This Red Wine Braised Beef recipe is the kind of comforting dinner that makes the whole house smell incredible! Chuck roast is slowly braised with red wine, fresh herbs, aromatics, carrots, and mushrooms until it’s so tender it practically falls apart on its own.
The real magic happens in the braising liquid: all those browned bits from searing the beef are the foundation for a rich and deeply savory braised beef with plenty of juices.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes, Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Method: Stovetop sear, oven-braised
- Main Ingredients: Beef chuck roast, red wine, carrots, mushrooms, fresh herbs
- Flavor Profile: Rich, savory
- Ideal for: Comfort food, weekend cooking, entertaining
What Type of Beef to Use for Braising
Boneless beef chuck roast is the best cut for this recipe.
Chuck contains plenty of connective tissue and good fat marbling. During a long, slow braise, that connective tissue breaks down while the fat keeps the meat rich and moist. The result is beef that pulls apart effortlessly instead of becoming dry.
Leaner cuts like bottom round aren’t really a good substitute here because, in my experience, they tend to turn dry and stringy after several hours in the oven.
Ingredient Notes
- Beef chuck roast: Find one with good marbling, but remove any excess fat so the simmering liquid isn’t fatty.
- Red wine: Use a dry red wine rather than something sweet. Pinot Noir is my favorite for any long braises.
- Beef broth and Worcestershire sauce: These form the savory base of the braising liquid. Worcestershire adds an extra layer of umami and depth.
- Tomato paste: Another flavor booster. Concentrated tomato paste adds body, color, and richness.
- Onion, celery, and garlic: The aromatic base. Cook the onions and celery first until softened before adding the garlic.
- Fresh herbs: I use both thyme and rosemary, both fresh.
- Carrots and cremini mushrooms: Add these toward the end so they turn tender without completely breaking down.
- Other: Olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and Italian parsley for serving.
As always, ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card down below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Prefer not to add wine? Replace with extra beef broth plus a splash of balsamic vinegar for a similar acidity. For a wine-free chuck roast, you can also try my Honey Balsamic Chuck Roast.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms work fine instead of cremini. You can also omit them.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh thyme and rosemary give the best flavor, but dried herbs work in a pinch. Use about a third of fresh.
- Vegetables: Pearl onions and chopped butternut squash (instead of carrots).
How To Make Red Wine Braised Beef
- Season the beef. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Season the chuck roast generously with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Sear the beef. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the chuck roast on both sides until golden. Remove from the pot but don’t wipe it clean. Tip: Sear undisturbed to get a deeper, golden crust.
- Sauté aromatics. Sauté the onions and celery until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the minced garlic, thyme, and rosemary for another 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Build the braising liquid. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat. Pour in the 2 cups of red wine and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add broth and season. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a simmer.
- Braise. Return the beef, nesting it under the liquid. It should cover about 3/4 of the way through. Add the sprigs of thyme and rosemary, gently submerging. Cover and braise in the oven for 2.5 hours, or until tender.
- Add vegetables. Add the carrots and mushrooms, partially pushing them down under the liquid. Cover and return to the oven for another 30 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and the meat is fall-apart tender.
- Serve. Shred the braised beef and serve with your favorite sides. Mashed potatoes and buttered noodles are great.
Tips for Success
- Try not to open the oven much while it’s cooking. Keeping it tightly covered maintains the moist, steady environment needed for tender meat.
- Skim excess fat if needed. After it’s ready, you may notice some fat on top of the braising liquid. Let it settle for a few minutes and skim off any excess before serving.
- Keep the braising liquid below the top of the roast. Braising isn’t the same as boiling. You want the meat partially submerged (about ¾ of the way through), not fully covered. If needed, top it off with extra broth.
- Go by tenderness, not just time. If the beef still feels tough, it usually isn’t overcooked, it just needs longer. Give it a few more minutes. Total cook time depends on the size of the roast.
Make Ahead and Freezing
While I love to serve my braised beef straight out of the oven, it’s also especially good made ahead because the meat stays submerged in the flavorful cooking liquid and the flavors have even more time to develop.
Make ahead: Make the entire dish up to 1-2 days in advance. Cool and refrigerate the beef along with its braising liquid so it stays moist. Reheat over the stovetop with an extra splash of broth to loosen it up.
Freezing: Let cool completely, then freeze the beef and sauce together in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently on the stovetop with the braising liquid, adding a splash of beef broth if needed.
Recipe FAQs
It most likely needs more time. Chuck roast goes through a stage where it’s fully cooked, but the connective tissue hasn’t broken down enough to become fall-apart tender. Cover it and keep braising, checking again after another 20 or 30 minutes.
A 6-quart Dutch oven works well for a 3-pound chuck roast. If you’re using a larger roast, size up to a 7-quart pot so there’s enough room for the braising liquid and vegetables.
Yes, but a larger roast may need additional cooking time and a larger Dutch oven!
Absolutely. Remove the beef and vegetables, then simmer with a cornstarch or flour slurry as needed.
What to Serve with Red Wine Braised Beef
My favorite way to serve this red wine braised beef is with something that can soak up every bit of that rich red wine sauce. Here are some ideas:
- Potatoes: Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or Spinach Mashed Potatoes are always favorites.
- Noodles: Try it with my super easy Buttered Noodles!
- Rice and grains: Saffron Risotto or my Butternut Squash Risotto for that fall-inspired meal, or even creamy polenta.
- Something green: Lemon Green Beans or Sautéed Brussels Sprouts.
- Bread: Warm Skillet Cornbread and Honey Butter Rolls are great for soaking up any braising liquid left on the bowl. So good!
More Chuck Roast Recipes
If you’d like to try something other than beef, my Apple Cider Pork Roast is another wonderful braised recipe.
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Red Wine Braised Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt - plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled cut into chunks
- 2 stalks celery, cut into thick slices
- 6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups red wine - cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir
- 2 cups beef broth - plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 medium carrots - peeled and cut into thick slices
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms - halved
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme and rosemary
- Chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Season beef: Trim excess fat from the chuck roast. Season generously with 2 teaspoons Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Sear beef: Heat a few generous drizzles of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the chuck roast on both sides undisturbed until a beautiful golden brown crust forms. Remove from the pot. Don’t wipe the pot clean. Tip: Searing undisturbed gives you a better, deeper golden crust.
- Saute aromatics: Over medium heat, add a few more drizzles of oil and sauté the onions and celery until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Then, add the minced garlic and the minced thyme and rosemary. Sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Start the braising base: Next, add tomato paste and stir to coat. Add the 2 cups of red wine, bring to a simmer for just 1 or 2 minutes. The wine doesn't need to reduce.
- Add liquids and return beef: Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer. Then, return the seared beef nesting it under the liquid (It should cover about 3/4 of the way through. If not, top it off with more broth). Add the sprigs of thyme and rosemary around it, gently pressing to submerge.
- Braise: Cover and braise in the oven for 2.5 hours or until it's tender. Tip: Try not to open the oven or lid while it’s cooking, as this can let the heat escape, which interrupts the braising process.
- Add carrots and mushrooms: Next, uncover and add the carrots and mushrooms, partially pushing them down under the liquid. Cover and return to the oven for another 30-45 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and the meat is fall-apart tender.
- Serve: If needed skim off any excess fat from the surface. Shred the beef and serve with your favorite sides.
- Optional: If you'd like to thicken the braising liquid, remove the beef and vegetable from the pot, then stir in a cornstarch slurry (about 1 tablespoon or less dissolved with a little bit of water). Simmer over the stovetop for just 1-2 minutes until thickened.
Video
Notes
- A 6-quart Dutch oven with a lid fits a 3-pound chuck roast. If your chuck roast is larger, a 7-8 quart would be ideal.
- The key to a super flavorful beef is to let it sear undisturbed on each side until a beautiful golden brown crust forms. This process unlocks tons of flavor (brown bits) for the braising liquid.
- If you can’t find fresh herbs, you can use minced dried herbs (about 1/3 of the amount of fresh herbs).
- Red wine recommendations: Pinot Noir is always my go-to for braising. It’s rich but not overpowering.
- If you prefer not to use wine, substitute with more beef broth plus a splash of balsamic vinegar or extra Worcestershire to taste for similar acidity.
- Fresh herbs: Dried herbs, about 1/3 of the amount of fresh.
- Carrots: I use these whole small gourmet carrots, but you can use regular carrots cut into chunks.
- Cremini mushrooms: white mushrooms, portobellos, etc.
Jennifer says
LOVE THIS. Best meal I’ve made in a long time. Thank you!
If I wanted to do this with a 4.5 lb roast, how should I amend recipe? Would I also need to increase the cook time?
Tania says
Thank you Jennifer! For a 4.5-pound roast, you can cook it in the oven closer to 3 hours and then check for tenderness. If you want it more fall-apart tender, give it another 20-30 minutes.
Simone says
This recipe absolutely blew us away! So flavorful. We made it as written. It was quick to put together, then it just cooks for a few more hours. We had it with polenta which was a great pairing, highly recommended. The leftovers were even better after the flavors got to mingle for another couple days. We used a slightly bigger piece of beef and it made 7 servings for us.
We are definitely making this again! Would be great for entertaining. The guests would assume it’s the most elaborate recipe ever, but it really is so simple and quick to put together.
Thank you, Tania!
Susan says
Wow! This recipe is a definite keeper on the fall/winter rotation! So flavorful and the meat just fell apart.
We aren’t mushroom fans so I left them. Otherwise I made this exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing!
Wonderful Sunday Dinner!
Tici Shafer says
Beautiful So tender The Roast fell apart. Smells delicious and scrumptious with the red wine ! I followed your lovely recipe. I did brown the Roast with flour in my cast iron pan. Using the pan after to sauté my vegetables.
Tania says
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Paula says
Can a bottom round roast be used for this recipe?