Description
Rich, comforting braised beef roast slow-cooked until fork-tender and finished with a cranberry balsamic glaze, perfect for cozy dinners and holiday meals.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 carrots, peeled and halved (optional)
Instructions
- Pat the beef roast dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the beef on all sides until browned.
- Remove the roast and sauté the chopped onion until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pot with balsamic vinegar, scraping up browned bits.
- Stir in beef broth and brown sugar, then return the roast to the pot.
- Add cranberries, thyme, and optional carrots around the roast.
- Cover and transfer to a preheated 325°F oven and cook for 3 to 3.5 hours.
- Remove the roast and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Skim excess fat from the sauce and simmer to thicken if needed.
- Slice or shred the beef and serve with the glaze spooned over the top.
Notes
- For a thicker glaze, simmer the sauce on the stove after cooking or add a cornstarch slurry.
- This dish tastes even better the next day and works well for meal prep.
- Frozen cranberries can be used in place of fresh.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 110mg