Oven Braised Chuck Roast (Easy & Fall Apart)

Tender fall apart chuck roast over a bed of mashed potatoes and with a drizzle of gravy is a dinner that everyone will love! Chuck roast is one of the least expensive cuts of beef, but it must be cooked correctly to yield tender and delicious results. Follow this slow braised chuck roast recipe with middle eastern spices for one of the easiest dinners you’ll make!

Growing up, when it came to a big piece of braised meat, it was always lamb. Lamb is naturally more tender than beef, and considered more grand by my family. Beef was usually used as part of stews, or more commonly as ground beef in koftas and meatballs.

But my husband isn’t a fan of lamb, so whilst unfamiliar to me at first, I decided to venture into braised beef. After a few tests, I finally perfected this chuck roast recipe. And I really mean perfected… because this is the dish that I now bring over to my parents’ house and we all polish off in one sitting.

My Chuck Roast Recipe Is Unique

Chuck roast is one of the least expensive cuts of beef, but when cooked correctly, you can make it taste like a ribeye. Now whilst a specific cooking technique is required to get ultra tender results, my recipe uses a unique spice mix that adds layers of flavour to the beef.

Do not be alarmed! You will not taste cinnamon on your beef.

If you want a wonderful spin on a classic recipe, try my spice mix. But whatever you do, make sure you’re following this specific method: low temperature (325F is what I prefer), a long braising time (3-4 hours minimum!), and using a sealed moist environment.

TIP: If you don’t own a dutch oven or an oven-safe vessel with a tight fitting lid, use a baking pan. Make sure you cover the chuck with parchment paper first, then layer on aluminum foil and ensure a tight seal all around. This will simulate a dutch oven environment.

Bone-in vs. Boneless Beef Chuck

You can use either a bone-in or boneless cut of beef. Both will work well in this recipe. I personally prefer a bone-in roast, because the bones end up adding a lot of flavour to the juices in the pot, which are used to make the gravy.

They also help keep the beef extra juicy and easy to break up. The bones end up just falling off once cooked and very tender.

5 Tips That Make This The Best Beef Chuck Roast

Grab your ingredients and let’s make it.

1. Make sure you season the roast generously with salt and pepper on all sides. The rule of thumb is 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher salt) for 1 lb of beef. As for black pepper, this is per preference.

2. Sear the beef on all sides until a deep brown crust forms. If your cut is big, you’ll have to continue maneuvering it around until you sear as much surface area as you can. This process will take 7 to 10 minutes but it is the key to building a lot of flavour.

3. Use aromatics and spices to add flavour to the beef and the gravy.

I love using the middle eastern spice mixture in this recipe for a subtle flavour of warm spices. If you don’t have the spices individually, you can use this middle eastern seven spice mix, often found in stores.

4. Make sure you braise it in a moist environment, which means adding water. You can use beef stock, but after testing this recipe using bone-in chuck beef, water will be perfectly fine. The bones will turn the juices into a broth.

5. Cover the pot tightly to ensure an air tight seal and braise at 325F. The chuck roast will need at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours, depending on the specific cut you have.

Vegetable Add-Ins

I love to serve the beef over mashed potatoes and a drizzle of gravy. But you can also make roasted vegetables or serve it over yellow rice.

If you want to add vegetables like potatoes and carrots, chop them into large chunks and add them in when there’s an hour left on the beef.

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