe. Horseradish packs such a punch of flavor, though, that you'll basically negate that unfortunate circumstance with just a spoonful of the stuff.

The best way to completely infuse that horseradish flavor into the meat is by rubbing the paste onto the roast itself. Combine that horseradish with a generous serving of salt if you want to make sure that your roast ends up as savory as possible. Make sure to take your time to ensure that the roast is completely covered by the mixture. Then, place the roast into your slow cooker, cover it with the liquid ingredients, and let it cook as you usually would. In a matter of hours, you'll have a punchy chunk of meat that makes for a deeply delicious dinner (and hopefully plenty of leftovers).

If you're like us, then tomato sauce is a pantry staple that you almost always have on hand. It comes in handy for so many different uses, from creating pasta sauces to building your own pizzas at home. And when it comes to cooking a pot roast, it's an essential ingredient to providing the roast with just the right amount of acidity (and even a touch of sweetness). There are a variety of tomato-based sauces you can use in your pot roast recipe. Plain old tomato sauce works well, but you can also use a pre-made jarred pasta sauce if you want to add an Italian flair to the dish.

Only have tomato paste on hand? You can either thin that tomato paste down with some water and add it to the broth as you normally would, or you can spread the paste all over the meat to really help lock in those bold, umami flavors. Either way, you'll be left with a more acidic, more complex pot roast flavor profile that'll make you wonder why you never considered adding tomato sauce to the mix before.

You may assume that fish sauce can really only be used in Asian recipes, but that's just not true. In fact, we treat fish sauce as an absolute staple in our kitchens because of all the creative ways you can use it. This Southeast Asian ingredient is made from anchovies (like Worcestershire sauce), giving it an umami flavor and bold saltiness that can add an impressive dose of flavor to basically any savory dish, pot roast included. You can simply drizzle some of the sauce into your pot roast broth recipe to give it a bolder, more complex flavor that requires very little effort on your part.

When you're working with fish sauce — especially if you're not experienced with the ingredient — you'll want to remember to start slow. You don't need to add a ton of it to a dish to appreciate its bold flavors, so a small drizzle should do the trick. It's always possible to add more of it to the broth near the end of its cooking time if you feel like the roast is too bland.

If there's one store-bought sauce in your fridge that you probably haven't thought about adding to your pot roast, it's probably mayonnaise. After all, this creamy, acidic dressing seems like it belongs in salads and on sandwiches — not included in your Sunday night pot roast recipe. But think about it: Mayonnaise is really all about fat and acid, which are two elements that can automatically make your pot roast taste more delicious. That's why you may want to consider adding some mayonnaise to the slow cooker the next time you make pot roast.

Instead of adding mayo to the broth, where it might separate, though, it's best to rub the sauce directly onto the roast itself before it goes into the slow cooker. This ensures that the pot roast stays as moist as possible while it's cooking, and it also infuses a subtle lemon-y flavor into the meat. Sure, it may not be the most conventional addition to pot roast, but it's one you should definitely try if you're worried that the meat will come out tasting too dry.

You know those cans of jellied cranberry sauce you have left over from last Thanksgiving? You may have assumed that you had to wait until November to crack them open, but you may be able to put them to use tonight by adding them to your pot roast recipe. Once you put the pot roast into your slow cooker, top it with that jellied sauce. You'll want to break the sauce up so it's in smaller chunks — not one big piece. Cook your pot roast as you normally would, with plenty of broth to ensure it doesn't get too dry.

You'll find that the cranberry sauce breaks down and combines with the other sauce ingredients to create an acidic, slightly fruity flavor profile. Don't worry about this dish tasting sweet, though — because that cranberry sauce is so acidic and because you're combining it with a bunch of other savory ingredients, it melds into the other flavors extremely well. The resulting gravy will be thicker and richer than normal with a touch of subtly fruity boldness that seriously takes the dish to a whole new level.

Most recipes you'll see for pot roast call for beef broth or some sort of similar ingredient, but if you really want to take the flavor of your pot roast to a whole new level, you might want to employ au jus instead of standard beef broth. What's the difference between beef broth and au jus, you ask? Although the two ingredients are very similar, au jus usually includes meat drippings, creating a richer, heartier, and slightly thicker sauce than plain broth. It's often combined with a variety of spices as well, to up the flavor ante even more.

Beef broth is easy to get your hands on, but if you can find au jus instead, chances are, you're going to be in for a much more flavorful pot roast. Of course, you can make your own au jus, but it can be a time-consuming process, and it's not ideal when you're trying to get dinner on the table with relatively little work. That's why we suggest opting for store-bought au jus to capture that delicious flavor without all the time and effort it takes to make the ingredient from scratch.

Store-bought hoisin sauce is a great ingredient to have on hand when you're making some of your favorite Asian-inspired recipes, but that's not all it's good for. This slightly sweet, umami, and super bold sauce also works well for various cuts of meat, and it tastes especially delicious when you add it to your favorite pot roast recipe. For a more interesting, complex flavor profile, simply combine some hoisin sauce with hot water, and pour it over the pot roast before letting it cook for several hours in your slow cooker.

Hoisin sauce is so delicious in pot roast because it packs some of your favorite BBQ-adjacent flavors without quite as much acidity as you might expect from other BBQ sauces on the market. It also helps thicken the sauce, creating a sort of gravy-like broth that sticks to the meat better. If you already have some hoisin sauce in the fridge, consider adding it to your next pot roast for a richer, more intense flavor.