VIRAL CHUCK ROAST
on Apr 07, 2023, Updated Oct 29, 2025
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This Viral Chuck Roast is my most popular recipe to date! It’s one of the simplest meals you can whip up with literally only three ingredients.
This chuck roast recipe is incredibly versatile and is just as good for a weeknight when you’re looking for something low-maintenance, as it is for a gathering or even a holiday dinner!
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Pin ItIn the Wild West of social media algorithms, we can’t control what goes viral, but out of all of my recipes, I’m so glad this easy chuck roast recipe took the bait!
It’s literally only 3 ingredients: chuck roast, salt, and pepper.
So many of you have fallen in love with this meal and I’ve received hundreds of messages and photos of how you enjoy it with your family and friends!
It’s become a weekly staple for so many people!
If you’re intimidated by cooking a roast, give this one a try! The technique couldn’t be easier and it requires zero prep. Can’t wait to see what you make out of it!
Ingredients for This Viral Easy Chuck Roast Recipe
- 1 boneless beef chuck roast, about 4 pounds
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Make Tender Chuck Roast In The Oven
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Season the chuck roast generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Be generous here!
Add the roast to a Dutch Oven or baking dish with a lid. (Alternatively, you can use aluminum foil if you don’t have a baking dish with a lid).
Bake for 1 hour per pound of meat, so a 4 pound chuck roast will bake for around 4 hours.
When the roast is done, remove it from the oven and shred into large chunks using two forks. If the roast isn’t literally falling apart, put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes or so.
Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
Toss the shredded pieces in the rendered fat and place back in the oven, uncovered for about 25 minutes. This will crisp up the edges and make it truly irresistible. Serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions For Making the Easiest Chuck Roast Recipe
Now, as this is one of my most popular recipes you can imagine that I’m asked a lot of questions about it. Thankfully, cooking a chuck roast is really forgiving so there really isn’t much that can go wrong!
If you have a Dutch Oven (I love my Le Creuset Heritage Rectangular Casserole), definitely use that. If not, you can absolutely use a baking dish with a lid. Or, use a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Others have found success making this in a crockpot. Just cook it on high heat for 6 hours or on low heat for 8 hours. You won’t get the crispy bits like you do in the oven, but the flavor will still be amazing!
You don’t have to take the extra step to brown the meat. That said, if you want to sear it ahead of time you certainly can. Because a chuck roast is a nice fatty cut of meat, there’s no need to add any additional oil, broth, or water to the pan either. The meat will roast slowly in the oven and all those delicious juices will help keep the meat tender and moist.
A 4-pound roast will typically serve 6 to 7 people. I typically account for 1/2 pounds of meat per person. So even if you’re not hosting people, you’ll have plenty of leftovers throughout the week for easy lunches and dinners.
When picking a roast I like to look for a fatty cut with a lot of marbling. I don’t always have the best of luck with grass-fed roasts — most are just too lean and tough. The important thing is using a nice fatty roast or else it will never get to the point where it shreds easily. If you’re finding that it isn’t shredding as easily as you’d like, it’s likely a tougher cut of meat. Next time, just look for something that is more on the fattier side.
Try This Chuck Roast With:
- Viral Chuck Roast Tacos
- Honey Glazed Carrots
- Herb and Maple Roasted Cauliflower
- Crispy Baked Salt and Vinegar Potatoes
- Homemade Baked Beans (Refined Sugar-Free)
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VIRAL CHUCK ROAST
Ingredients
- 1 boneless beef chuck roast, about 4 pounds (see note 1)
- Salt and pepper, to generously season
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Season your roast generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Add to a baking dish, cover, and bake for 1 hour per pound of meat.
- Remove the roast from the oven and shred it into large chunks using two forks. If the roast is not pulling apart easily, put it back in the oven for 30 min.
- Raise the oven heat to 425° F.
- Toss the shredded pieces of roast around in the rendered fat and place it back in the oven, uncovered, for 25 minutes until you see some nice crispy caramelized ends.
- Serve and ENJOY!!
Notes
- Pick a nice fatty roast otherwise it won’t shred easily.
- While this recipe only requires salt and pepper, I make different versions depending on what else I’m serving. Taco seasoning, for example, is a great addition especially if you’re planning to make my Viral Chuck Roast Tacos. Season however you like — the important thing here is the cooking technique.
- I like to cook my roast in an enameled cast iron that has a fitted lid but you are welcome to use a glass baking dish and can cover with aluminum foil.
- I like to serve this with roasted potatoes and carrots. Just cube them up, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and roast at 425°F for 45 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this when I made it in the past! Quick question: I don’t have time to cook it all in one day. I was wondering if I could pause it after the bulk cooking, and then do the final cooking the next day. If so, any recommendations for shredding after the first or before the second cooking? Thanks!
Hi, Maya! I would shred it after the first bulk cooking and then make sure you save all of the juice for the 2nd cooking the next day. So just save all of the meat and the drippings, and then you can do the final cooking the next day and it should still turn out great! You might just need to cook it a little bit longer since the meat will be cold and will take a little bit longer to get up to temp.
For the crockpot method- do any liquids need to be added?
Nope! The roast should be fatty enough that it will produce some juice as it cooks. Let me know how it turns out!
Thank you! I did it in the crockpot yesterday with no liquids. Cooked on low for 9 hours and it turned out great. I just didn’t want to turn my oven on for 4 hours with summer heat. I will say, the flavor doesn’t develop as well in the crockpot as it does in the oven, but it’s good to know about this method for a back up.
Thank you, Nicki! Love that feedback. Agreed, the oven gives it that nice toasty flavor, but it’s definitely nice to have the crockpot method as backup for feeding a crowd or if oven space is limited (like during the holidays!)
I never liked chuck roast until I made it this way. Taking on a camping trip this weekend to feed the peoples.
Yay I’m so happy you love this one, Shannon! Hope the camping crew loves it too!
This recipe has been absolutely perfect each time I’ve done it! I have two 1.5 lb chuck roasts – do you think I could cook them together in the same pan and adjust the cook time to the 3 LB timing?
I would check them at the 90 minute to 2 hour mark to see how they’re doing. Since each one is 1.5 pounds, they might not each take 3 hours if they’re not overcrowding the pan. Let me know how it turns out!
i have made this viral pot roast so many times!! it is delicious!
we love the left overs for tacos or nachos. it also freezes beautifully!!!
Thank you so much, Connie! I’m so glad you love this one.
I’ve made this 2 times now & both perfect
Full proof, no thinking required to get a nutrient dense dinner on the table! Thank you
Thank you, Erin! Glad this one was a hit!
so good!! i’ve made this recipe several times its so easy and always a hit
Thank you so much, Shaina!
A+++++++ simple yet so delicious! Good job. Made this many times now.
Thank you so much, Stu! I’m so glad you love it.
Best Chuck Roast Ever And so easy!
So glad you loved it, Kathy! Thank you!
This literally turned out perfect. I can’t even believe it’s that easy. I made it twice in one week to see if it was a fluke, but no. Perfect both times! Thank you so much for sharing
I’m so happy to hear that, Bri! It’s a keeper! 🙂