This juicy Braised Beef recipe is so tender and flavorful. The beef is browned in hot olive oil, then covered in spices, garlic, sauteed onion, and braised in red wine. Delicious!
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I absolutely love this melt-in-your-mouth Braised Beef Recipe, especially for a nice dinner with friends and family in the cold weather months. Comforting and flavorful, this dish looks amazing and will warm you from the inside out.
- TASTE: The meat and onions are deliciously savory. Flavored with onions, garlic, and sweet red wine, this dish is full of great flavors.
- TEXTURE: The beef is oh so tender with a delightfully crisp outside. The sauteed onions are caramelized and soft, with everything in a light braising sauce.
- TIME: This recipe takes about 2 and a half hours to make. Most of that time is spent braising.
- EASE: This is actually a very easy dish to make and you can set it braising and walk away, making it convenient, too.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Beef– The cut of beef we are using is Chuck roast (boneless). The slow stewing process breaks down the connective tissue and tenderizes it nicely.
- Spices- We’re using Cumin, Paprika, Kosher Salt, and Black Pepper to add savory, slightly spicy flavor to this tender beef dish.
- Vegetables- Onion and pressed fresh Garlic add pungent, delicious flavor.
- Red wine– This is the braising liquid that will help cook the beef and add wonderful flavor.
- Olive oil- We used olive oil to cook the beef and help it brown. You can also use butter or a mixture of the two.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute the red wine- You can also make this recipe with some balsamic vinegar and a stout beer, like Guinness, or white wine in place of the red wine.
- Add other vegetables or aromatics- Try this recipe with veggies like celery, leeks, mushrooms, or carrots, or spices like bay leaves. Fresh herbs like rosemary an thyme are also good.
- Make it in the slow cooker- Once you’ve browned the beef chunks and sauteed the onion, place the beef, onion, garlic, and spices into your slow cooker. Then add the red wine and water, cover, and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Make it in the instant pot- Place the browned beef chunks, sauteed onion, spices, pressed garlic, water, and red wine into the instant pot and cook and pressure cook on high for 40 minutes.
How to Make Braised Beef
- Cut the beef. Cut the beef into large chunks.
- Brown it. Brown the beef chunks in a large dutch oven pot filled with hot olive oil over medium-high heat. Then remove from the pot and set aside.
Pro Tip: You want a golden brown crust on your beef because it adds both flavor and texture.
- Saute the onions and garlic. Cook the onions and garlic in the same pot until they are fully cooked (or translucent). Then remove from the pot.
- Return the beef in the pot. In the Dutch oven pot, return the seared beef chunks to the pot and evenly sprinkle all the spices on top. Then add the sauteed onions on top.
- Add liquids and cook. Add the red wine and water to the meat and place the lid on top. Place the pot onto the cooktop and bring it to a boil. Place the pot into the preheated oven for 1 1/2 -2 hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook until the meat is cooked through and fork-tender. Garnish with thyme sprigs.
Recipe Tips
- Cut the beef into uniform sized chunks- Doing this ensures even cooking and avoids smaller pieces overcooking.
- Make sure to brown the beef- This step is important because it gives the beef a delightful crust on the outside.
- Don’t rush it- You want to take your time making this dish because braising is a slow cooking process that tenderizes the meat making it juicy and delicious.
FAQs
Braising, also known as pot roasting, involves slowly cooking meat in a covered pot with some sort of liquid, such as broth or wine. This process typically takes several hours.
You can use many different liquids to braise beef, most of which add additional flavor to the dish. Try red wine, beer, balsamic vinegar, apple cider, beef broth, or water.
Serving Suggestions
This homemade Braised Beef is so versatile and complementary. It goes with anything, but is especially good when served with salads, sides, bread, and finished with dessert.
- Salad: Start the meal off with a Cucumber Radish Salad, Spinach Salad Recipe, or Broccoli Cranberry Salad.
- Bread: Serve this Braised Beef with some Focaccia Bread, Super Soft Brioche Dinner Rolls, Cornbread Muffins, or Rustic Bread.
- Sides: Enjoy it alongside a side dish, like these Scalloped Potatoes, Sauteed Garlic Asparagus, or Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli.
- Desserts: End your meal with a cool weather favorite, such as Chocolate Creme Brulee, Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Pumpkin Cheesecake (VIDEO), or Homemade Apple Pie.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can brown the meat and saute the onions ahead of time, storing in the fridge until you’re ready to braise them.
Storing: Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat until warmed through.
Freeze: Freeze this Braised Beef recipe in gallon-sized ziplock bags for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature. Then reheat in the microwave, oven, or on the stovetop.
More Savory Main Dishes!
This post has Amazon affiliate links for tools we used to make this recipe.
This recipe was originally posted on Dec 13, 2016, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
Full Recipe Instructions
Braised Beef Recipe
Ingredients
- 3- 3 1/2 lb Beef chuck pot roast boneless
- 6 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Cut the beef into large chunks (at least 2 inches thick).
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven pot over high heat. Brown the beef chunks. Then remove them and set aside.
- Cook the chopped onion and minced garlic in the same pot until they are fully cooked (or translucent).
- Now return the seared beef chunks to the pot and evenly sprinkle all the spices on top. Then add the sauteed onions on top.
- Add the red wine and water to the meat and place the lid on top. Place the pot onto the cooktop and bring it to a boil. Place the pot into the oven for 1 1/2 -2 hours at 350 Fahrenheit. Cook until the meat is fully cooked through and fork-tender. Note: if the meat still feels tough after 1.5 hours, you need to let it cook longer. Tip: Take a peek at the meat every so often… if the liquid dries out, add about 1/4 cup water.
Notes
- Cut the beef into uniform sized chunks- Doing this ensures even cooking and avoids smaller pieces overcooking.
- Make sure to brown the beef- This step is important because it gives the beef a delightful crust on the outside.
- Don’t rush it- You want to take your time making this dish because braising is a slow cooking process that tenderizes the meat making it juicy and delicious.
Nutrition
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Jenya says
Hi Dina,
If I need to double the recipe, how will that affect the cooking time (and will it affect anything else)?
Dina says
Hi Jenya, you will want to increase the cook time by about 30 minutes or so. It should not affect anything else 🙂
Jenya says
Thank you Dina, I made a double batch with increased cooking time per your recommendation and wow… the meat turned out SO amazing!!! Everyone complimented on it, it was such a crowd pleaser! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Dina says
That is AMAZING Jenya! Thank you so much for coming back here and sharing your feedback! Totally made my day 🙂
Krystal Guanajuato says
One question: do you use cooking wine or regular red wine?
Dina says
Hi Krystal, I use regular red wine. Not cooking wine.
Diana says
Soo good! Everyone loved it! I was wondering if you would recommend to add more wine and water to add more liquid at the bottom after it is done? Or just water? It was amazing just husband wanted more liquid to pour over mashed potatoes
Dina says
Hi Diana 🙂 I am so glad that everyone loved this recipe! You can definitely add more liquid. You would add both a little water and wine and keep the ratio the same as the recipe. I hope that helps.
Diana says
It turned out soo good! What would you recommend to do if you want more liquid at the bottom? Add more water and wine? I almost had no liquid after taking it out from the oven but the meat was delicious
Dina says
Hello Diana 🙂 Awesome to hear you loved this braised beef recipe so much! Yes you can add a little more water and wine if you want more liquid. Thank you for giving my recipe a try and for your feedback! I hope you find more recipes to try from my food blog. 🙂
Deanna Price says
Third time making it! My husband favourite meal!
Dina says
Thank you for taking the time to write your kind feedback Deanna! I really appreciate it! 🙂
Vic Megaro says
Second time making this. Added carrots to the mix Great flavor
Dina says
Vic, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the feedback 🙂
cindy martina says
Wow! So easy! And I have a picky husband when it comes to beef roasts…. He LOVED it!!! It ended up only being in the oven for about 45 minutes. Perfect!!! Thanks for the recipe!
Dina says
You are very welcome Cindy! That is so awesome that your husband loved this braised beef so much. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback! 🙂
KATHERINE E FALEN says
what does “3- 3 1/2 lb Beef chuck pot roast boneless” amount to? is it 3.5 lbs or three times that????
Dina says
Hi Katherine it means you can use anywhere between 3 pounds up to 3 and 1/2 pounds. It’s hard to find meat that is exactly 3 lb so a few ounces over that is fine.
Kathi Davis says
We love this recipe. So tender and flavorful. I’ve made it 3 times and it’s a keeper. A great meal for company.
Dina says
Thank you so much Kathi! I am glad to hear that you all loved this braised beef recipe so much!
Lynda Anne says
Will this do well in the fridge for leftovers?
Dina says
Hi Lynda, this braised beef reheats very well after being refrigerated!
Wendy says
Wow! I’d give this dish TEN STARS if I could. The flavor outstanding! And the tenderness of the meat, perfection! Multiple palates live under my roof and ALL enjoyed. This is going to be on repeat. Thank you!
Dina says
Wendy, I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to write your awesome feedback. I really appreciate it!
Jaclyn Martucci says
This is absolutely delicious!! I followed the directions exactly. The flavor is amazing! Thank you!
Dina says
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this braised beef recipe Jaclyn! Thank you for the feedback! 🙂
Joanne says
Will this recipe work with an eye round roast?
Dina says
Hi Joanne, this recipe should work well with eye round roast. Enjoy 🙂
Joe says
I added 1/4 cup bbq sauce to replace the water as it needed a bit of sweetness, also large chunks means large chunk probly 6-8 for the 1.5-2kg