This Cranberry Balsamic Roast recipe combines the tangy richness of balsamic vinegar with the sweet, tart flavor of cranberries. Perfect for any occasion, from holiday dinners to weeknight meals, this dish is easy to make and sure to impress your guests. The vibrant cranberry sauce paired with the savory roasted meat creates a perfect balance of flavors, making this cranberry balsamic roast a must-try.

I put this recipe together when I was overrun with fresh cranberries from working on my “So You’re Having a Holiday Party” E-Book and it was such a nice, sweet surprise that I’m probably addicted to now.

(You haven’t seen that book yet? Are you subscribed to www.atoastedcrumb.com? You get a free download when you subscribe! Click HERE to subscribe!)

I highly recommend this recipe if you’re looking for a cozy dinner option for your family as we all start to get a little more festive leading up to the holidays!

What ingredients are necessary to prepare Cranberry Balsamic Roast?

a 2-3 lb beef roast (chuck, round roast, tri-tip, any low cost beef roast with a little marbling will do!)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
4 oz fresh cranberries
1 medium yellow onion
2 carrots
1-2 cups of red wine (cabernet or pinot noir works well for this recipe)
4 – 5 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp worcesterchire sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste (or 2 tbsp tomato sauce)
1 tbsp beef base
2 tbsp brown sugar
fresh thyme and rosemary
salt and pepper
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cornstarch (optional)

What equipment is necessary for preparing Cranberry Balsamic Roast?

This recipe is written for oven braising the roast in a dutch oven. So I highly recommend the use of a dutch oven for preparing this roast.
You will also need a strainer and a sauce pot for preparing the sauce afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I make this roast in a slow cooker?

Certainly! It will just have a little different texture than it would in a dutch oven. (Which is perfectly fine!)

A slow cooker will yield a more tender, more stringy pot roast (which some prefer!).

To prepare this recipe in the slow cooker:

Sear the meat as directed.
Sauté the onions, carrots and garlic in the pan you seared the meat in.
Deglaze that pan with the wine sauce, wait until the wine stops bubbling (2 – 3 minutes), pour it into the slow cooker, and then proceed with the remainder of the recipe.
Cook on LOW for 6 – 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 – 5 hours unti the meat pulls apart easily. (A good roast isn’t done until it pulls apart easily!)

What type of wine is necessary for the roast?

I like to use cabernet or pinot noir for this recipe. These wines give the sauce a great depth of flavor, and a gorgeous color!

But any dry red wine will do!

Can I use cranberry sauce instead of fresh cranberries?

Yes! Now keep in mind, cranberry sauce will yield a slightly sweeter roast than fresh cranberries will. For the record, I recommend fresh cranberries. They will give it that nice tart effect.

If you can’t find fresh or frozen cranberries, you can use 1/2 a can of whole berry cranberry sauce.*

*I recommend using no sugar added whole berry cranberry sauce to control the sweetness. If you don’t have that, or struggle to find it, just make sure you are suing a cabernet instead of a pinot noir. Pinot will yield a sweeter sauce.

Could I add potatoes to the roast?

You sure could! Although, another thing to keep in mind, this is a wine sauce – so your potatoes may turn purple! If that doesn’t bother you, then go for it!

BUT – I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend these Bourbon Gouda Mashed Potatoes with this dish! The flavor match here is to die for! And along with my Top Secret Rosemary Bread recipe, you’ll have a meal that will have your taste buds singing!

How long do I need to cook the roast?

My 2.5 lb roast took a total of 3 hours and 30 minutes to fall apart in the way that I wanted it to.

Start checking the roast at the 2 hour mark and then every 30 minutes after that.

A pot roast is done between 195° – 205° internal temp, but the texture of the meat is actually what is going to be more telling as far as the “doneness” of the roast.

If you insert a fork in to the center of the roast, give it a twist, and the meat doesn’t shred, it’s not ready. Put it in for another 30 minutes (lower the temp to 275° if you’re really worried) and try the fork test again the next time you go to check it.

Oven braised roasts can be finicky (but absolutely incredible!), so be patient and trust the process!

How to Prepare Cranberry Balsamic Pot Roast:

Preheat the oven to 300°.
Start with seasoning the beef roast aggressively with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat until very hot.
Add the olive oil to the base of the duct oven and sear the beef roast on all sides. Remove the roast to a plate to rest while you prepare the braising liquid.
Reduce the heat slightly, to medium and add the onions and carrots to the dutch oven. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, until softened slightly.
Add the garlic, cook until aromatic (about 1 – 2 minutes).
Deglaze the pan with the wine and wait until the wine stops bubbling.
Add the balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce*, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef base, beef broth, and brown sugar to the liquid. Stir to combine.
Add the roast back into the pot and nestle it in with the vegetables and braising liquid. (If the liquid isn’t reaching up to the mid-point of the roast, pour just enough wine in to bring the level of braising liquid up to half way on the beef roast.
Nestle the fresh thyme and rosemary into the braising liquid and pour the fresh cranberries over the top of the roast.
Cover and place into the oven. Roast for 2 – 4 hours (dependent on the weight of your beef roast), of until the meat falls apart when a fork is inserted into the roast.
When the roast is done, remove it to a plate, strain the sauce, remove the vegetables and discard. Remove the carrots and reserve if desired.
In a pot (or in the same dutch oven you braised the roast in), melt 2 tbps of butter and add the strained sauce back in. Whisk until silky.
Optional step – If the sauce is a little thin for your liking, add 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 2 tbsp of water to a small bowl, whisk and add into the sauce. Whisk it in and cook for 2 – 3 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly.
Serve with mashed potatoes and drizzle sauce over the roast.

Storage:

This roast will keep well sealed in an airtight container for 2 – 4 days in the fridge. I recommend storing it separately from any sides you served with it.

I also recommend storing the sauce in a separate vessel from the meat itself.

Reheating:

This roast can easily be reheated in a pan with a tbsp of sauce and a tbsp of water per cup of meat. This will help keep it hydrated as you reheat.

I don’t recommend reheating this in the oven, as you don’t want to dry it out.

A microwave is also a great option for reheating in individual servings!

What to serve with Cranberry Balsamic Roast:

I highly recommend Bourbon Gouda Mashed Potatoes and My Top-Secret Rosemary Bread Recipe!

Other sides that may pair well would include:

I hope you loved this Cranberry Balsamic Pot Roast recipe! If you try it, be sure to leave a comment or tag me @atoastedcrumb on all socials! I’d love to see your work!

Cranberry Balsamic Pot Roast

Recipe by Amber Bogardus

Course: Recipe Index, MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

Total time

hours

minutes

A decadent, flavorful take on tender beef pot roast. This oven braised roast is cooked in a rich cranberry and balsamic braising liquid, yielding a tender and bright pot roast that’s perfect for the holidays!

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

a 2-3 lb beef roast (chuck, round roast, tri-tip, any low cost beef roast with a little marbling will do!)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
4 oz fresh cranberries
1 medium yellow onion
2 carrots
1 -2 cups of red wine (cabernet or pinot noir works well for this recipe)
4 – 5 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste (or 2 tbsp tomato sauce)
1 tbsp beef base
2 tbsp brown sugar
fresh thyme and rosemary
salt and pepper
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cornstarch (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300°.
Start with seasoning the beef roast aggressively with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat until very hot.
Add the olive oil to the base of the duct oven and sear the beef roast on all sides. Remove the roast to a plate to rest while you prepare the braising liquid.
Reduce the heat slightly, to medium and add the onions and carrots to the dutch oven. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, until softened slightly.
Add the garlic, cook until aromatic (about 1 – 2 minutes).
Deglaze the pan with the wine and wait until the wine stops bubbling.
Add the balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce*, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef base, beef broth, and brown sugar to the liquid. Stir to combine.
Add the roast back into the pot and nestle it in with the vegetables and braising liquid. (If the liquid isn’t reaching up to the mid-point of the roast, pour just enough wine in to bring the level of braising liquid up to half way on the beef roast.
Nestle the fresh thyme and rosemary into the braising liquid and pour the fresh cranberries over the top of the roast.
Cover and place into the oven. Roast for 2 – 4 hours (dependent on the weight of your beef roast), of until the meat falls apart when a fork is inserted into the roast.
When the roast is done, remove it to a plate, strain the sauce, remove the vegetables and discard. Remove the carrots and reserve, if desired.
In a pot (or in the same dutch oven you braised the roast in), melt 2 tbps of butter and add the strained sauce back in. Whisk until silky.
Optional step – If the sauce is a little thin for your liking, add 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 2 tbsp of water to a small bowl, whisk and add into the sauce. Whisk it in and cook for 2 – 3 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly.
Serve with mashed potatoes and drizzle sauce over the roast.

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Cranberry Balsamic Pot Roast

What ingredients are necessary to prepare Cranberry Balsamic Roast?