• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Art From My Table
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Meet Chellie
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Shop
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Meet Chellie
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
    • Shop
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Braised Beef with Cranberries

    Published: Dec 2, 2019 · Modified: Apr 27, 2021 by Chellie Schmitz

    Pin
    Share
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    This juicy braised beef recipe is so tender and flavorful! The gravy is infused with red wine, molasses, cranberries, and onions. It's perfect for cold nights or holiday entertaining. The best news, it's super easy to do! #artfrommytable #beef #braisedbeef #christmas #cranberries #easydinneridea #onepotdinner via @artfrommytable

    This juicy braised beef recipe is so tender and flavorful! The gravy is infused with red wine, molasses, cranberries, and onions. It's perfect for cold nights or holiday entertaining. The best news, it's super easy to do!

    braised beef brisket in a dutch oven

    Fresh cranberries are in season this time of year. I love to stock up on these tart little berries and use them in all kinds of seasonal dishes, like my Squash Bake, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, and Eggnog French Toast.

    In this braised beef recipe, the cranberries are not only pretty and festive, but the combination with the savory beef is magical.

    What does it mean to braise beef?

    Before we get into the how-to, you might be wondering what exactly is braising meat.

    Braising is a cooking method that combines both wet and dry heat. First the food is sauteed or seared at a high temperature, then it is finished in a covered pot at a lower temperature with some liquid.

    How to make Braised Beef with Cranberries

    This method is ideal for tenderizing less tender and typically less expensive cuts of meat. I've made it with both beef brisket and beef chuck roast and they both turn out fabulous. The pictures in this post reflect chuck roast.

    ingredients for braised beef, chuck roast, cranberries, onions, wine, broth

    Key ingredients

    1. Beef Brisket or Chuck Roast
    2. Flour- this is what gives the juice or gravy it's thickness
    3. Red Wine- I recommend a dry red wine such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. This adds fullness and flavor
    4. Pearl Onions
    5. Cranberries

    Step One: Sear the meat

    • Season the beef with salt and pepper. Be generous on the salt.
    • Heat a small amount of oil over high heat in a 5-quart dutch oven or heavy pot. 
    • Add the meat and cook until browned, rotating once, about 8-10 minutes.
    • Remove the beef from the pot onto a plate. 
    chuck roast being seared in a dutch oven

    Step Two: Make the Gravy

    • Add the flour and stir for about 30 seconds.
    • Add broth, wine, water, molasses, half the cranberries, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Return beef to the pot, and cover.
    dutch oven full of braised beef roast, cranberries, bay leaf

    Step Three: Bake

    • Transfer to a preheated 350° oven and bake for 3 hours.
    • After 3 hours, remove the pot and stir in onions. Cover it again and return it to the oven. Cook another 30 minutes.
    • Remove the pot from the oven and stir in the remaining cranberries. This time leave the braised beef uncovered, and return it to the oven 30 minutes more.
    • Remove the bay leaf before serving.
    • dutch oven full of beef roast topped with pearl onions
    • braised beef topped with cranberries in a dutch oven
    • tender chunk of braised beef on a fork over a dutch oven

    And there you have it! It's very little hands-on time that results in a super impressive dish.

    You can slice it up and serve it with the gravy on top, or just grab it straight out of the pan. It will be fork tender and melt in your mouth.

    Braised Beef with Cranberries is fantastic served with mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower or rice and a green vegetable like brussels sprouts, green beans, or asparagus.

    Freezing and Storing

    The leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

    To reheat them, you can place it all back in a pan and gently reheat it over the stove, covered at medium heat, occasionally stirring. Or, to reheat it in the oven, put it back in the pot, cover it and heat at 300 until warmed throughout, about 30 minutes.

    To freeze leftovers, place the meat and the gravy in two separate containers. Ziplock bags work great too. Thaw before reheating.

    More Holiday Recipes

    whether your entertaining or just serving up seasonal dishes for your family, check out these recipes!

    • Mini Stuffed Meatloaves
    • Perfect Roast Turkey
    • Eggnog French Toast
    • Eggnog Dip
    • Sparkling Brie Bites

    Let's connect! You can follow me on YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. 

    braised beef brisket in a dutch oven

    Braised Beef with Cranberries

    This juicy braised beef recipe is so tender and flavorful! The gravy is infused with red wine, molasses, cranberries, and onions. It's perfect for cold nights or holiday entertaining. The best news, it's super easy to do!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner, Main Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 4 hours
    Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 479kcal
    Author: Chellie Schmitz

    Equipment

    • Dutch oven or large oven proof pot
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds beef brisket chuck roast works great too
    • coarse salt and ground pepper
    • 3 Tbs all-purpose flour
    • 15 ounces can beef broth
    • 1 cup dry red wine merlot or cabernet Sauvignon
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 2 Tbs unsulfured molasses
    • 2 cups water
    • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
    • 16 oz frozen pearl onions

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 with rack in lowest position.
    • Season beef with salt and pepper.
    • Heat a 5 quart dutch oven or heavy pot over medium high.
    • Add brisket, cook until browned, 8-10 minutes, rotating once.
    • Transfer beef to a plate
    • Add flour to pot and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
    • Add broth, wine, bay leaf, molasses, half the cranberries, and 2 cups of water; bring to a boil. Return beef to pot, and cover.
    • Transfer to oven; bake 3 hours.
    • Stir in onions; cover, and return pot to oven. Cook 30 minutes more.
    • Stir in remaining cranberries; return pot to oven. Cook uncovered, until beef is fork-tender, 30 minutes more.
    • Discard bay leaf before serving.

    Video

    Notes

    • You can use beef brisket or chuck roast, both work beautifully.
    • If you are serving more than six, you can easily double the amount of beef, but the amount of cranberries, onions, and everything else can stay the same. It produces plenty of gravy. You may need to use a larger dutch oven. 
     
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 454mg | Potassium: 1043mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!I love to see what's on YOUR table! Mention @artfrommytable or tag #artfrommytable on your favorite social.
    Pin
    Share

    More Main Dish Dinner Recipes

    • 4 image collage showing recipe ideas for Cinco De Mayo, including, chicken tinga, carnitas, steak fajitas and mojitos.
      Recipes For Cinco De Mayo
    • Rectangle Platter with sliced pork tenderloin laid out in an S pattern surrounded by roasted carrots and potatoes.
      Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin
    • french dip sliders on a wooden serving board, garnished with fresh parsley
      French Dip Sliders
    • Chicken breast, cooked sous vide method, on a plate with green beans and rice. Chicken is garnished with a lemon slice.
      Sous Vide Chicken
    about chellie

    ABOUT CHELLIE

    Chellie is the creator of Art From My Table, where her passion for delicious food and gathering with loved ones comes together. She believes anyone can cook a great meal, it doesn't have to be complicated or stressful. Her recipes and food photography have been featured in many publications including Buzzfeed, Southern Living, Today Food, and Fitness magazine. Read more...

    Join the Cooking Club

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Karl

      December 03, 2021 at 1:35 pm

      5 stars
      Great fall recipe!

    2. chellie

      November 25, 2015 at 6:38 am

      Thanks Meaghan! It does look festive, but my favorite part is how easy it is, but fancy. 🙂 Well, and the flavor, that's pretty great too. Thanks for having me at your party! Feel free to come party with me on Thursday at 9:00pm EST!!

    3. Meaghan @ 4 Sons 'R' Us

      November 24, 2015 at 8:13 pm

      This looks so good, and I love the brightness the cranberries bring to the dish. Thanks for sharing with us at the Throwback Thursday link party.

    4. Ashley

      November 24, 2015 at 9:09 am

      Thank you for linking up to last week's Tasty Tuesday linky party. I have pinned your recipes to the Creative K Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board. I hope you'll link up again this week.

    5. chellie

      November 22, 2015 at 8:13 pm

      Thank you so much Nikki. This dish is awesome, because it's so easy to prepare, but people think you slaved. Can't wait till you try it. You will have thirds! ha!

    6. Nikki Frank-Hamilton

      November 22, 2015 at 8:07 pm

      Chellie, this looks so good, I can taste it with my eyes and they want more! If it tastes half as good as it looks I'm having seconds, possibly thirds!!! Yum! Pinning this, I have to try it with our next roast purchase. Thanks!!!!!

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Chellie! Welcome to my table. I believe there is something sacred about sharing a meal together. I'd love to share my tips and easy-to-follow real food recipes with you and help you gather the ones you love around YOUR table.

    More about me

    Healthy Habits

    • quart size mason jar filled with chicken bone broth, surrounded by carrots, celery, parsley and peppercorns
      Chicken Bone Broth
    • Berry flavored kombucha in a decorative tall glass garnished with a cocktail skewer of blueberries, a sliced strawberry, and a sprig of mint leaves.
      Kombucha Recipe
    • hands holding a white bowl full of colorful roasted vegetables
      Easy Roasted Vegetables
    • green monster smoothie
      Green Monster Smoothie

    Quick & Easy

    • Sliced kielbasa, apples, and onions in a cast iron skillet with a rosemary spring on top.
      Kielbasa Skillet with Apples and Onions
    • turkey skillet dinner: wooden spoon, ground turkey, diced sweet potato, kale and goat cheese in a cast iron skillet
      Turkey Skillet Dinner with Sweet potatoes and Kale
    • Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
      Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
    • two bowls of sausage and kale soup garnished with pepper
      Low Carb Sausage and Kale Soup

    Free E-book!

    Click on the image for your free book.

    10 super smoothies to supercharge your day

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    Privacy Policy

    Accessibility Statement

    Newsletter

    Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    Contact
    Work With Me

    Copyright © 2022 Art From My Table, LLC