This Christmas Beef Chuck Roast Recipe is juicy, tender, and packed with great flavor thanks to the rub and brown gravy made with the pan drippings. It serves 8 people and costs $26.35.
Life is so busy, right? Especially this time of year. We are entering the busiest time of the year. With all the school parties, work parties, neighbor gifts, teacher gifts, family parties, etc. The list goes on and on.
When do we get time to actually enjoy the season? What can we do to help make things a little easier? With dinner of course! This pot roast recipe is the perfect solution.
Beef Roast
You cook the pot roast in the oven and it comes out so juicy and tender. Let the roast cook for a few hours and that’s it! A few hours to an amazing meal on your table. To top it off you make the gravy from the drippings from the roast.
Oh my goodness you guys, it is literally the perfect flavor! Not only does it taste amazing, but it is also so simple to make and another bonus, it will not break the bank.
So put a beef chuck roast on your grocery list this holiday season. This roast recipe will give you the extra time you need to focus on the things that really matter.
It is definitely the perfect meal for Christmas dinner. But a meal that gives me extra time when I am busy? This roast recipe is one I will serve throughout the year! What will you do with your extra time?
Christmas Beef Chuck Roast Recipe Questions Answered:
What is the best roast?
The tougher meats make for the best roasts because they get very tender the longer amount of time they cook. There are three main cuts that will make the best roast. The three cuts are chuck, brisket, and round.
What is the most tender cut of roast?
The most tender cut of the roast is the cuts with the most fat marbling. This type of meat typically comes from the least-exercised parts of the cow. The roasts that are tender and moist are usually the least healthy and the most expensive. That’s a negative in our book!
How to get the kids involved with this recipe:
- Ages 2-3: Let them help you pat dry the roast and rub the dry rub on all sides of the roast.
- Ages 4-5: Let them help measure and stir together the dry rub ingredients.
- Ages 6-8: Let them help whisk the gravy until it has thickened.
- Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
- Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Discover why we love getting the kids involved in the kitchen and more tips in our How to Get Kids Involved In Cooking article.
The flavor and Recipe Variations:
- Instead of a beef chuck roast, you can use a more expensive cut of meat like a prime beef eye round roast.
What to Serve with Christmas Roast:
- Cranberry Party Punch
- 1 Hour French Bread
- Jenna’s Naughty Mashed Potatoes (these are shown in some of the pictures)
- Green Beans Almondine
- Orange Cranberry Sauce
How long is this good for:
- Serve: You can keep the meat at room temperature for no longer than 2 hours before it will need to be refrigerated.
- Store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: I like to freeze leftover pieces of meat with a little bit of the brown gravy. That way the meat is less likely to dry out in the freezer. You can freeze the meat for up to 3 months.
This time of the year, there are usually really great deals on beef roasts. Keep an eye out for these deals and the recipe cost below will be substantially less!
How much will this Christmas Roast cost:
RECIPE COST: $26.35
PER SERVING COST: $3.30
To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
- 5 pounds Beef Chuck Roast – $24.85
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil – $0.03
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil – $0.13
- 2 teaspoons salt – $0.02
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar – $0.03
- 1 Tablespoon paprika – $0.10
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper – $0.04
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary – $0.08
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder – $0.03
- 1/4 cup beef drippings from the roasting pan – $0
- 2 cups beef broth – $0.96
- 1/4 cup flour – $0.05
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce – $0.02
- salt and pepper to taste – $0.01
More +$15 Recipes:
- BBQ Chicken Salad
- Copycat Instant Pot Honey Baked Ham
- Easy Oven Baked Salmon
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Machaca Burritos
- Taco Pizza
Cook’s Tools:
How to Make Christmas Roast Recipe:
Christmas Beef Chuck Roast
Recipe Cost $26.35 Recipe Serving Cost $3.30Equipment
- Prep bowl
- Roasting pan
- Large cast-iron skillet
- tongs
- instant-read thermometer
- medium saucepan
- whisk
Ingredients
ROAST:
- 5 pounds Beef Chuck Roast
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
RUB:
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
BROWN GRAVY:
- 1/4 cup beef drippings from the roasting pan
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
PREP THE ROAST:
- Use paper towels to pat the defrosted roast dry.
MAKE RUB & RUB ROAST:
- Whisk together all of the rub ingredients in a small prep bowl.
- Rub the roast all over with the rub, and then let the roast sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
PREPARE OVEN & PAN:
- Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- Prepare a roasting pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray.
SEAR ROAST:
- Once the roast has sat at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, place 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet and preheat over medium-high temperature until the oil begins to simmer. Add the roast to the pan and use tongs to sear the roast on all sides for 2 minutes each side.
ROAST IN OVEN:
- Place the roast on the prepared roasting pan and put it in the preheated 500 degrees F oven. Turn the oven off completely and let it cook for about 2-2 ½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
- Loosely cover the top and sides of the roast with aluminum foil while you make the brown gravy.
MAKE BROWN GRAVY:
- Add the beef dripping to a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and continue to stir for 3 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the beef broth while you continue to whisk. Keep whisking until the gravy has thickened a little, about 1-2 minutes. Then, turn off the heat and season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper (the gravy will thicken as it cools). Transfer the gravy to a gravy boat
SLICE AND SERVE:
- Slice the roast and serve the brown gravy.
Nutrition
This Christmas Beef Chuck Roast Recipe is juicy, tender, and packed with great flavor thanks to the rub and brown gravy made with the pan drippings.
Denay DeGuzman
I just made this beef chuck roast recipe and it is delicious! So juicy, tender and flavorful. This recipe’s a keeper!
Jess Jankowski
That’s awesome! Thank you for the feedback.
Kelly Anthony
I have never seen a more beautiful Chuck Roast! Perfectly tender and such a budget-friendly cut at such an expensive time of year! Perfect for the holidays 🙂
Jess Jankowski
It is so perfect for the holidays! Enjoy!
Veena Azmanov
This looks so flavorful, moist and juicy. Your recipe looks awesome. Best as you say with the Christmas platter.
Jess Jankowski
Thank you for your kind words!
Mel
I absolutely love the fact you’re suggesting things for children to do depending on their age within the post. That’s a brilliant way to make sure kids get involved in the kitchen! Sounds like a brilliant roast!
Jess Jankowski
Thank you so much! We love having our kids help and believe it makes a big difference when they help with the cooking.
Genevieve
We love making a roast for Christmas and your recipe breaks it down perfectly!
Jess Jankowski
It really is perfect for Christmas day! Enjoy!
Monique
I absolutely love that you share tips on getting children involved in the kitchen. I was cooking meals for my family, by myself, by the age of 9. I was so grateful my parents trusted me in that kitchen because I had so much fun cooking & surprising them by having dinner done!
Jess Jankowski
That is amazing! We are hoping to raise our kids to be like you!
Laura | Wandercooks
This is perfect for my Christmas dinner! So excited to impress the fam with this one!
Jess Jankowski
Awesome! Let us know how it goes!!
Anthony S
Awesome and easy to make!
Jess Jankowski
Thank you so much for your review! We sure do appreciate it!
Janel
How would you adjust the cooking time for a 1 lb chuck roast instead of 5 lbs?
Jess Jankowski
Hello. A good rule of thumb to follow is to roast for about 15-17 minutes per pound. The roasting time will vary depending on how well done you would like the roast to be so I would check it often.
Madison
How long should this cook if you only have a 3lb roast?
Jess Jankowski
Hello. A good rule of thumb to follow is to roast for about 15-17 minutes per pound. The roasting time will vary depending on how well done you would like the roast to be so I would check it often.
hana
The roast looks great, but I did not understand, heat the oven to high temp. and turn it off immediately when inserting the beef? Bake in the oven off ?? The matter of baking is not clear
Jess Jankowski
Hello. I know the baking directions sound a little crazy. But yes that is the process! Preheat the oven to the high heat and then when you put the roast in turn off the oven and it will back in the oven at the high heat it has been preheated too. Turning it off helps to not overcook the roast. Let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Lynn Arnold
Any way I can cook the roast the day before?
Jess Jankowski
Hi Lynn, we have not tried cooking the roast the day before yet but you can try it! Let it cool completely before covering and placing it in an airtight container in the fridge. Save the cooking liquid and store it in the fridge as well. The next day, remove the fat from the cooking liquid and then place the liquid in a pan with the roast (after you slice it) to warm it. Please let us know how it goes!
omer
hi!
another question regerding the off oven….
usually in my oven i think it will get to normal after 20-30 minutes becuase it has a fan that works and make it to cool faster (probably as most ovens). and you are saying 2-2.5 hours….
so how will that work? :). i do understand that if i start at 500 it will take some time to get to 150 but not that long.
i will try to do a small cut of 2.5 pounds.
best!
Jess Jankowski
Hi Omer. We have made the roast in several different ovens with this process and have not had any issues with the oven cooling off too quickly. All ovens do work a little different though so if yours cools faster you might try leaving the oven on for about 20 minutes while the roast is in the oven before turning the oven off. Please note we have not tested this method and would love to hear your feedback if you do try it that way.
Harriet
Super easy and delicious!
Jess Jankowski
Thank you, Harriet! So happy you found it to be easy and delicious!