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My chuck tender roast is your ticket to succulent and flavorful beef that won’t break the bank! Always impressive, this recipe includes oven and slow cooker instructions.
Love easy roast beef recipes? Try my bottom round roast, top round roast, sirloin tip roast, and eye of round roast next.
Roast beef dinners are easily my family’s favorite, but they can definitely cost a pretty penny. This is where my chuck tender roast recipe comes into play.
For this particular roast, I generously coated the beef with fresh garlic, herbs, and spices before letting either my oven or slow cooker take the reins. The result? A mouthwatering slab of beef paired perfectly with the flavorful pan juices.
What is a chuck tender roast?
The beef chuck tender roast is cut from the chuck primal cut, nestled in the cow’s shoulder region. Personally, I think it’s an underrated cut that offers an affordable yet surprisingly well-marbled and tender option for beef dinners.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Hassle-free and flexible. Your only job is to season the meat before the oven or slow cooker makes the magic happen. I like using that free time to whip up a few simple sides.
- Tender and juicy. Despite its affordability, this cut boasts a tenderloin-like tenderness, juiciness, and robust beefy flavor.
- Versatile leftovers. Whenever I’m lucky enough to have leftovers, I love repurposing the beef for sandwiches, tacos, salads, and more.
Ingredients needed
- Chuck roast beef. Look for a bright red, well-marbled cut without too much gristle and a relatively uniform thickness. I prefer getting my beef from the butcher, but more and more mainstream grocery stores stock it too.
- Garlic cloves. Fresh garlic is best!
- Fresh herbs. I like using fresh thyme and rosemary but dried herbs or an Italian seasoning blend will also work.
- Salt and pepper. Use kosher salt or sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper. The larger granules will enhance the taste and texture of the crust.
- Olive oil. This gives the seasonings something to stick to and yields a gorgeous crust around the cut of beef.
- Beef broth. As the braising liquid, the broth keeps the roast beef tender and juicy.
How to cook chuck tender roast
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – Season the beef. Mix the garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, and oil in a bowl, then rub the mixture on all sides of the beef chuck roast.
Step 2 – Add to a roasting pan. Place the meat on a wire rack inside a foil-lined roasting pan. Pour the broth into the pan.
Step 3 – Roast the beef. Roast the beef in a 400ºF oven for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 320ºF. Continue roasting until the meat is fall-apart tender. Slice for several minutes then serve.
Alternative cooking methods
While I prefer the roasting method using my oven, I’ve also tested this in the slow cooker if you prefer a more juicy meat with even more pan juices.
Slow cooker method: Start by coating the meat with the oil, herbs, and spices as normal, then sear it on all sides in a hot skillet. Transfer the roast to the slow cooker, pour in the broth, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until the roast is fall-apart tender.
Arman’s recipe tips
- You’ll know the meat is fully cooked once it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Use a meat thermometer to double check!
- For an extra flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth meat, soak the meat in a simple beef marinade made from herbs, spices, and acid (like vinegar or citrus juice) for 3 to 4 hours before cooking.
- Bring the meat to room temperature. About 30 minutes before cooking, place the roast on the kitchen counter so it can come down to room temperature.
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels before applying the olive oil-spice mixture. This helps it brown and develop an amazing crust.
- Always rest the roast beef after cooking! Cover the roast loosely with a piece of foil and let it rest for at least 15 minutes so the juices can redistribute throughout the meat.
- Make beef gravy from the leftover pan sauces while the roast is resting. Heat it in a saucepan over medium-high heat, then stir in a cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons of water + 1 tablespoon of cornstarch) and continue cooking until it thickens.
Serving ideas!
I like pairing this roast recipe with classic comforting sides like cauliflower mashed potatoes and roasted potatoes and carrots. Don’t forget a generous drizzle of savory gravy, red wine reduction, or horseradish sauce on the side to complement the rich, beefy flavors.
Storage instructions
To store: After cooling, store the leftover chuck tender roast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze: Place the cooled roast beef in a ziplock bag or airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat: Place the roast in an oven-safe dish with some broth on the bottom to keep it moist. Reheat it in the oven at 275°F until heated through.
Frequently asked questions
Nope! A chuck tender roast is not naturally tough and, in fact, offers a good balance of moisture and flavor, especially when slow-roasted or slow-cooked.
Slow roasting a chuck tender roast typically takes 30 to 35 minutes per pound. My 4-pound (2 kilograms) roast took a total of 2 hours to roast at 400ºF, then 320ºF.
To achieve a shreddable chuck tender roast, you’ll want to cook it until the internal temperature reaches about 195°F to 205°F. This means the connective tissues have broken down, resulting in a more tender and flavorful roast.
More crowd-pleasing beef dinners
- Dutch Oven Pot Roast
- Mississippi Pot Roast
- London Broil in Oven
- Beef Tips and Gravy
- Or any of my beef recipes
Chuck Tender Roast
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line a tall-sided roasting pan with foil and place a wire baking rack on top of it.
- Mix the garlic, salt, ground black pepper, minced thyme, minced Rosemary, and olive oil in a bowl.
- Rub the beef with spices and place it on the wire rack. Pour the broth into the roasting pan.
- Place the roasting pan inside the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 160C/325F and continue roasting for 90 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
- Transfer the beef onto a board or plate and let it rest for 15 minutes. Carve the beef and serve it with the beef broth from the roasting pan.
Love this recipe, a different version which is sooo tasty, Thank you Arman!
I have used chuck for many years as a roast, it falls apart when cooked, and the flavour is premium to any other beef. At one time, you hardly paid anything for beef chuck, unfortunately, it’s a lot more expensive, but still worth it, slow cooked, thick sliced chuck steak and onions with the juices thickened into gravy, yum!!
Aw, thanks for the feedback, Shelley!
Could you cook the roast in a pressure cooker for 40 minutes before putting it in the oven to finish?
Yes! But I’d cook it less than 40 minutes- try 25 minutes then adjust in the oven 🙂
It’s the same recipe my Gramma taught me, except you added garlic. Been making this in the Crockpot for 48 years.
This sounds amazing! Can I ask how long you cook in the crockpot?
I assume low for 6-8 hours?
Yes!! Correct 🙂
This is awesome. Thanks
Thanks so much, Pearl 🙂 You are wonderful.
Friends, I LOVE this chuck tender roast recipe so, so much. It’s the roast beef I cook the most often because its affordable and mostly hands-off. Enjoy!