Spiced Beef Pot Roast
This spiced beef pot roast with root vegetables is juicy and tender every time. Allspice and cinnamon sticks bring a delicious aroma, and the wine vinegar makes a perfect fork-tender, melt-in-your-mouth pot roast. It is classic comfort food at its best and is perfect for a Sunday dinner.
Everyone loves a good pot roast for dinner. And this spiced beef pot roast recipe deserves the crown for its taste and aroma.
Braised with root vegetables like onion, carrot, and turnip, the long hours of slow cooking makes both the beef and the vegetables immaculately tender and juicy, and the flavor is out of the world.
The recipe itself is very simple but it requires a few hours for braising, so plan ahead. But I promise that it will pay off big-time when you get that tender beef that literally falls apart and is so moist and juicy.
Your kitchen will smell amazing while cooking!
What spices to use
The star of the show is the combination of allspice, cinnamon sticks, and vinegar that is added to infuse the flavor and aroma.
- Allspice is a wonderful spice combination for beef. You will find it in old European cuisines or Middle Eastern cuisines that use allspice in their roast or other meat dishes. It brings a warmth to the flavor without overpowering it—very subtle but so aromatic!
- Cinnamon gives a sweet warmth and pairs well with fatty pieces of meat. It accentuates the beef flavor complements all the elements of this dish.
- Vinegar is commonly used in many braising dishes in various western cuisines. It breaks down the proteins so that your meat will come out tender and juicy every time. It adds a slight tang in a way that is so tasty and lovely without being sour. I recommend using a good quality wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar for this recipe.
Why braising pot roast?
This beef pot roast recipe uses a very little amount of liquid in a pot. The slow, low temperature cooking turns a tough cut of beef into something so tender and juicy that it literally falls apart.
It’s the low and steady heat during the braising in the pot that breaks down the muscle fibers in the meat (collagen), and allows it to become tender.
Slow cooking also allows for all the spices to be absorbed into the roast, creating an incredible flavor that you can not get by any other method.
Staub Cast Iron 3.5-qt Braiser with Glass Lid
3.5-quart cast iron braiser for one pot meals, slow cooked braises, and more. Smooth enamel bottom works on all stovetops, including induction
Best beef cut for pot roast
The best cuts of beef for roasting or braising are tough cuts with lots of connective tissues.
- Chuck roast: Most common cut of beef for roasting. Budget friendly. Chuck roast comes from the forequarter—the front of the cow. It can come from the neck, shoulder blade, and upper arm areas. It’s tender and has a good flavor from the higher fat content.
- Beef brisket: It comes from the breast and lower chest area of cow. Brisket tends to be tougher and needs to be cooked longer before it will become tender. It has more fat than chuck, and yields a deep beefy flavor.
- Round roast: It is cut from the rear leg and is more lean than chuck roast, which means less fat. It is great for slicing, but it lacks the big, beefy flavor of the other two cuts. Beef round roasts suitable for pot roasting are round tip, round rump, bottom round and eye round roasts.
Searing before braising
Searing isn’t always absolutely necessary before braising, but it is worth the effort for the most flavorful result. Without searing, meat can be somewhat boring and less flavorful.
When you sear meat, you caramelize the natural sugars in the meat in a way that forms a brown crust on the surface. It helps retain moisture and amplifies the intense, savory flavor.
Tips for good searing the meat:
- Let the roast come to room temperature before you start. This allows the meat to relax and the natural juices reabsorb back into the muscle.
- Pat dry the roast with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Season all sides of the meat with salt, pepper, and other spices that your recipe calls for.
- Make sure the skillet is hot enough to caramelize and sear the surface properly. Sear all sides if possible to lock in the juice.
Spiced beef pot roast recipe ingredients
- beef chuck: about 3 lb size. Room temperature
- butter + oil: to sear the meat
- garlic cloves: smashed
- Seasoning: salt, pepper, & paprika
- allspice berries: aromatics
- cinnamon sticks: aromatics
- vinegar: I recommend wine vinegar for the flavor. Or use apple cider vinegar
- beef broth: provides extra seasoning and flavor
- root vegetables: onion, carrot, & turnip. Great addition to braised meat. Make sure to cut into big chunks.
How to make Spiced beef pot roast
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 275˚F.
Step 2. Season beef chuck with salt liberally, and sprinkle with pepper, and paprika. Heat butter and oil in a braising pan and brown the beef until the surface is caramelized. Sear all sides, not just the top and bottom. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
Step 3. Add onion to the pan and sauté until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Add more oil if needed.
Step 4. Return beef to the pan and place on top of onion. Arrange carrot and turnip pieces around the beef. Add garlic, allspice, and cinnamon stick. Drizzle vinegar and beef broth around the beef and vegetables.
Step 5. Cover with a lid and place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Step 6. Remove the pot roast from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick and pick out the allspice berries (if you can). Skim fat if you desire. The sauce or “au jus” in the pan won’t be thick, but it will be full of flavor.
To serve pot roast
Beef will be very tender and easy to pull apart. Slice the beef with a knife or pull apart into chunks with a fork. Arrange the beef and root vegetables on a serving platter and spoon the gravy over the top. Serve the pot roast over mashed potato, couscous, or buttered noodles.
For more dinner recipes
Here are some dinner recipes ideas for family pleasing comforting meals.
- Baked Pasta with Ricotta and Roasted Vegetables
- Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Onion Gravy
- Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce
- Roasted Chicken with Fennel, Pepper, and Onion
- Thick Homemade Spaghetti Sauce (A Big Batch Recipe)
Spiced Beef Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef chuck, at room temperature
- Korean coarse sea salt, to season
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 6 allspice berries
- 1 small cinnamon stick, about 2-inch
- 3/4 lb carrot, peeled and sliced into big chunks (2-inch)
- 3/4 lb turnip, peeled and sliced into big chunks
- 4 tbsp wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp beef broth
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275˚F. Season beef chuck with salt liberally, and sprinkle with pepper, and paprika.
- Heat butter and oil in a braising pan and brown the beef until the surface is caramelized. Sear all sides, not just the top and bottom. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
- Add onion to the pan and sauté until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Add more oil if needed. Return beef to the pan and place on top of onion. Arrange carrot and turnip pieces around the beef. Add garlic, allspice, and cinnamon stick.
- Drizzle vinegar and beef broth around the beef and vegetables. Cover with a lid and place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Remove the pot roast from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Discard cinnamon stick and pick out the allspice berries (if you can). Skim fat if you desire. The sauce or "au jus" in the pan won't be thick, but it will be full of flavor.
- Beef will be very tender and easy to pull apart. Slice the beef with a knife or pull apart into chunks with a fork. Arrange the beef and root vegetables on a serving platter and spoon the gravy over the top. Serve the pot roast over mashed potato, couscous, or buttered noodles.
