Braised Chuck Roast

This Braised Chuck Roast is a restaurant-quality recipe that is easy to make for a weeknight family meal or weekend entertaining. With minimal hands-on prep time, the stove does most of the cooking for you.

We can’t wait to share our family’s Braised Chuck Roast with all of you. It’s a one-pot meal that’s full of bold and comforting flavors and super easy to make. If you’ve never made chuck roast, you should definitely give it a try! While it seems intimidating, the prep time is only 10 minutes.

My husband and kids love this recipe in the colder months. It’s actually inspired by a braised beef recipe that we used to serve at our family restaurant years ago. Serve it over mashed potatoes or even make it in the slow cooker for an even easier preparation.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Comfort food that’s restaurant-quality. If you’ve ever ordered braised chuck roast at a restaurant, now you can make it right at home.
• Easy dinner for any night of the week. This braised chuck roast has minimal prep time, the stove does most of the work for you. Plus, it makes the best leftovers to enjoy throughout the week.
• Family favorite recipe. We make this multiple times during the cold winter months because our family and friends always request it.

Laura Ashley’s Tip: Chuck roast, also called shoulder roast, is the best cut of beef for this recipe. It has lots of cartilage and connective tissue which melt and dissolve as they cook for a long period of time to become the most tender bite.

Ingredients

Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below

• Olive oil: Fat for searing the chuck roast.
• Beef chuck roast: The main protein for the recipe, when you cook this low and slow it falls apart into a tender cut of beef that’s so delicious.
• Chopped carrots, celery, and onion: The vegetable base that adds lots of great flavor.
• Garlic cloves: Adds the garlicky flavor we all love.
• Tomato paste: A concentrated tomato flavor that caramelizes nicely and add lots of flavor to the sauce.
• Beef stock: The rich flavor that braises the chuck roast.
• Dry red wine or additional beef stock: We love using a hint of wine here for depth of flavor.
• Worcestershire sauce: Gives a hint of umami.
• Dijon mustard: Adds some tang and acid that pairs well with the rich beef.
• Fresh thyme: Adds nice warm herbal flavor to the sauce.
• Fresh rosemary: Another comforting herb that goes so well with braised meat.
• Bay leaves: Just a couple is all you need to infuse with a hint of warm flavor.
• Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce just right.

Tools You’ll Need

• Large Skillet with a Fitted Lid
• Tongs
• Can Opener
• Wine Bottle Opener
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Liquid Measuring Cups

How to Make Braised Chuck Roast

1. In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season the roast with salt and pepper on all sides. Sear until browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and set aside.

2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook an additional minute. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Stir in beef stock, red wine (or additional beef stock), Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

5. Place the roast back into the pot, making sure it’s submerged in the liquid. Top with thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
6. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cover and braise for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender.
7. Transfer the roast from the pot to plate. Return the mixture to a boil. In a bowl, mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Stir it into the pot, lower the heat, and simmer 3-4 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.

8. Add the beef back to the pan whole or in large chunks. Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.

Expert tips

• Sear the chuck roast until deeply golden brown to start. This is key to adding lots of depth of flavor to the recipe.
• Make sure you let the chuck roast simmer until fork tender, this will take between 3 to 4 hours. Don’t rush the process, it’s so worth it in the end. This beef truly melts in your mouth.
• To thicken the sauce, we make something called a slurry. This is a mixture of a little bit of cornstarch and water that we stir into the sauce at the end and let it simmer to thicken. If your sauce is still to thin, you can make and add more slurry until it’s a little thicker in consistency.
• If you’re using red wine, be sure to deglaze the bottom of the pot. There will be browned bits on the bottom thanks to searing the chuck roast well to start. The browned bits add so much flavor to the braise itself, so don’t skip this step.
• Bake it instead. After you’ve seared the roast and added the rest of the ingredients (minus the cornstarch), you can also cover and bake it in the oven 325 degrees for 3 1/2-4 hours, or until fork tender. You can thicken the sauce on the stovetop after it’s finished.

What to Serve with Braised Chuck Roast

There are so many options to serve, here are some of our favorite pairings:

• Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
• Whipped Mashed Potatoes
• Brown Sugar Baked Carrots
• Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes
• Baked Macaroni and Cheese
• Crockpot Cornbread Pudding

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.

You can also freeze the chuck roast for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat until warmed through.

FAQs

More Comforting Dinner Recipes

• Cheeseburger Meatloaf
• Johnny Marzetti Casserole
• Shake and Bake Pork Chops
• Chicken Cornbread Casserole