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.

Why you must try this recipe

Sometimes cooking is like gambling with a slot machine. You keep trying different varieties to see what works best. I have been fine tuning my pot roast recipe for over 10 years. Yeah, you read that right.

And then recently, jackpot! I hit the winning flavor combination. 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 just like this recipe, that recipe is filled with fresh herbs. That seriously is a game changer.

And wine. Don’t forget to braise your check roast with a good dry wine.

My family has been begrudgingly eating my various pot roast creations over the years. But when I served this recipe, everyone was fighting over every single bite. It really was ridiculously good.

The time I made it, I stashed the leftovers in the fridge and enjoyed for several days. The sauce was crazy delicious, whether you enjoy it with potatoes or the herb dumplings in the recipe.

And yes, the herb dumplings- so freaking good.

But hey, if you don’t want to make the herb dumplings and prefer a more traditional starch for this pot roast, you can make this with potatoes, carrots and celery instead. Or serve with your favorite mashed potatoes.

So many delicious options! I’m hungry for more!

Ingredients you need

• 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.
• 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. Season chuck roast all over with salt and pepper. Sear each side of chuck roast in a hot Dutch oven with oil.

2. 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.

3. Add the mushrooms and place around the roast. Cover and braise in a 325ºF oven for 4 hours or until fall apart tender.

4. 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 remaining ingredients and stir until a wet dough is formed. Do not over mix.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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.

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

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