VIRAL CHUCK ROAST
on Apr 07, 2023, Updated Oct 29, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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!
Pin this recipe for later!
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)
Get the Protein-Empowered digital cookbook!
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.
Winning recipe! I am Making this for a crowd. If I do 2 roasts, would the cooking time be the same as for one roast? thank you so much!
Hi, Monica! Yes still do the 1 hour cooking time per pound of meat and keep working in 30 minute increments if they need more cooking time. They may take a bit longer since the heat will be dispersed between the two roasts. Let me know if you try it!
I am usually not a roast girl, my husband is but I never made it because I didn’t like it. Ever since I’ve tried this recipe, I love roast. So tasty and flavorful.
So happy to hear that, Dani! Thank you!
This recipe is amazing! Do you think it would be possible to cook it in the air fryer?
Thank you!
Hi, Silvia! Yes if you have a toaster oven air fryer that can adjust the temperature, you definitely should be able to make this in there. I’d recommend the “bake” setting rather than “air fry” though. You could air fry to crisp up the meat as the last step, though you probably wouldn’t need a full 30 minutes.
This chick roast is amazing! I love all of your recipes. When I need inspo you are my go to!
I do have a question though, I made this tonight and sadly i did something wrong. I cooked it for 1 hour and it wouldn’t shred so I cooked it the additional 30 minutes as suggested. When I took it out it still wouldn’t shred. Any suggestions on why this may have not worked? It Definetly was fatty and was a 2.5 lb chuck roast.
Thank you so much! 🙂
Hi, Julia! It’s one hour of baking time per pound of meat, so it would be about a 2.5 hour bake time originally if you had a 2.5lb roast. Then you’d check it and if it’s still not shredding after that initial 2.5 hours, do another 30 minutes or so. Hope this helps!
Could you use this same recipe for a pork/Boston butt?
Definitely!
Simple and flavorful! Highly recommend.
Thank you, Zoe!
Love this recipe! Just curious, could I use a London broil and cook it the same way? Just happened to have that and I love the way the chuck roast turns out. Thank you!
Hi, Chrissy! A London broil is usually a leaner piece of meat, so this recipe may dry it out. But let me know if you try it!
This looks delicious! Have you ever tried searing it on all sides? Just wondering if it would make a difference or change the outcome. Excited to make this soon!
I haven’t! Just seems like an unnecessary step since we crisp it up at the end. If you try it, let me know how it is!
This is the first review I’ve left for practically anything. I may have one or two other times in my life. Your viral chuck roast came across my feed which is also my first time hearing about you. I just made this tonight. amazing!!!!! Love it! my husband was going to bed and I wanted him to try before and he sat over the stove with a fork and couldn’t stop eating it (he’s the cook in the house). This was so good, cannot wait to try your other recipes.
Question: I’m taking it to a family wedding where many of us are staying at an Airbnb. Should I just put back in a le creuset and bake at 425 or will that dry it out cooking a second time? Should I reheat at a lower temp? Just trying to get the same crispy texture in the fat like it does when it first comes out of the oven. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Bridget! I’m so happy you all loved this one. You can reheat in the Dutch Oven or just in a glass baking tray! As long as there’s still fat to render after cooking it once (sometimes it all cooks off the first time), I would let it come up to temp for 10-15 minutes at 350 or so, and then try crisping it again at 425 for another 15-20 minutes or until crispy, but not dried out. Let me know how it turns out!
My family said this was the best pot roast I’ve ever made. It’s so simple & it’s a winner!
Thank you so much, Kelly!