Slow Brasied Arm Roast Recipe

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This Arm Roast Recipe is slow braised in the oven with red wine, beef stock, garlic and herbs. You’ll have a mouth watering, fall-apart tender roast meat after about 3 1/2 hours. Throw in some potatoes and carrots the last hour for a complete meal. If you’re looking for a great slow cooker version, try my Pot Roast Crock Pot Recipe.

Arm Roast in a large pot with potatoes and veggies

Wait, What is Arm Roast?

Arm roast is a cut of beef that comes from the shoulder area of the cow. Sometimes labeled as a chuck roast, shoulder roast or arm chuck roast, this cut of meat is so flavorful and fairly inexpensive. It may have shoulder or rib bones in it, or you can sometimes find boneless arm beef roasts. It’s kind of hit and miss at my local grocery store, but if you can find the bone-in that I would recommend grabbing that one as it will yield much more flavor and you’ll get the nutritional benefits as well. I order beef from a local farmer and always make sure I have a few arm roasts included in my cuts. It has a rich beef flavor and is tender when cooked low and slow, making it a great option for pot roasts and slow cooking methods like braising or roasting. It also is awesome for shredding so it can be used in sandwiches, enchiladas or casseroles.

Arm Roast Recipe Ingredients

Here are the main ingredients you’ll need to cook this arm beef roast:

arm roast– Mine was a bone-in 3lb roast before trimmed of fat.

salt and black pepper– for seasoning.

olive oil + butter– for searing the roast.

garlic cloves– peeled and smashed.

red wine– dry red (like cabernet).

beef stock– used as a flavorful cooking liquid.

sprigs of fresh rosemary– if you have it, if not dried rosemary is fine too.

sprigs fresh thyme– again if you have it. If not, some dried thyme is fine.

bay leaves– be sure to remove when roast is done cooking.

How to Cook an Arm Roast

This is one of my family’s favorite one-pot meals in the colder months! It’s the best comfort meal. For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card down below. Here are step by step directions to show you what to expect when making this recipe:

Preheat Oven + a Large Dutch Oven

Preheat oven to 300° F. Preheat a large dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot on medium-high heat on the stovetop.

Sear the Roast

Liberally season roast with salt and pepper. Add olive oil and butter to pot. Then add the arm roast, searing on both sides (about 4 minutes each side). Remove.

Add Garlic + Red Wine

Turn heat down to a low heat and add smashed garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn.

Turn heat OFF and add red wine, scraping all the delicious browned bits from bottom of pot with a wooden spoon. Turn heat back on to a medium-high heat and let wine reduce for 1-2 minutes.

Add roast back into the pot along with enough beef stock to cover, sachet of herbs and bay leaves.

minced garlic added to bottom of a hot dutch oven

Bake in the Oven

Place lid on pot and bake in the oven for 3-3 1/2 hours or until meat is fall-apart tender. Cook times may vary slightly depending on your oven.

pouring in beef broth to roast in dutch oven pot

herb sachet added to the roast in the pot

Pro Tip: If you are adding potatoes, carrots and/or onions to your roast, place large pieces of your vegetables in the pot about 1 hour before roast is done.

Side Dishes to Serve with Pot Roast

Oh, the possibilities are endless! Here are my favorite sides to serve:

Storing Leftover Pot Roast

Allow any leftover roast to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container with the juices, in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Reheating: The best way to reheat and maintain the moisture and tenderness of the roast is to place in a baking dish with the remaining juices and bake at 325°F until just heated through. Don’t let it go too long or it’ll become dry and tough as an old shoe. You could also warm through on the stove-top if it’s still in its original pot.

To Freeze: Store in an airtight container or freezer safe, airtight bag or container with some of the roast juices (to keep it moist). Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

fall off the bone tender roast in its juices

Arm Roast Recipe FAQ

How do I know when my arm roast is done?

Chuck arm roast should be cooked until it is very tender. Using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature reading of 203 degrees Fahrenheit is a good target. But the best test is when the meat is fork tender. You’ll easily be able to slide a fork into the meat and not feel much resistance.

What do I do if my roast is tough?

Odds are if you have a tough roast it’s because you haven’t cooked it long enough. As the meat cooks, it gets tougher and tougher until it reaches its breaking point and lots of tough connective tissue and fat starts relaxing and melting away.

So if you think your meat is done but it’s still tough, give it a little more cook time. The longer you cook it, the more tender it should become. Keep at it!

How do you thicken the juices from the roast to make gravy?

Use can whisk 1 TBSP of cornstarch for every 1 cup of liquid to make a nice gravy for your roast. You can also just spoon some of the juices over your meat if you don’t want to thicken it.

More Meat and Potato Recipes to Try!

I hope you enjoy this tasty arm pot roast recipe! It’s the perfect meal for Sunday dinner. The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends!

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

Arm Roast Recipe

Wait, What is Arm Roast?

Arm Roast Recipe Ingredients