Braised Chuck Roast with Herb Dumplings

Fork tender meat  with moist and delicious herb dumplings make this braised chuck roast with herb dumplings a terrific choice for dinner for any night of the week.

Pot roast is one of those American quintessential comfort foods. They come in so many different ways with so many different flavor profiles. And I swear I have tried most of them.

Now I know pot roast gets a bad rap, kinda like meatloaf. And yes, a bad pot roast is not appetizing or a fun to eat. But when you eat a delicious pot roast? Trust me you will be fighting over those leftovers.

This braised chuck roast recipe reminds me a lot of my pulled pork ragu. For that recipe I cheat and use leftover pulled pork, but the inspiration recipe uses a pork shoulder that is slowly braised for hours until it falls apart. And it is made with a healthy amount of fresh herbs!

Ingredients you need

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Pot Roast Ingredients

• Chuck roast: This is an inexpensive (relatively speaking) cut of meat because it is tough. Braising is the best way to break chuck roast down. You want the marbles of fat, but not huge chunks of it. I cook it whole, but you can speed up the cooking process by cutting it into huge chunks or smaller 1-inch pieces.
• Dry red wine: Use whatever wine you like to drink. I suggest a dry Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Garlic: I am a sucker for fresh garlic. And I like to use a lot of it in this recipe. You can cut it back if you are not a garlic fan and you can use garlic powder if you need to.
• Fresh herbs: This is where the pot roast shines, using fresh herbs. I use fresh rosemary, oregano and thyme, as well as bay leaves. Feel free to use your fresh favorite herb combination. If you absolutely can’t do fresh herbs, you can substitute with dried herbs. Remember 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs equals 1 teaspoon of dried.
• Mushrooms: You can use white or cremini mushrooms, or a combination of both. We love mushrooms so I like to use a lot of them.
• Onion: You can use a white or yellow onion.
• Pantry staples: Worcestershire sauce, cornstarch, beef broth, kosher salt and black pepper.

Dumpling Ingredients

• Milk: You can use full fat or low fat milk. If you are using fat free milk, you might want to add another ½-1 tablespoon of butter. You can also use half and half.
• Butter: I used unsalted butter since I was adding salt. If you use salted butter, you might need a little less salt for the dumplings.
• Pantry staples: All purpose flour, baking powder and kosher salt.
• Fresh herbs: I not only add fresh herbs to the pot roast, but also in the dumplings. I use rosemary, thyme and chives. Feel free to use your fresh favorite herb combination.

Step-by-step directions

1. Sear the roast. Season chuck roast all over with salt and pepper. Sear each side of chuck roast in a hot Dutch oven with oil.
2. Deglaze pot. Remove roast from pot and add onions. Quickly sauté for a minute or two then deglaze the pot with broth and wine, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan.
3. Add seasonings. Stir in the Worcestershire, garlic, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves and return roast to the pot.
4. Braise. Add the mushrooms and place around the roast. Cover and braise in a 325ºF oven for 4 hours or until fall apart tender.

5. Start the dumplings. Approximately 20 minutes prior to serving, prepare the dumplings. In a medium-sized bowl combine milk and butter then heat in the microwave on high for 45-60 seconds until butter melts.
6. Finish the dough. Add remaining ingredients and stir until a wet dough is formed. Do not over mix.

7. Add dumplings to pot roast. Using two spoons, drop golf-ball sized balls of dough into the Dutch oven with the pot roast. If pot roast has been turned off, make sure it is reheated and hot before adding the dough to the pot roast.
8. Simmer. Push dough balls into the liquid to coat. Repeat with remaining dough. You should have approximately 8 dumplings. Cover pot and cook over low heat, covered until dumplings double in size, approximately 15-20 minutes.
9. Reduce the sauce. Transfer the roast, dumplings and vegetables to a serving dish but leave liquid in the pot. Discard the bay leaves. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
10. Thicken the sauce. In a small bowl combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the hot broth. Pour into the pot and simmer until thicken. Pour over the roast and serve.

Expert tips and recipe FAQs

If you do not want to make the herb dumplings (you’re missing out), you can make this pot roast with potatoes, carrots and celery. My family loves potatoes so add 2-3 lbs of baby yellow potatoes during the last 2 hours of cooking. You can also add carrots chunks (6 ounces) and celery pieces (4 ounces), as well.

You can also serve this with mashed potatoes – another family favorite! And yes, we keep the dumplings too!

If you want your chuck roast to cook faster, cut into larger chunks first instead of leaving it whole. Also try my Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon, which uses a chuck roast cut into 2-inch cubes.

I also have a Dutch Oven Pot Roast with kalamata olives and sun dried tomatoes that is incredible. It can be made at home or over hot coals while camping.

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Braised Chuck Roast with Herb Dumplings with Herb Dumplings

Laura Bashar | Family Spice

Fork tender meat  with moist and delicious herb dumplings make this braised chuck roast with herb dumplings a terrific choice for dinner for any night of the week.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 1576 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Pot Roast Ingredients

• 3 -3 ½ lb chuck roast
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 8 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
• 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound baby bella mushrooms sliced or halved
• 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch

Dumpling Ingredients

• ½ cup milk
• 2 Tablespoon butter
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoon chopped chives
• 2 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
• 2 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary

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Instructions

 

• Season chuck roast all over with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Sear each side of chuck roast for about 2 minutes or until deep brown.
• Remove roast from pot and add onions. Quickly sauté for a minute or two then deglaze the pot with broth and wine, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan.
• Stir in the Worcestershire, garlic, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves and return roast to the pot.
• Add the mushrooms and place around the roast. Cover and braise over low heat for 4 hours or until fall apart tender.
• Approximately 20 minutes prior to serving, prepare the dumplings.
• In a medium-sized bowl combine milk and butter then heat in the microwave on high for 45-60 seconds until butter melts.
• Add 1 cup flour, baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, chives, thyme and rosemary in with the milk mixture and stir together. Mix until ingredients are all combined and a wet dough is formed. Do not over mix.
• Using two spoons, drop golf-ball sized balls of dough into the Dutch oven with the pot roast. If pot roast has been turned off, make sure it is reheated and hot before adding the dough to the pot roast.
• Push dough balls into the liquid to coat. Repeat with remaining dough. You should have approximately 8 dumplings.
• Cover pot and cook over low heat, covered until dumplings double in size, approximately 15-20 minutes.
• Transfer the roast, dumplings and vegetables to a serving dish but leave liquid in the pot. Discard the bay leaves. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
• In a small bowl combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the hot broth. Pour into the pot and simmer until thicken. Pour over the roast and serve.

Notes

Cooking Tips: You can also prepare the pot roast in a slow cooker. Just follow steps 1-6, then add everything to slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours, or until fork tender. Add the dumplings 20 minutes prior to serving.

If you do not want to make the herb dumplings (you’re missing out), you can make this pot roast with potatoes, carrots and celery. My family loves potatoes so add 2-3 lbs of baby yellow potatoes during the last 2 hours of cooking. You can also add carrots chunks (6 ounces) and celery pieces (4 ounces), as well.

TO STORE: Store any leftover chuck roast in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 1576kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 152gFat: 95gSaturated Fat: 40gPolyunsaturated Fat: 48gTrans Fat: 5gCholesterol: 503mgSodium: 1475mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4g

Keyword braised chuck roast, herb dumplings

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