Cross Rib Roast
Looking for a hearty, comforting meal that's packed with flavor? This cross rib roast recipe walks you through the simple steps to transform an affordable cut of beef into a tender, juicy roast with rich, savory pan gravy. Perfect for your next family dinner.
Craving The Recipe Details?
What it is: A tender, richly flavored beef roast cooked low and slow until it’s fall apart tender, complete with a rich pan-drippings gravy.
Why you'll love it: Affordable, foolproof, and so tasty, this cut turns buttery soft with minimal effort and makes incredible leftovers.
How to make it: Season generously, sear the roast to build flavor, then braise, covered for 45 minutes per pound.
There's something magical about the way recipes travel through a family. Techniques get passed down, flavors evolve, and before you know it, a simple roast becomes “mom’s famous recipe”. This cross rib roast is one of those meals for us, a blend of my mother in law's tender, slow-roasted beef meets my grandma's rich, silky gravy.
Round out your roast beef dinner; serve with sous vide mashed potatoes, smoked brussels sprouts with bacon, thick cut rustic sourdough bread or easy no milk biscuits for a dinner perfect for gathering everyone around the table.
This cross rib roast recipe is dedicated to passed down knowledge.
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Rave Reviews
I made this last night and hubby and I agree it's the best roast, and best beef gravy I've ever made. And I'm 66 years old and have been cooking for my family for over 40 years!
– Loretta
Key Ingredients
Cross Rib Roast: Look for bright red flesh that’s firm to the touch-the package date helps, but let the roast’s appearance be your guide.
Salt, Pepper, Garlic: We don’t need to mask the flavor of a roast this tasty. Simple seasonings make the beef shine and create incredible gravy.
Flour And Butter: Oh yeah, we’re doing it! I’m gonna walk you through how to make gravy from a roux with your drippings. This will be your new favorite, I’m sure.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Don’t be afraid to get creative! Season your roast with rosemary salt, homemade onion powder, or other herbs!
How To Make Cross Rib Roast
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, generously apply coarse kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper, and garlic powder to the outside of your roast on all sides.
- Step 2: Place the roast in a dutch oven or roasting and place in the lower third of the oven, uncovered to sear. Brown the roast uncovered for 15 minutes per side, rotating until all four sides are browned, about 60 minutes in total.
- Step 3: Add 1-2 cups water to the roaster, enough to make about 1/2″ in the bottom of the pan. Then cover and return to the oven. Reduce temperature to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Step 4: Braise covered at 275f for 45 minutes per pound of roast, until the meat is tender. . A 4 lb roast takes about 3 hours. The temptation is often to cook by internal temperature, but when cooking a well-used muscle, like the cuts from the chuck, you need to rely on other methods of doneness. To test the roast for doneness, pierce it with a knife or temperature probe – a tender chuck roast is done when the probe enters the meat with little to no resistance.
- Step 5: Once tender, remove the cross rib roast from the oven, transfer the roast from the dutch oven to a plate, and tent it with tinfoil while you make gravy, if desired. If you’re not making gravy, allow the roast to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Making Gravy From A Roux
- Step 1: Strain the liquids in the roaster into a fat separator or a pancake batter dispenser. Wipe the pot dry with a paper towel, alternatively, you could use a saucepan. If you do not have 2 cups of the reserved liquid, add beef broth or water and beef bouillon to the reserved liquids to make 2 cups. Set aside.
- Step 2: Add 1/4 cup of all purpose flour to the bottom of the pot, heating over medium-high heat, whisking regularly until nicely caramel brown. This takes a few minutes, but once the flour begins to brown it goes quickly.
- Step 3: Add 1/4 cup of unsalted butter to the pot, and whisk until completely dissolved. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the butter mixture looks like peanut butter and starts to smell nutty, about 4- 5 minutes.
- Step 4: Start adding the drippings to the roux whisking after each addition.
- Step 5: Simmer the gravy until it thickens. Add fresh ground pepper if desired.
Expert Tips
- Use my 45-minute-per-pound rule. This timing ensures connective tissue breaks down properly for fall-apart tenderness. Don’t rely solely on internal temp. Tough roasts need time, just like like smoked brisket or Traeger smoked pork butt. Undercooked can = tough, even if the thermometer says “done.”
- Brown the flour for your gravy. My Grandma taught me this trick! It speeds up cooking time, eliminates that raw flour taste, and prevents clumping.
- Don’t skip the sear. High heat first, then reduce-this locks in moisture and lets the roast cook evenly throughout. You’ll get way less evaporation and dryness.
- Rest before slicing. Let it sit at least 10 minutes, then slice against the grain. This ensures fork-tender, melt-in-your-mouth bites.
What Is A Cross Rib Roast?
The cross rib roast hails from the chuck primal cut. This primal is located beneath the neck, between the shoulder and the brisket. Chuck cuts are perfect if you’re looking for rich, beefy, and flavorful roasts.
Like most cuts from the chuck, cross rib roasts perform best when oven roasted or braised to bring out their cut-it-with-a-fork-tenderness.
Cross rib roasts are like the man with two first names! They are also commonly called the boneless chuck roast, Boston cut, clod roast, and shoulder center roast – depending on your location and your butcher. If you can’t find a cross rib at your local butcher or grocery store, just ask, I’m sure they’d be happy to help you find one!
Cross Rib Roast FAQs
Pot roast refers to the cooking method; braising a tough cut of meat low and slow in liquid until tender. A roast simply refers to the cut of meat itself (like cross rib roast, prime rib, or chuck roast) or the dry-heat cooking method of roasting in the oven. This recipe combines both techniques: searing and roasting the meat, then adding liquid to braise it for maximum tenderness.
Plan for about 8 ounces (1/2 pound) of boneless roast per person, or 12 ounces per person if bone-in. A 3-4 pound roast feeds 6-8 people comfortably with some leftovers.
Store the roast and gravy separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven with a splash of broth to keep the meat moist.
Oven method: Preheat to 325°F. Slice roast into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a baking dish. Add enough beef broth to cover, then cover the dish with foil. Bake 25-30 minutes until heated through.
Sous vide method: Slice roast into 1/2-inch pieces and seal in a bag with a few tablespoons of beef broth. Heat in a 150°F water bath for 30 minutes or until warmed through.
My favorite way to use leftover roast beef: slice it thinly and whip up a sandwich, made with dill pickle sourdough and homemade half-sour pickles, obviously! Yum!
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If you tried this cross rib roast recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Printable Recipe
Cross Rib Roast
Ingredients
For The Roast:
- 3 lb cross rib roast
- coarse kosher salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- 1 to 2 cups water
For The Gravy:
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
Instructions
For The Roast:
- Preheat oven to 400f. Meanwhile, generously apply coarse kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper, and garlic powder to the outside of your roast on all sides.
- Place the roast in an oven-safe dutch oven and place in the lower third of the oven, uncovered to sear. Place the roast in a dutch oven or roasting and place in the lower third of the oven, uncovered to sear. Brown the roast uncovered for 15 minutes per side, rotating until all four sides are browned, about 60 minutes in total.
- Add 1-2 cups water to the roaster, enough to make about 1/2" in the bottom of the pan. Then cover and return to the oven. Reduce temperature to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Braise covered at 275f for 45 minutes per pound of roast, until the meat is tender. . A 4 lb roast takes about 3 hours. The temptation is often to cook by internal temperature, but when cooking a well-used muscle, like the cuts from the chuck, you need to rely on other methods of doneness. To test the roast for doneness, pierce it with a knife or temperature probe – a tender chuck roast is done when the probe enters the meat with little to no resistance.
- Once tender, remove the cross rib roast from the oven, transfer the roast from the dutch oven to a plate, and tent it with tinfoil while you make gravy, if desired. If you're not making gravy, allow the roast to rest for at least 10 minutes.
For The Gravy:
- Strain the liquids in the roaster into a fat separator or a pancake batter dispenser. Wipe the pot dry with a paper towel, alternatively, you could use a clean saucepan. If you do not have 2 cups of the reserved liquid, add beef broth or water and beef bouillon to the reserved liquids to make 2 cups. Set aside.
- Add ¼ cup of all purpose flour to the bottom of the pot, heating over medium-high heat, whisking regularly until nicely caramel brown. This takes a few minutes, but once the flour begins to brown it goes quickly.
- Add ¼ cup of unsalted butter to the pot, and whisk until completely dissolved. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the roux looks like peanut butter and starts to smell nutty, about 4- 5 minutes.
- Add the drippings in 4 separate additions to the roux whisking after each addition. Simmer the gravy until it thickens. Add fresh ground pepper, if desired.
Notes
- Use my 45-minute-per-pound rule. This timing ensures connective tissue breaks down properly for fall-apart tenderness. Don't rely solely on internal temp. Tough roasts need time, just like like smoked brisket or Traeger smoked pork butt. Undercooked can = tough, even if the thermometer says "done."
- Don't skip the sear. High heat first, then reduce-this locks in moisture and lets the roast cook evenly throughout. You'll get way less evaporation and dryness.
- Rest before slicing. Let it sit at least 10 minutes, then slice against the grain. This ensures fork-tender, melt-in-your-mouth bites.
- Brown the flour for your gravy. My Grandma taught me this trick! It speeds up cooking time, eliminates that raw flour taste, and prevents clumping.
I’m going to try cooking my cross rib roast like that today. Do you put oil in the pot when you sear it?
Hey Deb, no I don’t, the meat browns and renders it’s own fat
Ohhhhhh man this recipe is delicious!!If followed correctly!!
My kids whacked this beautiful slab of deliciousness!!
Thank you very much!!
Haha! This comment had me giggling. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Made this tonight!!!
Ohhhhhh m g!!!
So TENDER AND DELICIOUS ❤️
You have a section titled, “how to store + freeze,” but I don’t see anything about freezing. Do you have anything to say about it other than traditional tips for freezing beef and ‘best by’ timing for using?
Oh my gosh! I joke all the time that I was born with blonde hair for a reason. So sorry for that.
Basically, standard fare with this one, freeze in in air-tight packages for best results, I always use my vac sealer. If vac sealed, leftovers will last 6+ months, if frozen in freezer bags, try to use them within 6 weeks or so. A lot of that timing depends on where you freeze it too – it will last longer in a chest freezer that’s only opened once a week vs a fridge freezer that’s opened multiple times a day. Thaw in the fridge if you can, if not, cold water works too!
Hi there, I have a 2 lb cross rib roast, how would you adjust the cook time for thus size? Thanks in advance 🙂
Sorry for the delay on this! I would probably reduce the browning time by 5 minutes per side and then cook for about 30 minutes left once covered. But that’s a total guess right now!
Thank you, I use a packet of onion soup to mix with the juice of the meat and made a good gravy.
That sounds so tasty! Thank you for sharing, I will try this for sure!
I purchased a cross rib roast today at an excellent price and will be trying this recipe to cook it tomorrow! Thank you and I will comment upon completing my cooking adventure! 🙂 Da
Awesome! Gotta love a good deal! Can’t wait to hear how you like it 🙂
Hello.
Do you brown the roast with the lid on or off? Do you cover it while browning?
Hey Nancy, brown it with the lid off! I will add a note to make that more clear
I know most people today seem to think you add liquid to beef roasts, this is a POT ROAST not Roast Beef.
Defination To roast DRY HEAT
Good to know. I don’t think I specifically called this one out as roast beef…. My smoked roast beef is a true roast beef.
Do you use any oil on the roast or in the pan?
No, I don’t, the fats in the roast will render down. Any little sticky bits should easily scrape off after the water has been added and the roast has been fully cooked.
When browning the roast do you turn it every 20 minutes for a total of 80 minutes? Thanks looking forward to making this.
Hi Debby, sorry the wording wasn’t clear I’ve fixed that. Yes, you’ll need to brown it on all 4 sides for 20 minutes each for a total of 80 minutes!
Hi, the recipe says “3-4 cross rib roast”, is that to mean 3-4 lbs?
Yes! Thanks for catching that error, I will fix it right now!
I have done this with couple days as rib and it was soooo good. Could a blade roast be used with same results?
Thank you
I don’t see why not! Blade roasts are also cut from the chuck.
@Ally, I used Blade and Eye of the Round at two different times. Both worked out great! Making it again today with a Blade Roast. For some reason, it is difficult to find Cross Rib.
Thanks again for a great recipe!
Great to hear, Carolyn! Thanks for letting us know. Actually, in the time between your first comment and the follow up, I found a blade roast in the freezer and cooked it just like this. Was perfect!
@Ally, your original recipe stated 20 minutes per side, I see it is now 15 minutes. Why the change. I am cooking a 2 lb roast today so was thinking of only 15 minutes or less per side for browning and then a couple of hours of braising.
Hey Carolyn, I did reduce the time of the sear, if you like you can continue to sear for 20 minutes per side, but based on a few emails and calls I was receiving, more people were using smaller roasts so I reduced the time to accommodate that.
If you did have a larger roast, it wouldn’t do any harm to reduce the sear time, but on smaller roasts it might increase the likelihood of dryness or overcooking.
This was very delicious. Would definitely make it again.
So good and so easy! This was extremely tasty and tender. I made the recipe as written and result was beyond what I had hoped for. Probably the best roast I have made in years! I recommend this one, I want to make it every week.