Shredded Beef Chuck Roast

When it comes to chuck roast recipes, this one could hardly be any easier. The quick prep work only takes as long as peeling a head of garlic and slicing a beef chuck roast into three pieces for efficient, even cooking. This will become your go-to pulled beef recipe thanks to its simple preparation and its silky, tender, juicy results.

Think of the seasonings list—garlic, dried herbs, and beef broth—as just a jumping-off point. Use this shredded beef chuck roast recipe as a framework and then adapt the herbs, spices, aromatics, and liquids based on what kind of cuisine you’re in the mood for—Texas barbecue? Mexican? Argentinean? Korean?—and how you want to serve the shredded beef. It's great for sandwiches, chili, tacos, nachos, empanadas, and rice bowls...the possibilities are mouthwatering!

What Is Beef Chuck Roast?

Chuck is one of the eight primal cuts of beef. It comes from the shoulder area of the cow, a section of hard-working muscles that are tough, but also rich in collagen, marbled with fat, and full of flavor. The butcher will break down a chuck primal into several different cuts of roasts and steaks, most of which have “chuck” in the name.

The traditional chuck roast is cut from the center portion of the shoulder, and can also be called chuck eye roast, chuck pot roast, chuck roll roast, or pot roast. There are also roasts cut from other parts of the chuck primal that will work equally well in any recipe that calls for chuck roast. These include chuck arm roast, chuck neck roast, blade chuck roast (aka chuck flap, chuck flat, chuck edge), and 7-bone chuck roast (because it contains a cross section of the blade bone, which is shaped like the numeral 7—not because it has seven different bones). Some of these chuck cuts contain bones, so take that into consideration when calculating the number of servings you need.

Slow Cooker Versus Oven Cooking

Chuck roast needs to cook "low and slow"—that is, at low heat, for a long time, in a covered environment that keeps in moisture. The slow cooker and the oven are both good for creating the ideal cooking conditions for a tender, shredded chuck roast, and this recipe provides instructions for both methods. Which one you use depends entirely on your preferences.

The slow cooker won't heat up the kitchen as much as the oven, and it can be safely left unattended for several hours. On the other hand, the oven method cooks the roast slightly faster, gives you more control over the cooking temperature, and is more versatile, as it can be used anywhere you have a steady source of heat, with no need for a special appliance or a nearby electrical outlet.

How Long to Cook Chuck Roast

You'll know the chuck roast is done when you can poke a fork into it with no resistance and easily pull or twist off a tender section of meat.

A meat thermometer is not as important for determining doneness here as it is with most other recipes. The low heat, the covered pan, and the roast's generous amounts of fat and collagen all protect the meat from overcooking, and you'll automatically know the roast needs to cook longer if it's not tender yet.