I Tried the Retro Beef Cut People Can’t Stop Raving About, and It’s Better Than Promised (and Cheap!)

I have fond memories of the pot roast my family ate growing up — a hunk of beef that turned fork-tender after hours of cooking low and slow, plated atop a bed of mashed potatoes and swimming in a rich gravy. Maybe there were carrots or onions or even pepperoncini. I can still taste our family recipe.

So imagine my surprise when pot roast popped up on my TikTok feed under a search for “easy, healthy meal prep.” To me, pot roast has always screamed “comfort food,” which doesn’t always translate to what feels healthy to me. (Even the U.S. Food and Drug administration has changed its own definition.)

What I saw when I clicked the viral videos made my jaw drop: People are using the same low-and-slow-cooked cut of beef for more than potatoes and errant veggies — and now I am, too. Since revisiting the humble pot roast on meal prep days, I’ve added it to taco bowls, veggie-packed burritos, and even on top of increasingly popular dense bean salads. 

Not only is it easy, but it’s also affordable — and it stretches further than any other protein I’ve prepped.

The best part about this recipe is that it’s easy (even for beginner cooks), and the possibilities are endless. I’ve added it to beef sliders, deluxe grilled cheese sandwiches, and stir-fried noodles, and I plan to try it in a bowl of ramen very soon. 

If you go with a simple approach to seasoning the beef (salt, pepper, and maybe some garlic or onion powder), you can make this humble protein the centerpiece of dishes from a range of cuisines. One thing will remain constant, though: You’ll have a tender, flavorful, easy-to-prep protein that stretches across multiple hearty meals.

My favorite cooking method treats the roast almost like braised short ribs: Cut the meat into large chunks, pat dry, and season individually before searing on all sides in a Dutch oven. Then remove the meat and add whatever veggies you like.

Depending on how I’m using the beef, I’ll add sliced onions and bell peppers or just garlic and diced green chiles. Once your selected aromatics and veggies are cooked and all the brown bits have been scraped from the bottom of the pan, add the meat back in. 

The final active step is what differs the most from the recipe I grew up on: Because you’re making shredded beef and not traditional pot roast, you don’t need a whole carton of beef broth. Add just enough to keep the beef hydrated as it finishes cooking — about a cup or so. Then simply cover and put it in a 325°F preheated oven. 

I usually leave mine in for well over an hour while I finish prepping other food for the week. Once it pulls apart with a fork, I know it’s done.

In my house this beef is the star of the show on taco night, wrapped in corn tortillas with all the fixings or scooped onto a heap of rice and topped with fajita veggies, shredded lettuce, and a corn salad — our own version of fast-casual burrito bowls for a fraction of the price.

Buy: Beef Chuck Roast, $7.97 per pound at Walmart

What TikTok-inspired groceries are you adding to your carts lately? Tell us about it in the comments below.