This braised beef chuck roast recipe is so easy and undeniably delicious that I made it 3x in two weeks the first time I tested it! It’s seasoned simply with kosher salt and black pepper, and — the best part! — the oven does all the heavy lifting (it cooks low and slow for about 4 hours until fall apart tender).
This is, without a doubt, the recipe friends and family request from me the most after they’ve tried it.
What to do with leftovers: you’ll love using braised pulled beef for tacos, pasta, or even served over sour cream mashed potatoes or polenta. And it’s just as fantastic enjoyed as a main dish alongside your favorite roasted vegetables.
Why It Will Win You Over:
- An inexpensive way to feed a crowd. Chuck roast is a budget-friendly cut of beef that is often quite large (think 3+ lbs on average). This recipe will feed 10 hungry guests!
- There’s no need to sear. After the initial cooking time, the shredded meat returns to the oven to crisp up just a bit. That means no searing ahead of time! 🙌🏻
- It’s melt-in-your-mouth tender! The shredded meat is utterly meltingly tender and juicy. Pretty remarkable given how little effort it requires.
If you love this dish, be sure to check out more of my restaurant-worthy beef recipes, like this tender and juicy braised beef braciole, slow-braised short rib ragu, or my easy whole beef tenderloin with Parmesan cream sauce (a holiday show stopper!).
Quick Ingredient Overview
- Boneless beef chuck roast: I recommend a 4 lb beef chuck roast, which should yield 10 generous servings. Look for a roast with plenty of marbling for maximum flavor and tenderness.
- Garlic cloves, which are stuffed into the uncooked beef roast, adding a subtle garlic flavor throughout. As an added bonus, when you shred the meat, the roasted garlic becomes tender and gets mashed along with the beef. So good!
- Be sure to use kosher salt, not table salt (they’re measured differently!). Use 2 teaspoons per pound of meat.
- If you don’t have red onions, you can use any onion you like. Even shallots are great!
- I like to add a splash of water — about ¼ cup — to keep everything moist and steam while in the oven. Wine or beef broth are also good options.
For a roast that is up to 8 lbs, you can place it directly in a baking dish. If you’re making multiple beef roasts at once, consider placing them together in a larger roasting dish.
How To Make The Most Tender Braised Beef Chuck Roast
- Allow the roast to come to room temperature, which ensures even cooking. Set it on the counter 20-30 minutes before cooking. Up to an hour is fine.
- Stuff with garlic cloves. Peel a bunch of garlic cloves, then use a paring knife to puncture the beef. Simply press the cloves down into the beef.
- The benefit of placing the beef on top of the onions is that the juices from the chuck roast will seep into them, providing a rich flavor in every bite.
- Slow-cooking is key to achieving a tender and flavorful roast. Once fork-tender, pull the meat with tongs or two forks, then toss with all the juices and onions. Return to the oven uncovered until the top bits are crispy!
Pro tip: After the roast has cooled (or been refrigerated), it’s much easier to skim off excess fat and discard.
Slow-Cooker Instrctuctions
I’ll be honest: I’m not a fan of slow cookers. I think you’ll pretty much always yield better results by simply cooking low and slow in a traditional oven. However, you can follow the same steps outlined in the recipe card, then cook the chuck roast in a crockpot on low for 8 hours until tender.
Finish in the oven as instructed to get those irresistible crispy bits!
Not A Pot Roast
Although this uses the same cut of meat as a traditional pot roast, the preparation is a bit different. Pot roast typically involves searing the meat first, then braising it with lots of veggies. This recipe is a more versatile pulled beef, perfect for using in a variety of dishes.
I recently used this beef as the filling for fried taquitos and holy yum.
Flavor Variations
- For taco night: Season generously with your favorite Mexican spice blend or a combination of chili powder, ground cumin, garlic, onion, paprika, and oregano.
- For Asian-inspired dishes: Consider seasoning with Chinese 5 spice or a mix of garlic, ground ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and Szeuchan pepper.
I don’t know a single person who’s made this easy beef chuck roast recipe that hasn’t been instantly impressed! It’s truly the most flavorful way to cook a boneless beef roast at home! If you give it a try, please let us know by leaving a review and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below!
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Braised Beef Chuck Roast (For Tacos, Sandwiches, & More!)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3½-4 lb chuck roast, patted dry with paper towels
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut into half lengthwise
- Kosher salt, about 3 Tbsp
- Freshly ground black pepper, about 1 tsp
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 325°F. Place sliced red onion on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Prepare the chuck roast. Use a paring knife to cut a few slits into the top and bottom of the chuck roast (the long flat sides), then place the halved garlic cloves inside. Season the beef extremely generously on all sides with Kosher salt and black pepper, about 3 Tbsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Place on top of the red onions.
- Slow cook the chuck roast. Pour ¼ cup of water around the roast, then cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Transfer to the oven and cook for 3½-4 hours, or until the meat is very tender and shreds easily.
- Shred the meat, then return to oven. Carefully transfer the roast to a large cutting board, then use tongs or two forks to shred the meat. Return it to the baking dish, then toss it with the onion and juices. Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes, or until there are lots of crispy bits on top. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Enjoy on a sandwich: We enjoy it on potato rolls with mayo and pickle slices, in tacos, quesadillas, or stirred into breakfast hash.
- Can be made up to 3 days in advance. Reheat in a baking dish or Dutch oven at 325°F until heated through.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in a freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in a baking dish or Dutch oven with the braising liquid over medium heat until heated through.
- Flavor variations:
- For taco night: Generously season the beef with a Mexican spice blend—try chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, paprika, and oregano. You can also use a store-bought mix, but check the label for added salt so you can control the seasoning yourself.
- For Asian-inspired dishes: Flavor the beef with Chinese five spice or a mix of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and Szechuan pepper for a bold, aromatic twist.
- Instead of water, deglaze the pan with red wine or beef broth for extra richness.
Nutrition
Photography by: Alana of Your Home Made Healthy.
Excellent. I didn’t make any changes. The caramelized garlic was like candy.
I agree, that garlic is everything. Thanks for the review, Gail! xo, Ari
Made this last weekend and was sincerely impressed… so much so I am making another one tomorrow for my son and daughter in law! It really is simple to prepare and yet gives a delicious and rich result.
I made it in my round low profile Le Creuset pot, halved the salt in the recipe and covered the pan w parchment then the pot’s lid!
Make it…. This is a Winner👏👏
Thank you, Joan!! It’s one of our favorite easy recipes for entertaining, especially because you can use the meat in so many different preparations. The best! xo, Ari
All i can say is WOW!!! I have been using a crockpot for years and just tried this recipe with two bone in chuck roasts totalling 7 3/4 lbs from my local farmer (we buy a whole cow) and i can NOT believe how beautiful and tasty this came out with just salt/pepper, my garden grown garlic and onion and a bit of water. cooked 4 hours and shredded it and added the strained juice back in. AMAZING! this is my new go to. i will use this for sheet pan nachos this time but will do traditional way with carrots and potatoes in the future. absolutely delicious and so much faster and juicier then using the crockpot method. thanks so much for this incredible recipe
Michelle, thank you!! It seriously is the easiest recipe and yields the most tender beef. We love it too! xo, Ari
This was so good it inspired me to create a new measure of recipe goodness..FROTI. Flavor Return On Time Invested. So far, this is at the top of my as yet undefined scale. Fifteen minutes of prep for a delicious world of possibilities. The first night I oven roasted carrots and cauliflower and mixed it with the beef and had it over mashed potatoes my wife whipped up. Tonight I’m going to try it over local made potato, jalepeno and cheddar perogies. And then….
This is quite possibly the best comment I’ve ever received. Thank you, Erik!! It truly is the most versatile beef recipe and can be used in endless dishes. So glad you loved! xo, Ari
Looks amazing! I plan on doing tacos using this recipe next week. One step that can be left out, however, is letting it warm up on the counter. Last time I made a Chuck roast, I took an internal temp when I took it out of the fridge, then again after it was on the counter for an hour, and it only went from 34.7F to 37.1F – didn’t seem necessary to me
I hope you enjoy this, it’s my family’s favorite for tacos! xo, Ari
If doing tacos, do you season with taco seasoning after its shredded? Or before cooking?
Before cooking!
I’ll be honest, I was skeptical but boy I’m glad I tried it.
I had an arm roast that needed to get used up and I just wanted something that didn’t have tomato and red wine in it.
This was easy and SO FLAVORFUL. it’s going to be my go to roast base from now on.
Totally get the skepticism — there are so few ingredients here, how could it be that good? But man, it really is!! Everyone who tries this loves it as much as I do! So, so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!! xo, Ari
Made this tonight for our family and it was a huge hit. Followed your recipe exactly and it was excellent, wouldn’t change a thing! No one could believe it didn’t have some time of seasoning other than salt & pepper! Thanks for a great recipe!!
It’s ridiculously simple, but so incredibly flavorful! Yay — thanks, Debbie! xo, Ari
Love this recipe! Have made it a couple times and it’s delicious. I’ve now found myself in a situation where I’m unable to use the oven though, do you have any tips for making it on the stovetop?
Thank you, Brandon! I haven’t tested it on a stovetop, but I would think that you could simmer it over a low heat for the same 3-4 hours (depending on the size of the chuck roast) and yield the same results with a few caveats. First, I’d recommend cutting the chuck roast into 2-3 inch pieces (then stuffing a few with garlic cloves, same as in the recipe) so that the meat cooks more evenly. Second, you may not be able to get crispy edges without a broiler, but you already know the meat is so tender, juicy, and delicious even before broiling! Hope this helps. xo, Ari
That does help, thank you!
Perfect!
This was very easy to make and mostly good – we just found it way too salty. I had a 3.5lb piece of meat, and thought the 3TB kosher salt called for was way too much so I used just under 1.5TB – even halving it was too much.
Thanks for the feedback, Melanie. I definitely appreciate a good deal of salt, especially with beef, but of course you can cut back even more in the future. Appreciate the review! xo, Ari
From what I can tell chuck roll roast and chuck roast are slightly different. Can this recipe be made with a chuck roll?
Hi Suzanne! I’m not 100% positive, but I believe that chuck roll is just the larger (whole) piece of chuck, while chuck roast is a smaller portion of the same cut. It would probably be best to confirm this with a butcher or someone who works in the meat department at your local store. But assuming that’s true, you can of course use the chuck roll roast for this recipe! Best, Ari
I wanted to cook a chuck roast but wanted something else besides pot roast, not a extreme fan of it. I decided to make this as written but added some packaged taco seasoning all over it for tacos and cooked for 4 hours while I was working at my computer. This came out fabulous it smelled amazing while cooking I am making this again it is so moist. Thanks for the recipe.
Truly so good! I love adding taco seasoning too (I’ll sometimes use the ELoté blend from Trader Joe’s, so easy and really flavorful). And agree, it’s so easy that even my husband can make this one, which we all appreciate. Yay! xo, Ari
I was looking for recipes to use a marbled chuck roast. We got 1/4 steer from a neighbor farm and have a few thick marbled roasts in the freezer. I found this recipe and made it tonight. I decided to do the small amount of red wine and beef broth instead of the water. My husband walked in the door after work and said it smelled incredible. The garlic cloves just melted into the roast, so good & the fat literally separated itself from the meat, making the meat so easy to shred. I made this with mashed potatoes and roasted corn. Such a great meal with minimal prep. The meat had such great flavor with little to no spices added except the salt & pepper. I will definitely make this again!
Love that you added some red wine, that sounds right up my alley! Agree, the garlic cloves melting into the meat is irresistible. Thank you so much for the feedback and I’m thrilled you enjoyed! xo, Ari
Hello, i havnt made it yet but it looks delicious. Can I use a Dutch oven instead of covering with foil?
Thank you!!!
Hi Debbie! Yes, absolutely, a Dutch oven is also a fantastic choice here. Be sure to let me know what you think! xo, Ari
This is absolutely wonderful. I have never ever left a comment on an internet recipe but this is so good I just had to! I had never made a roast before but this was so tender and flavorful without a bunch of junk in it. I made a small roast as that’s all I could find but heading to the grocery store today to get another one. This recipe will not let you down!
Very little could make me happier than a review like this! Thanks, Audrey — I know it can feel uneasy to trust a recipe you find on the internet, but this one has proven again and again that it is completely foolproof and loved by all. I really appreciate you taking the time to share feedback! Enjoy that second chuck roast. Best, Ari
I made this in a dutch oven with a 3lb chuck roast. Followed the instructions as written. Unfortunately in my case there was not nearly enough liquid. After 3 hours the liquid was completely gone and the onions were a black “cake” at the bottom of the pan. However, the roast turned out excellent and the flavor is delicious. An unexpected positive was that I did not need to shred and place back in the oven at 425 as it was already crispy on the outside of the roast. Simply shredded and served. Would definitely make this again but I would probably double or even triple the amount of liquid.
Hi GL, thanks for this feedback. Question, was the Dutch oven tightly covered? A typical chuck roast has a good deal of fat in it, so during the long cook time that fat and the natural juices create quite a substantial amount of liquid in the pan. There should be no need to double or triple the added liquid, so I’m wondering how we can troubleshoot what might have happened. I’ve made this dozens of times and hilariously sometimes think I should cut back on the small amount of liquid because roasts release a ton of liquid when they cook (and everyone wants those crispy bits at the end!) — I often skim fat before the final crisp in the oven.
Either way, really glad you enjoyed. Thanks! Ari
Thanks for the response Ari. The lid is tight fitting and is designed so any rising liquids drip back down into the pan. However, it is also quite large which may be a contributing factor.
This is the one I’m using – https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/enameled-dutch-oven
Ah ok, that could be the issue. When I make this recipe, it’s in a standard 9×13 baking dish. I just seal it tightly with aluminum foil. If you decide to try it again, perhaps try a smaller pot for cooking the beef and report back. Thanks so much! Best, Ari
I will definitely try a smaller pot or baking dish next time. Thanks again for taking the time to respond and more importantly it was still delicious!
That is definitely the best takeaway! Thank you!
Amazing!!! It’s now the only way we make meat for tacos. Just the recipe as is with garlic, onions, salt , pepper. Everyone loves it. Thanks very much!
Truly the perfect all-purpose taco, torta, burrito, fill-in-the-blank filling lol! I could pile the pulled beed into practically any vessel and it’s always delicious. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Eve. Made my day! xo, Ari
I will scream from the rooftops and say this recipe works and is super delicious. I see you have an Asian-inspired variation. Could one add teriyaki sauce to the beef before cooking it? or should I wait to add after shredding and before the crisping portion of the recipe
This is some high praise, Michael, and I love it. Thank you! I’m thrilled you enjoy this recipe as much as my family. I would stick with seasoning the beef with only dried spices upfront (I do this with Mexican spices all the time, and it really infuses well into the meat), then toss with teriyaki sauce as you suggested: post-shredded the meat, but before crisping it. Just keep in mind that if you add a ton of sauce, the beef may not crisp up quite as much just given the level of liquid. I bet it’s going to be fabulous though, and as you know this recipe is quite forgiving. Please report back and let everyone know how it worked for you. Thanks again! Cheers, Ari
I had an enormous roast that I didn’t know what to do with, so naturally I turned to Ari and found this keeper of a recipe! I doubled the onions, garlic, and water, and it came out amazing — super tender and surprisingly flavorful despite the simple ingredients. I portioned some off for my parents and they loved it, too. Will definitely make again and maybe try the variations listed in the recipe, although I’m hesitant to mess with a good thing! Thanks, as always, for a wonderful meal!
Yesss, love to see this! And can’t wait for you to enjoy the leftovers for way too long (because you said 7lb roast, right?! wow!). Glad you could pawn some off on your parents. Enjoy! xo, Ari
Made this last night for dinner……..Oh my goodness……amazing and most of all easy. My husband asked me to make this at least once a week, and to promise I would never make it in the Crock Pot ever again! Thank you so much for your recipes, keep them coming!
The easiest!! And I love using the leftovers all week long–so versatile and seriously irresistible. Thanks, Linda, so glad you both enjoyed! xo, Ari
This is amazing! My house smelled like heaven while it was cooking. We ate it over rice tonight and will try it as tacos tomorrow. Saving this recipe to make again and again. Thank you for what is sure to be a new family favorite.
Yessss, the smell alone is intoxicating! Hope you enjoy it in tacos this week! Cheers, Ari
This was very good and easy. Next time we will cut back on the amount of salt. Thank you for sharing ❤️
Thanks, Danielle! Hope you all enjoyed! xo, Ari
I made this for a pot luck dinner we went to last weekend and brought home an empty pan. They all enjoyed this so much. I did add some spices such as, chili powder, cumin and oregano, and brought some BBQ sauce in case anyone felt the desire to add. I received rave reviews from the group and was asked for the recipe. Will make again for just us. Sorr no picture since there were no leftovers.
Coming home with nothing is always a sign of a great dish. So glad your friends enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing, Carol! xo, Ari
I took home an empty pan after making this for a potluck dinner we attended last weekend.
Isn’t that the greatest feeling ever?! So glad everyone enjoyed! Cheers, Ari
This is delicious and so simple to make!
Sorry I did not see to take a picture before we ate it……several meals for two people!
I totally get that! I made it again over the weekend and zero photos were taken. 😂 Glad you enjoyed, Karen! xo, Ari
Delicious!!! This was so easy to make and super tender and tasty. Served it with mashed sweet potatoes and a veg and the leftovers in tacos!
Well doesn’t this look delicious?! Thanks for sharing, Adrienne! So glad you found this chuck roast easy and delicious! Cheers, Ari
As others have said, the roast was absolutely tender and delicious! I had one small problem; I followed the directions exactly but had very little gravy left. The onion mixture was great but I wonder if I should use more water! I used a Dutch oven and put silver foil on top along with the Dutch oven top.
Hi Steve! So interesting, because I usually end up with too much liquid at the bottom and end up draining off some of the fat before serving (this step is absolutely not necessary, I just personally like it to not be floating in liquid). I think the amount of renderings is pretty dependent on the particular marbling/fat content of the meat you’re cooking, as well as the size. I wouldn’t think that you need the lid of the Dutch oven if the bottom has been covered in foil, but I also don’t think that that would be a cause for reducing the liquid much.
Either way, really glad you enjoyed this and hope it makes its way back into your dinner rotation. Thanks so much for the feedback! Cheers, Ari
I had a chuck roast and I wanted to make tacos out of it but had no clue how to get the job done quickly. This recipe is so great and versatile! I followed the instructions but deviated for the water addition. I grabbed a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and soaked them in hot water along with 1/2 tsp better than bouillon beef base for a couple minutes. Strained out the peppers and used 1/4 c of the adobo/beef water for the addition to the roast. 1 hour in my whole kitchen smelled incredible! 3.5 hours in and I couldn’t stop eating it while I was pulling it apart! This was so easy. This will be my new go-to for taco meat.
It truly is the easiest recipe!! I love that you added chipotle peppers, sounds delicious. And yes, I too lack self control when shredding the meat ha! It’s too good. Thanks for the feedback! Cheers, Ari
Thank you for the excellent recipe! No more slow cooker roast for me. I took advantage of an unusually cool day for this time of year in NYC to have my oven on for so long. I can’t believe how much better this method is. My husband said this is was the best he’s ever eaten and I agree!
I absolutely love to hear this, Carla! And I totally agree, this method is far better than a slow cooker. Cheers to many more delicious chuck roasts at home! Ari
TY! Wow, so delicious and so easy!
Thanks, Sam! It’s definitely on repeat here as one of our favorite family beef recipes! Cheers, Ari
I haven’t made this yet, but can’t wait to. I currently have a chuck roast that is 2.77 lbs. How long do you suggest it to braise? Also I see comments that they will never cook in the slow cooker after using this braising method, does it really turn out that different?
Hi Sarah! I’d suggest you start with 3-3½ hours of roasting time (before shredding the meat), then returning it to the oven as instructed. It won’t dry out if it’s covered, the beef releases a ton of liquid as it cooks down and stays extremely juicy. You can also skip the extra return-to-the-oven trip if you’re not interested in the crispy bits.
And yes, it is way better than using a slow cooker! Try it once and report back. You’ll find the flavor and texture can’t be beat. Admittedly, I’m biased and don’t like slow cookers, but I’m glad to see I’m not alone in this sentiment, even from people who do appreciate slow cookers. Cheers, Ari
Hello Ari,
You were spot on with this recipe!! It turned out great! Thanks for you suggestions. Will be making again and again!
Best,
Sarah K.
It is truly loved by all and so dang easy! Glad you love it too, Sarah! Cheers, Ari
This is hands down the best roast recipe ever! I followed the recipe exactly just with a slightly smaller roast so I reduced cook time by a little bit. It had the best flavor. It shredded easily. I had it over fresh lettuce from my garden tossed with homemade ranch dressing. Absolutely delicious!
Couldn’t agree more!! It’s honestly foolproof and truly everyone loves this recipe. Love the homemade ranch topping, yum! Cheers, Ari
So glad that I found your recipe! My roast turned out so well! Thank youuuu!!
Wonderful, I love hearing this. So glad you enjoyed, Cee! Cheers, Ari
Followed directions but added a little more water because I used my Ninja woodfire grill and smoked it at 250 for 4 hours which requires a little more water for moisture. OMG. First day made a gravy and we had it over mashed potatoes. Couple days later fantastic tacos with pickled red onions. Thank you for the inspiration!
Oh yes yes yes, sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing, Kathie! Cheers, Ari
This was delicious! The flavors are delicious and I made this as a protein meal prep to have with various meals throughout the week. The garlic mixed in with the shredded meat was divine. I will be making this again!
Yesss, so good! I love making a big batch of pulled beef for the week and using it for tacos, on top of baked potatoes, scrambled with eggs, etc. Looks like yours came out amazing. Thanks, Eva! Cheers, Ari
This is my first time to your blog and man what an amazing recipe!! The beef turned out so good. I used red wine because I had some that needed to be used, but otherwise followed the recipe to a T. We used some for “Asian hoisin tacos” and froze the rest for future meals. It has a fairly neutral flavour so we’ll use it for a bunch of different dinners
Oh you started with a fan favorite!! This is truly the easiest, most delicious braised beef recipe and I’m thrilled you love it too. Asian-inspired tacos with hoisin sounds phenomenal. Enjoy those leftovers! Cheers, Ari