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Fork-tender Braised Beef with peppers, onions and mushrooms – all served over egg noodles.
Today we’re sharing a delicious recipe that has been part of my husband Jack’s recipe collection for many years – a fork-tender, super-flavorful Braised Beef that we serve over egg noodles.
This Braised Beef recipe is actually very easy to prepare – but it does take some advance planning because the beef is marinated overnight. You don’t want to skip that step, because it adds a fantastic infusion of flavor to the beef.
After marinating, the beef is braised low-and-slow in the same liquid until super tender and a gorgeous, caramelized mahogany color. The beef is removed and the bay leaves discarded. The braising liquid is then pureed. Mushrooms, onions and peppers cooked separately from the beef then are added back in at the end along with the beef. Everything is then served over cooked egg noodles for a hearty and delicious the meal.
What is braised beef?
By definition, braised beef is meat that has been lightly fried or seared until browned, then stewed slowly in a closed container.
Why You’ll Love Braised Beef Over Noodles
- It’s ultimate, stick-to-your ribs comfort food – and perfect for a winter dinner with family and friends.
- The deep, beefy flavor of the braised beef will have you craving more!
- This recipe easily serves eight, so it’s great for feeding a crowd or enough for leftovers the next day.
Key ingredients and Substitutions
- Chuck roast – Chuck is an inexpensive but flavorful cut of beef. It is the ideal cut for braised beef.
- Marinade & Braising Liquid – A vegetable and wine-based marinade is made from potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, white wine, red wine, bay leaves, oregano and black peppercorns, but no salt. (See Chef’s Tip.) This mixture will also be used to braise the beef and to thicken the sauce.
- Vegetables – Cremini (baby Bella) mushrooms, sweet onion, and green bell pepper are sautéed in butter and olive oil, then added in after the beef has cooked.
- Oil – Choose a light flavored, high smoke-point oil such as grapeseed or safflower oil to sear the marinated beef.
- Egg Noodles – We like wide egg noodles to serve with the cooked braised beef. But other pasta shapes, cooked rice, or mashed potatoes can be substituted.
Chef’s Tip – Avoid adding salt to your marinade, especially when the marinade is going to also be used as a braising liquid and a thickener for the sauce. Our marinade includes soy sauce which is already salty, plus you’ll season the beef with salt and pepper when searing. You can always add more salt to taste, but you can’t take it out if you add it in earlier in the cooking process.
Special supplies needed
- Large Dutch oven or oven-safe heavy-duty pot with lid, for braising the beef
- Sauce pan to cook the marinade
- Large saute pan or brasier to cook the vegetables
- Blender or immersion blender
- Pot to cook the noodles
- Large bowl to hold the cooked vegetables
How do I make Braised Beef Over Noodles?
- Combine marinade ingredients in a sauce pan and cook for ten minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Cut chuck roast into 3-inch pieces and place in a gallon zipper seal bag.
- Pour the marinade over beef, seal and refrigerate overnight.
- After marinating, pick out the beef and pat dry – but do not dispose of the marinade.
- Season then sear beef on all sides in a hot, oiled Dutch oven.
- Pour the marinade (including the solids) over the beef and deglaze the pan. Add the beef stock and heat to bubbling.
- Cover the Dutch oven and place in the oven to braise for 2½ to 3 hours.
- Sauté the vegetables in butter and olive oil, then set aside to serve later.
- Cook the noodles, then set aside until later. (You’ll reheat them when ready to serve.)
- Remove the beef pieces from the pot (once tender) and set aside. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
- Puree the mixture left in the pot with an immersion blender, creating a flavorful and thick sauce.
- Place the cooked beef and previously sauteed vegetables back in the pot with the sauce and heat to serving temperature. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Heat the noodles back up by plunging in boiling water, then drain.
- Serve the braised beef with vegetables over the noodles.
Chef’s Tip – When braising meat, it is important not to cover the meat completely with the cooking liquid. You want to braise – not boil – the meat, giving the meat a chance to caramelize in the moist heat inside the Dutch oven.
Frequently asked Questions
Can I make Braised Beef ahead of time? Yes, this dish can be made ahead and chilled. Then simply reheat over a low burner on the stove top, right in the Dutch oven. Stir occasionally as it heats through and be careful not to break up the meat chunks as it reheats.
How do I store leftovers? Store covered and refrigerated for up to three days.
How do I reheat leftovers? Reheat in the microwave or in a pan over a slow burner.
Can I freeze? Yes, this dish freezes well in an air tight container. Thaw before reheating.
Can I make Braised Beef in the slow cooker? Technically, you can. However, slow cooking doesn’t allow this dish to caramelize in the same way as braising in the oven. We think this dish is best prepared as written.
You may like these other braised recipes:
- Braised Beef and Tortelloni
- Italian Braised Brisket
- Milk Braised Pulled Pork with Mushrooms
- Beer Braised Barbecue Pork Butt
- Braised Mustard Carrots
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Braised Beef Over Egg Noodles
Fork-tender Braised Beef with peppers, onions and mushrooms – all served over egg noodles.
Ingredients
Marinade
1 medium onion cut into one-inch pieces, about 4–6 ounces
1 medium all-purpose potato cut into one-inch pieces, about 8–10 ounces
1 medium carrot cut into one-inch pieces, about 4–6 ounces
1 stalk celery cut into one-inch pieces, about 3–4 ounces
6 medium garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 cups red wine, such as merlot
1 1/2 cups white wine, such as chardonnay
Beef
3 to 3 1/2 pound chuck roast (If there is a lot of fat, buy a larger roast and trim off fat)
Other ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons light oil such as grapeseed or safflower, divided
2 cups beef stock or broth
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on size
1 pound of onion, cut into thick strips, about 2 medium onions
1 1/2 pounds green bell peppers cut into thick strips, about 2–3 medium to large peppers
1 12-ounce bag wide egg noodles
Instructions
Place all of the marinade ingredients into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat to medium low and cook for ten minutes. Remove cover and cool to room temperature.
Lay the chuck roast on your cutting board and cut along the natural fat separations in the roast. Trim and discard any large pieces of fat or gristle.
You should have about three or four large pieces of beef at this point. Cut these into pieces about 3-inches square. You should have about 12-14 pieces of relatively equal size. (Don’t worry about getting these pieces perfect). Add these to a gallon zip lock bag.
Once the marinade is at room temperature, pour the entire contents over the beef including the vegetables, seal and refrigerate overnight.
Three hours before serving, remove the beef from refrigeration and using tongs, pick out the pieces of beef but do not discard the marinade.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F with an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
Pat the beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle all sides with the salt and pepper.
In a large oven proof pot or Dutch oven that has an oven safe lid, heat half of the light oil over medium high heat and once hot, sear half the beef on all sides. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining light oil and beef. Remove the second batch of beef.
Keep the burner on medium high and add the marinade, including all the vegetables and with a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits up from the bottom.
Add the beef stock and the seared beef back in and once the pot starts to bubble, cover and place in the oven for two hours. Check at the two-hour mark for tenderness and continue cooking until the beef is tender. Ours took 2 ½ hours.
While the beef cooks, saute the vegetables. In a large saute pan or braiser, heat two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and cook the mushroom pieces to brown, about eight minutes. Remove to a large bowl.
Reduce the heat to medium and add one tablespoon each of butter and olive oil and saute the onions until soft, about five minutes. Remove to the bowl with the mushrooms.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and olive oil and add the pepper strips. Saute until somewhat soft but with a little texture. Use tongs to remove cooked pieces to the bowl as they cook and continue to cook until you have removed all the pepper strips to the bowl with the mushrooms and onions. Set these vegetables aside.
Also, while the beef cooks, cook the noodles in boiling salted water and cool. Set aside.
Once the beef is tender, pick the pieces of beef out with tongs and set aside on a platter.
Pick out and dispose of the two bay leaves.
Use an immersion blender or carefully pour the pot contents into a blender and puree until thick and creamy.
Add the beef back in with the sauce and the reserved sautéed vegetables. Taste, season if needed and heat to serving temperature.
Reheat the noodles by dipping in boiling water and serve with the braised beef.
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Delicious, not too expensive, and it can all be done the day before. A perfect winter feast dish!
Thanks Janet!