Best Damn Chuck Roast

This beef Chuck Roast Recipe is the ideal meal for a special occasion, family get together, or a hearty Sunday dinner.

Melt in your mouth tender meat, along with carrots, potatoes and onions, braise low and slow in a perfectly seasoned wine infused broth.

My chuck roast is a super easy one pot meal, with minimal hands on time and simple ingredients. But the end result is just too good!

Chuck roast that cooks low and slow is hard to beat. I’ve sampled it in many flavors from around the world. Some of my favorite recipes using this cut include Cuba’s Ropa Vieja, Moroccan Beef Tagine, and Mexico’s famous Beef Birria.

Today’s recipe shines because of its simplicity. No heavy handed seasoning here. Just a few fresh herbs added into the broth, and then that succulent, tender chuck roast gets to shine.

You just need to be patient. This one takes time to cook low and slow in the oven…

How to Choose the Best Chuck Roast

Chuck roast comes from the neck and upper shoulder, and is naturally a tougher cut of meat. It becomes tender when the fats and connective tissues break down during long cooking time, at lower temperatures than you would cook a steak.

So, I always look for a well-marbled cut of chuck roast. It’s not diet food, so don’t look for leaner pieces.

As it refrigerates and freezes very well, and leftovers can be used in a variety of ways, I also look for a larger cut, around 4 pounds.

If you don’t see what you’re looking for in the meat department, ask the butcher to cut it to your specifications.

Ingredients Needed

• Chuck roast
• Oil – To sear the meat.
• Veggies and aromatics – Onion, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and garlic.
• Red wine – Any good quality red such as merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or shiraz.
• Beef broth – I like Better than Bouillon.
• Fresh herbs – Rosemary and thyme.
• Salt and pepper

Chuck Roast Recipe

First thing I do is sear the meat. I heat some oil in my large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. While it’s warming up, I season the chuck roast with a bit of salt and pepper. Then, I pop the meat into the pot and let it sear for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until it gets that nice, browned crust. Once it’s done, I take it out and set it aside on a plate.

Next, I toss some onion and carrots into the same pot. I let them sauté for a few minutes, just until the onion starts turning translucent and soft. 

After that, I pour in some red wine and give the pot a good stir to deglaze it, scraping up all those flavorful bits stuck to the bottom. Then, I add beef broth, garlic, mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. I bring everything to a nice simmer before gently placing the chuck roast back into the pot.

Next, I cover the Dutch oven with the lid and pop it into the oven, which I’ve preheated to 325°F. I let it roast for about 2½ hours, letting all those flavors come together and the meat get nice and tender.

Then, I carefully take the pot out of the oven and add the potatoes into the broth. I cover it back up and return it to the oven. I let it roast for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked just the way I like them.

Once everything’s done, I take the Dutch oven out of the oven and place the chuck roast on a platter. I let it rest for about 15 minutes, then shred it up with two forks. To finish, I spoon some of the rich, flavorful broth over the shredded meat and serve it alongside the vegetables. It’s always a hearty, comforting meal!

Jason’s Tips

• Choose the right cut: I always go for a nice, thick, fatty chuck roast. It’s ideal for this recipe.
• Use a large enough Dutch oven: Mine is 7 quarts, and I wouldn’t recommend anything smaller than 6 quarts.
• Use waxy potatoes: I prefer Yukon gold, and avoid starchy potatoes like Russet.
• Don’t skip the initial sear: This adds to the flavor and helps seal in the liquids.
• Use decent wine: I’m not saying buy a $30 bottle, but I avoid the $3.99 ones too.
• Be generous with the herbs: They add so much flavor to the broth.
• Cook to an internal temperature of 200°F: This ensures tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat.

Serving Suggestions

This recipe includes potatoes and veggies, so it makes a hearty one pot meal the whole family will enjoy.

That being said, our easy No Knead Bread is a great option. I love using it to sop up the tasty broth.

If you wish to have something green on the side, my Caesar Salad, Roasted Asparagus, Creamed Peas, and Green Beans Almondine all pair wonderfully with chuck roast.

For more inspiration, check out our roundup of the best sides for pot roast.

Variations

• Swap out, or add to, the vegetables: Sometimes, I like to try celery, turnips, or acorn squash for variety.
• If you prefer not to use wine: If you’re not into cooking with wine, replace it with equal amounts of additional beef broth.
• Make a gravy: After cooking, I often make a thick slurry out of flour and water. After removing the roast from the pot, I gradually stir in the slurry until the gravy has thickened to my liking.
• If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand: You can always replace them with 1 teaspoon each of dried rosemary and thyme.

How to Use Leftovers

Leftover chuck roast can be used in a variety of ways. These are some of my favorites:

• In sandwiches
• Tacos
• Bowl meals
• Nachos
• Cottage pie
• Atop baked potatoes
• With any short pasta shape

Cook up this amazingly flavorful chuck roast for your Sunday supper, or the next time you have company. It’s a classic comfort food for good reason. Just give it a quick sear, mix up a broth, and then let the oven do the work, while you relax with family and friends.

Pin or bookmark this great recipe so you always know where to find it. And be sure to subscribe to GypsyPlate, we’re always cooking up new recipes for you!

Chuck Roast, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Craving more great chuck roast dishes? Try these!
Hungarian Goulash
Puerto Rican Sancocho
Carbonnade Flamande
Japanese Beef Curry
Massaman Curry
Beef Caldereta
Carne Guisada
Yakamein
Borscht

Best Damn Chuck Roast

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

This classic Chuck Roast Recipe is a hearty comfort food meal perfect for Sunday dinner or company meals.

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Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp cooking oil
• 4 pound chuck roast
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 8oz mushrooms, halved
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 8-10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into chunks
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Season chuck roast with salt and pepper, then sear in the pot for 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
3. Add onion and carrots to the pot. Sauté till the onion starts to become translucent.
4. Add red wine to the pot, and stir to deglaze. Add in beef broth, garlic, mushrooms, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then add back in the chuck roast.
5. Place the lid on the dutch oven, then place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 2½ hours.
6. Carefully remove the roast from the oven. Add the potatoes into the broth, then cover and return to the oven. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are done to your liking.
7. Remove the dutch oven from the oven. Place the chuck roast on a platter, and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Shred with two forks, then spoon on some of the flavorful liquids from the pot. Serve along with the vegetables.

Notes

1. If using a different sized chuck roast, cooking times may vary. Roast till the internal temperature reads 190°F with an instant read thermometer before adding the potatoes.
2. Use a large enough dutch oven. 6-7 quart works well for this recipe.
3. Depending on the dimensions of your dutch oven, you may need more liquid. The chuck roast should be at least halfway submerged. If needed, add more beef broth.
4. Chuck roast can also be cooked in a slow cooker. First sear the roast on stovetop, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.
5. If you wish to thicken the sauce, make a slurry of two parts cold water to one part flour. After removing the chuck roast from the pot, gradually stir in the slurry until the gravy has thickened to your liking.
6. Leftovers: Chuck roast refrigerates beautifully in an airtight container. Use within 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for future meals in airtight containers, along with the broth. So yes, even if it’s not for big crowds, go ahead and make a huge batch, you won’t regret it. Use within 3 months for best quality.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 671Total Fat 39gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 188mgSodium 417mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 3gSugar 3gProtein 59g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.