Braised Beef

What do you usually have for dinner on a Sunday? Are your meals the same as any other day of the week, or do you like to make something a little special? Maybe you try a recipe that takes longer than your average air fryer chicken breasts or is just a little more indulgent. I know that weekends are usually when I make recipes like slow cooker Italian pot roast, roasted chicken, or this luscious braised beef. I love having the extra time to prepare a special dinner!

What is Braised Beef?

Braising is a cooking method that combines both dry and wet heat to achieve mouthwatering results. You can use it for beef chuck roast, like I do here, but it’s also great for other cuts of meat, from braised lamb shanks to red wine braised short ribs.

The process starts by searing the meat in a hot pan to create a beautifully caramelized crust. After searing, the beef is cooked low and slow in a liquid to break down the tough fibers in the meat. This is not a recipe that can be rushed, but oh my, is it worth it! 

Fall-Apart-Tender Braised Beef

(Almost) a complete meal in a pot. With succulent beef and tender diced veggies, you’re well on your way to a satisfying dinner with this braised beef recipe. Just add mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or egg noodles to soak up the fabulous red wine sauce. We also love it with creamy polenta (try easy Instant Pot polenta!).

Budget-friendly. Chuck roast is a relatively affordable cut of beef, so it’s a great option if you’re watching your grocery budget. It may not be filet mignon but it tastes like a million bucks when you cook it right! (I also love it in this pot roast recipe, another Sunday dinner favorite.)

Makes a LOT. This recipe makes 8 to 10 servings, depending on the size of the roast you use, which means it’s excellent if you’re having company for dinner, or you can use the leftovers for meals throughout the week because braised beef is just as good reheated.

Ingredient Notes

• Beef chuck roast: A chuck roast is a shoulder cut that can be tough if cooked incorrectly but tenderizes beautifully when braised, slow cooked, or pressure cooked. It has a rich flavor.
• All-purpose flour: You’ll season the beef with salt and pepper before coating it with flour, and searing it in oil. The flour creates that beautiful browned crust which adds fabulous flavor.
• Vegetable oil: Be sure to use an oil that can stand up to high heat, such as vegetable oil or canola oil.
• Vegetables: Onion, garlic, carrots, and celery stalks infuse the beef with flavor. The vegetables are finely minced and melt right into the rich sauce.
• Tomato paste: For a concentrated umami richness and a slight tanginess to the braising liquid, I add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste.
• Red wine: Use a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. It’s so worth it for the complexity and depth it adds to the recipe but you can use extra beef broth as an alternative. I highly recommend using wine though.
• Beef broth: Choose a good quality broth since it’s the base of the braising liquid.
• Worcestershire sauce: This is another ingredient that is often used to add a savory depth and umami to a recipe.  
• Fresh thyme: Dried thyme is perfectly fine if you don’t want to buy fresh. 
• Bay leaves: A couple of bay leaves infuse the beef with an herbal note while it cooks in the oven. The bay leaves are removed before serving.
• Parsley: I like to add fresh parsley to garnish the beef. It adds a pop of color and flavor.

How to Make Braised Beef

Prep the beef. Pat the beef roast dry with paper towels and then season both sides with salt and pepper. Coat the entire roast with flour; reserve the excess for later in the recipe.

Sear the beef. Add the oil to a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once the pan is very hot, add the beef and brown both sides. It takes about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove the roast from the pan and transfer it to a plate.

Soften the veggies. Using the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and stir in the finely diced carrots, onion, and celery. Once they’re translucent and softened, about 5 minutes, stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and reserved flour (leftover from dredging the beef roast). Cook until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste is darkened, about 1 minute. You’ll find that cooking the tomato paste amps up its flavor.

Deglaze the pan. Immediately add the wine to the pan. Let it sit for a few seconds to cook, then grab a wooden spoon or scraper, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot; the acid from the wine will help loosen them up. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce the wine.  

Get ready for roasting. Stir in the broth and Worcestershire sauce. Carefully add the chuck roast to the pot, nestling it into the vegetables and broth. The liquid should cover the beef two-thirds of the way. If it doesn’t, add more broth. Add the thyme and bay leaves to the liquid, making sure the bay leaves are somewhat submerged.

Roast the beef. Cover the pot and place it in a 350ºF oven. Bake it for 3 hours, until the braised beef is very tender.

Finish. Skim off the fat if you’d like. Discard the bay leaves and thyme stems. Shred the braised beef and return it to the pot to soak up the sauce before serving it. If you prefer, plate the beef and spoon the sauce over the top. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Recipe Variations

• Add mushrooms. For extra veggie goodness, add sliced white or cremini mushrooms or whole button mushrooms to the pot when sautéing the vegetables. They add a nice earthiness to the sauce too!
• Try other herbs. Not all herbs stand up to the big flavors in this braised beef recipe but rosemary would work well.
• Swap the carrots for parsnips. They have a distinctive flavor that’s not for everyone but if you love parsnips, they’re terrific in this recipe. (And you’ll also love this parsnip purée!)

Serving Suggestions

Mashed potatoes. There’s just something about tender beef roast and mashed potatoes. It’s a classic combination. I love these Instant Pot mashed potatoes! Chunkier mashed red potatoes are always a hit, too.

Egg noodles. Toss the cooked noodles in melted butter and serve the braised beef on top.

Crusty bread. Serve the beef roast with thick slices of warm, crusty bread to mop up every last drop of the red wine sauce.

Vegetable sides/salads. Choose a simple vegetable or salad that doesn’t conflict with the richly flavorful beef. Try sautéed asparagus, sautéed Brussels sprouts, or glazed carrots. A simple house salad with a balsamic vinaigrette is perfect, too.

Refrigerate: Store leftover braised beef and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze: Braised beef can also be frozen in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.  

Reheat: Warm leftover braised beef with the sauce in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop set over medium heat.

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.

• Pat the beef dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour until all sides are coated. Reserve extra flour.

  4 to 5 pounds beef chuck roast, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• Heat vegetable oil in a large oven-safe Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef on all sides until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove the beef and set aside.

  2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and reserved excess flour, stirring for 1 minute to incorporate.

  1 large yellow cooking onion, diced, 2 medium carrots, finely diced, 2 stalks celery, finely diced, 5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed, 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• Pour in the red wine (or broth) and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the liquid simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce slightly.

  1 cup red wine

• Stir in the beef broth and Worcestershire. Return the beef to the pot, nestling it into the liquid. The liquid should cover about two-thirds of the beef but the beef should not be fully immersed. Add more broth if needed.

  1 ½ cups beef broth, more as needed, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• Nestle the thyme sprigs and bay leaves into the liquid.

  2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves

• Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to a preheated oven. Bake for 3 hours, until beef is fork-tender.

• Skim off excess fat from the liquid in the pot, if desired. Remove the bay leaves and the thyme stems from the pan.

• Shred the beef and return it to the pot to soak up the sauce, or serve it with the sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley.

• A note about the vegetables: This recipe is not meant to be a stew. The onions, carrots, and celery should be finely diced. You’ll find that they pretty much disappear into the sauce after the baking time. 
• Wine: We highly recommend using dry red wine in this recipe. The flavor it adds is exceptional.
• Reduced sodium: If you want to decrease the sodium in this recipe, use no-salt-added or low sodium beef broth and no-salt-added tomato paste. Check seasoning before serving; add salt if needed.
• Storage: Any leftover braised beef should be refrigerated in a covered container with the sauce; it will keep for up to 3 days, or 3 months in the freezer. 

Serving: 8oz. beef and sauce, Calories: 505kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 45g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 156mg, Sodium: 1013mg, Potassium: 992mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 2701IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 67mg, Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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