This recipe is the best oven baked chuck roast recipe and is an updated version of a classic recipe for roasting beef chuck. For an easy recipe that you can cook once and turn into two or more different meals, this easy boneless chuck roast recipe is worthy of your attention.
Oven baked beef roast is one of my all time favorite meals. This chuck roast is wonderfully simple to make and turns out mouthwateringly delicious every time. If you love this oven baked beef roast recipe, you may want to try more of my reader favorites like this lean and tender Rump Roast or this exceptional Eye of Round Roast. A simple recipe with great flavor is a winner every time.
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Why This Recipe Works
For those of us who want to get a fuss-free delicious meal on the table with leftovers that can be repurposed into another dish, this recipe is perfect. Oven baked chuck roast is a comfort food dish that delivers a spectacular dinner with leftovers that make easy, fuss-free meals.
- Slow-roasting at a low temperature cooks the chuck roast evenly throughout and results in a moist and tender roast. While the cooking time may seem like a long time, it is pretty much all hands off. The longer cooking time helps the collagen in the connective tissue break down which makes for a pull apart tender roast.
- Reverse-searing the roast results in more tender meat and better browning.
- The leftover beef roast makes outstanding roast beef sandwiches, beef gyros, and beef taquitos.
- Starting with inexpensive cuts of beef and then slow roasting them makes for a meal for special occasions without worrying over ruining a more expensive cut of beef. tough cuts of meat
Ingredients For Oven Baked Chuck Roast
You will want to use a 6 quart Dutch oven or a heavy-bottom large pot or roaster with a cover.
- Beef broth. Low-sodium broth is the best choice for it allows you to control the saltiness of your roast. The beef broth adds to the meaty flavor of the roast.
- Boneless chuck roast. This cut of beef is know for the rich, beef flavor. It comes from the shoulder area and is quite often less expensive than other large cuts of roast or steak.
- Kosher salt. The large crystals of kosher salt break down readily than table salt and are easier to control the quantity when seasoning.
- Freshly ground black pepper.
- Dried celery flakes. While seemingly benign, celery adds just the right umami that you may not notice immediately but you will notice if it is missing.
- Onions. I like to use onion wedges because I love the taste and texture of braised onions along with my roast. You can season the roast with onion powder if you don't want to use whole onions.
- Vegetable oil. Any neutral oil is best in this roast. Don't use an oil, such as olive oil, that adds unnecessary flavors to your roast.
The recipe card at the bottom has the exact quantities of these ingredients.
Instructions For This Chuck Roast Recipe
Follow the recipe steps and you will be on your way to the best melt-in-your-mouth oven baked chuck roast. This beef chuck roast is the perfect comfort food for a Sunday dinner your whole family will love. You will be thrilled to use the leftovers in another delicious meal during the week.
- Preheat the oven. We are starting with a low and slow oven temp of 300°F for our tender, juicy roast.
- Season the chuck roast. Add 1 cup of the beef broth, the chuck roast and the celery flakes to the Dutch oven. Season the roast with kosher salt and pepper. Arrange onion wedges around the roast.
- Roast. Cover your Dutch oven and bake, turning once halfway through cooking. Your roast will take about 2-½ to 3 hours until it is fork tender. Add more broth, if needed so you have enough liquid in the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Reverse-sear. In a large heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering. Transfer the chuck roast to the skillet and sear, turning once, about 4 minutes per side or until the roast is nicely browned. Add more oil as necessary. Transfer roast to a cutting board.
- Simmer juices. Skim fat from the juices in the Dutch oven. Add remaining beef broth and heat over medium heat until warm. Ladle mixture into a gravy boat and serve. Alternatively, you can use the mixture to make a beef gravy. The instructions for the optional gravy are below and in the recipe card.
- Slice and serve.
Variations to This Oven Baked Chuck Roast Recipe
You can subtly adjust the flavors of this tender beef roast by adding or changing a few simple ingredients.
- Chicken broth can be used in place of the beef broth. Again, I would use a low-sodium version. You could also make your own Instant Pot Chicken Stock and use that for with your oven baked chuck roast.
- Fresh herbs. Add a sprig or two of fresh rosemary or fresh thyme before cooking.
- Onion. Use sliced onions instead of onion wedges. I wouldn't mess with chopping onions since the long cooking time breaks down the onions quite readily. Or, omit the onions and season the roast with onion powder.
- Garlic. Mince or smash fresh garlic cloves and add it to the broth before cooking. Or, season the roast with garlic powder.
- Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire adds a delightful amount of umami with its salt, sweet, tangy and savory flavors. Add 1 tablespoon to the broth before baking. Note: Be aware that it also contains anchovies just in case anyone has a seafood allergy.
- Red wine. Adds body and rich flavor to the roast. Add ½ to 1 cup red wine to the juices in the skillet after the roast has been seared. Simmer until reduced by about half. Reduce the amount of the beef broth by ½ cup and add after the red wine has reduced. The red wine can be used for both the juice version and the gravy version.
Alternative Cooking Methods
- Slow Cooker. You can also make this tender roast beef in your slow cooker instead of a large Dutch oven. Lightly spray the inside of the crock pot with non-stick vegetable oil. Follow all of the ingredients and instructions for seasoning the chuck roast with the only change being that you are slow cooking this instead of roasting in the oven. Cook on Low for 9 hours or on High for 5 hours.
- Instant Pot. For a classic pot roast in your pressure cooker, try this Instant Pot Pot Roast for an easy dinner with a shorter cook time.
Beef Gravy Recipe
This beef gravy recipe is delightfully tasty and easy. It comes together quickly on top of the stove and is pure comfort when drizzled over the roast, or a side dish like egg noodles or these roasted baby potatoes. Make the gravy right after your tender pot roast comes out of the oven:
- You want to skim any fat from the pan juices in the Dutch oven. Then transfer those juices to the skillet that you just used for searing your roast.
- Add beef broth to the skillet until you have about 2 cups of liquids. Over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch. Slowly whisk slurry into the juices and cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes or until gravy is thickened to your liking. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Strain gravy into a gravy boat. Serve with the chuck roast.
Cook's Tips
- Allow plenty of time to make your roast fork tender. Cook times can vary so prepare for shorter or longer times especially when planning your side dishes.
- Use a Dutch oven, cast iron pot with a lid, or a heavy bottom skillet with a lid.
- Check your roast more often near the end of the cooking time, adding more broth or turning roast as needed.
- You can use an instant-read thermometer or you can use this leave-in probe Meat Thermometer. Unlike other meat, chuck roast should be cooked to an internal temperature of 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit which is when the collagen breaks down and makes your roast juicy and fork-tender.
Leftover Roast Beef FAQs
How long does roast beef last in the fridge? Oven baked chuck roast can be stored in a tightly covered container 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Can leftover roast be frozen? You can freeze leftovers from this oven baked chuck roast recipe for up to 3 months. Seal the chuck roast tightly in a freezer-safe wrap or container.
How do you moisten leftover roast beef? Reheat roast beef and the leftover juices in an oven proof dish in a 250 degree Fahrenheit oven for an hour or so. You can also use low-sodium beef broth, if you don't have leftover juice, to moisten the roast beef when reheating.
What can you do with leftover roast beef? Leftover roast beef, with or without gravy, can be reheated and served in a variety of ways.
- Serve reheated roast beef, gravy, and onions on a hoagie roll for easy roast beef sandwiches. Add a slice of provolone or Swiss cheese, if desired. Pop the hoagie with the cheese under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese and toast the edges of the hoagie before layering on the hot roast beef and gravy.
- Use the roast beef in place of the shaved steak in this Easy Beef Gyro Sandwich.
- Or skip the pressure cooking step in this Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff. Follow the rest of the recipe steps for a super easy beef stroganoff.
📋 Recipe
The Best Oven Baked Beef Chuck Roast Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch Oven 6 quart or larger
Ingredients
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth divided
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons dried celery flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium onions each cut into 8 wedges
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil approximately
Beef Roast Gravy (optional)
- ¼ cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Add 1 cup of the beef broth, the chuck roast and the celery flakes into the Dutch oven. Season the the roast with kosher salt and pepper. Arrange onion wedges on top of and around the roast.
- Cover the Dutch oven and bake, turning once halfway through cooking, for 2-½ to 3 hours or your roast is fork-tender. Add more broth, if needed, during cooking.
- In a large heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering. Transfer the chuck roast to the skillet and sear, turning once, about 4 minute per side or until the roast is nicely browned, adding more oil as necessary. Transfer the roast to a cutting board.
- Carve the roast into thick slices or chunks and transfer to a serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions and arrange around the roast, if desired.
- Skim fat from the juices in the Dutch oven. Add remaining beef broth and heat over medium heat until warm. Ladle mixture into a gravy boat and serve. Or, use the mixture to make the beef gravy below.
Beef Roast Gravy (optional)
- Skim fat from the juices in the Dutch oven. Transfer juices to the skillet used for browning the roast. Add remaining beef broth to the skillet until you have about 2 cups of liquids. Over medium heat, cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until simmering.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch. Slowly whisk slurry into the juices and cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes or until gravy is thickened to your liking. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Strain gravy into a gravy boat. Serve with the chuck roast.
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