Meltingly Tender Red Wine Braised Beef (Stovetop, Oven, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot)
This particular recipe is a slightly more budget-friendly version of my popular Damn Good Red Wine Braised Short Ribs, replacing pricier beef short ribs with a hearty chuck roast instead.
After an hours-long simmer with aromatic veggies, fresh herbs, and red wine, the humble beef chuck transforms into a succulent, fall-apart tender roast that practically melts in your mouth – it's kind of like the best pot roast you'll ever have!
I've included lots of braising tips and tricks in the blog post, above, and some alternate cooking methods are detailed in the Recipe Notes, below. ♡ Happy cooking!
Ingredients
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 3 lbbeef chuck roast
trimmed of excess fat
- 3 largecarrots
peeled as desired & diced into chunky 1-inch pieces
- 2stalks celery
finely sliced
- 1 largeyellow onion
peeled & diced into 1-inch pieces
- 8 clovesgarlic
finely chopped or grated
- 2 cdry red wine
see recipe notes, below
- 2 cbeef stock
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 2 tbspworcestershire sauce
- 1 tbspdijon mustard
- 2bay leaves
- 3 sprigsfresh rosemary
- 10 sprigsfresh thyme
- optional: flour slurry
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour whisked with ½ cup beef stock
Directions
- 1
About 30 minutes – 1 hour before you’d like to begin cooking, pull the beef chuck roast from the refrigerator & allow it to come up to room temperature. Just before cooking, use a paper towel to pat all sides of the roast as dry as possible. Season liberally with kosher salt and ground black pepper – a good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of meat.
- 2
Add the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (at least 5-qt capacity) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot & simmering, carefully add the chuck roast. Cook 4-5 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Don’t forget to brown the skinnier edges! Once seared, transfer to a plate & set aside.
- 3
Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pot used to sear the chuck roast. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine. Cook 2-3 minutes, just until fragrant.
- 4
Pour in the red wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed at the bottom of the pot. Cook 1-2 minutes, then add the seared beef chuck roast back into the skillet, nestling it into the vegetables. Add in the beef stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, bay leaves, fresh rosemary and thyme. Stir to combine well. Bring the pot up to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cover and braise, stirring occasionally, for 3 – 3 ½ hours, or until the beef is tender – it’s ready once it shreds easily with the twist of a fork.
- 5
Once the red wine braised beef is tender, carefully transfer the roast to a plate or cutting board. At this point, you can remove & discard the spent herbs and bay leaves from the pot, as well. If desired, thicken the braising liquid. Skim any excess fat from the top of the braising liquid, then return to medium heat. Once bubbling, stir in the flour slurry. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until thickened as desired. Taste and season with additional kosher salt & ground black pepper as needed.
- 6
Shred the red wine braised beef into 6 large pieces. Serve immediately. I always place the braised vegetables and beef on a warm pile of mashed potatoes, then drizzle the red wine sauce over top. Enjoy!
Meltingly Tender Red Wine Braised Beef (Stovetop, Oven, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot)
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About this Recipe
Craving a dinner that's both deeply comforting and impressively flavorful, perfect for chilly evenings? This Meltingly Tender Red Wine Braised Beef delivers a truly special meal with surprisingly little fuss. It’s the kind of dish that warms you from the inside out, making any dinner feel like a celebration.
The magic happens through a patient braising process, transforming a humble beef chuck roast into something extraordinary. This recipe leverages the power of a long, slow cook with rich dry red wine, savory beef stock, and aromatic vegetables to break down tough fibers. The result is a succulent, fall-apart tender roast that practically melts in your mouth, reminiscent of the best pot roast you'll ever taste.
Prepare for a deeply savory and wonderfully aromatic dish that will fill your home with an inviting fragrance. Each forkful of beef is so fall-apart tender it practically melts, infused with the complex flavors of dry red wine, earthy rosemary and thyme, and sweet, savory carrots, celery, and onion. It's a rich, hearty experience, promising the ultimate comfort food that feels both elegant and easy to achieve.
While beef chuck roast is the star of this braise, you have flexibility with other elements. For instance, choose a dry red wine that you enjoy drinking, as its character will infuse the sauce. To achieve a thicker, more luscious sauce, you can easily incorporate the optional flour slurry at the end of cooking. If you're missing fresh herbs, a smaller amount of dried rosemary and thyme can be used in a pinch, though fresh offers the most vibrant flavor.
This Meltingly Tender Red Wine Braised Beef is the quintessential main dish for cozy fall and winter gatherings, or simply a luxurious weekend dinner. Serve it alongside creamy mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles to soak up all the rich, flavorful sauce, creating a truly memorable meal.