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Juicy, fall apart beef roast does not have to be bland. This Oven Braised Beef Roast is probably the best braised beef I’ve ever had and it screams Sunday Dinner!
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Our readers and are the very best! This recipe is a direct result of a question from a reader. Someone asked if she didn’t have ribs, if she could make our Oven Braised Short Ribs with a roast. We started testing and ta da!!! Oven Braised Beef Roast – a juicy, tender, fall apart braised beef roast in a luscious sauce.
If you’ve tried our oven braised short ribs, you will know that they are to die for! Like seriously…my current most favorite ever! The bad news is that short ribs are quite expensive and sometimes hard to find. This Oven Braised Beef Roast is just as tender and mouthwatering and a little easier on the wallet!
I have to pause and say thank you to our readers! We are seriously so blessed! It is you that keep us going and keep us inspired! We love to get questions and hear feedback from you! I wish we could meet everyone of you and do lunch! How can we make that happen?!
Let’s jump right into this recipe and how to perfectly execute it! It all starts with the cut of meat you use!
What Type of Beef?
We are all about the chuck roast for this dish. It has beautiful marbling to make it tender and juicy. Other roasts like a rump roast or a round roast will work, but it won’t be quite as tender or flavorful. Just go chuck! Trust me! You start as most braising recipes do with coating your meat in seasoned flour and browning it.
Why Do You Coat Meat in Flour?
There are all sorts of reasons for coating meat in flour before browning. I always like to know why we do the things we do when we cook. Let’s discuss a few of the reasons:
- Thickener – we all know that flour is a thickener, so the flour does act as a thickener for the sauce. It creates a roux (mixture of fat and flour) that adds to the color and complex flavor we are trying to achieve.
- Depth of flavor – Maillard reactions (science!! stay with me here!) are the chemical reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars that give browned meat their delicious flavor. The carbohydrates in flour are needed to combine with the protein from the meat to get this reaction.
- Crust – it creates a flavorful crust on the meat that keeps the meat tender and protects it from the heat of the pan. This also why we add salt and pepper to the flour.
What is Braising?
Braising is a cooking technique where you begin by frying meat in a pan and then placing it in a sealed container, like a dutch oven, with liquid and cooking it low and slow. Braising results in meat that falls right off of the bone and practically melts in your mouth. You’ve probably been braising your whole life and haven’t realized it. Now you can sound extra fancy and braise away!
No Side of Vegetables Needed
This oven braised beef roast dish is actually full of veggies! After the meat has been browned, saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic until they are tender. Ok, so maybe you will still want a vegetable side because these veggies meld with the meat and practically disappear into pure deliciousness. If you still want a veggie side, I would go with our simple roasted garlic veggies or our easy green beans with bacon. If you want to lighten things up, a side salad would also be nice like our garden balsamic avocado salad!
Time to Get Saucy
Once your meat is browned and your veggies are tender, it is time to add all the ingredients for the braising liquid which becomes our luscious sauce:
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Liquid Smoke
- Beef Broth
Bring everything to a simmer and then place the herbs, bay leaves, and roast back into the pot. Then it’s time to put the lid on the dutch oven and stick the pot into the oven. This is the hardest part of the recipe…waiting! Remember how it has to braise low and slow? 3.5-4 hours later you are going to have the dinner of your dreams!
What is Liquid Smoke?
Liquid Smoke is a seasoning in liquid form that adds a smoky flavor to food. It is made by burning wood chips or sawdust to produce smoke. The smoke is captured in water and used to create this seasoning. It is pretty dang genius if you ask me! You get the smoky flavor with out the work of smoking the meat.
Fresh Herbs vs Dry Herbs
We definitely recommend fresh herbs over dry herbs for this dish, but sometimes you just don’t have fresh herbs on hand and the thought of loading up all your kids and taking them to the grocery store so you can make dinner just seems physically and mentally impossible. I totally get that! Been there, done that!
If you have to use dry herbs, the general recommendation is 1 teaspoon of dry herbs for every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs. Dry herbs are much more concentrated in flavor which is why you use less. For this recipe, use 1 tsp of rosemary and 1 tablespoon thyme.
Dinner is Served
We love this oven braised beef roast served over our best mashed potatoes, but it is also perfect over pasta or rice. We like to top it with a little chopped fresh parsley and dinner is served! It’s perfect for a Sunday dinner! It’s comforting and full flavor! Any time I have comfort food, I feel like I need a roll to go to with. Might as well make a batch of our best potato rolls while we are it!! It’s a stretchy pants kind of meal!
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Oven Braised Beef Roast
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4.18 from 82 votes
Servings: 10
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 3 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Description
A juicy, tender, fall apart braised beef roast in a luscious sauce!
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
- 4 Lbs Beef Roast
- 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Butter, divided
- 1/2 Onion, minced
- 2 Carrots, peeled and minced
- 2 Stalks Celery, peeled and minced
- 6 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Flour
- 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke
- 2 Cups Beef Broth
- 2 Sprigs Rosemary, fresh
- 4 Sprigs Thyme, fresh
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Potatoes for Serving, mashed
Instructions
Heat the oven to 325
See Also14+ Recipes for Leftover HamPlace the flour, salt and pepper in a pie dish or pan.
1/2 Cup Flour, 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
Coat beef on all sides with the flour and set aside.
4 Lbs Beef Roast
Heat a dutch oven or oven safe pot over medium high heat with a few drizzles of olive oil. Add the beef, browning on each side and remove to a plate.
Wipe out any black flour if there is any, leaving any browned bits in the pan.
Turn the heat to medium and add the olive oil and butter.
2 teaspoons Olive Oil, 3 Tablespoons Butter
Quickly add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic, stirring to combine.
1/2 Onion, 2 Carrots, 2 Stalks Celery, 6 Cloves Garlic
Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
Add the remaining flour and stir for 30 seconds.
1 Tablespoon Flour
Add the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and beef broth. Bring to a simmer.
1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar, 1 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, 1 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke, 2 Cups Beef Broth
Add the herbs and bay leaves and place the beef back in the pot.
2 Sprigs Rosemary, 4 Sprigs Thyme, 2 Bay Leaves
Place the lid on the pot and cook for 3 1/2- 4 hours in the oven, or until the meat is falling apart and the liquid has reduced down.
Remove the bay leaves and herbs, shred the meat, tossing it in the sauce and serve hot over mashed potatoes.
Potatoes for Serving
Notes
Beef roast will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 305kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 41gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 3209mgPotassium: 639mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2198IUVitamin C: 84mgCalcium: 529mgIron: 5mg
Author: Sweet Basil
Course: Over 500 Family Dinner Recipes Ideas
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Beef RECIPES
Looking for more beef recipes? Try our Absolutely Best Prime Rib, French Dip Sandwich, Brazilian Smoked Tri Tip, Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Beef, Easy Garlic Butter Steak, Healthy Thai Peanut Steak Salad, Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Smothered Beef Burritos, or Easy Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff!
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