33 Braised Meat Recipes to Turn a House Into a Home

Nothing beats a tender braise on a cold day

By | Published Jan 24, 2018 10:00 PM

Mexican Braised Spare Ribs with Squash and Corn
Braise pork ribs with a homey, vegetable-rich sauce with a touch of heat, and use the leftovers for tacos. This is a classic recipe from Mexican cooking sage Josefina Velázquez de León. Get the recipe for Mexican Braised Spare Ribs with Squash and Corn » Matt Taylor-Gross

When the temperatures drop and snow starts to fall, we’re in full-on braise mode. We’ll braise anything, from chicken to beef to venison, and it’s great every way. Browning meat before simmering it in a little liquid—usually some combination of wine, beer, and flavorful stock—gives incredibly tender, moist, and flavorful results. It works as well for slow-cooked roasts as it does for a quick weeknight meal of chicken in mustard sauce. Here, our favorite recipes for braised meats.


German Braised Beef Rolls (Rouladen)

In this version of the German classic, thinly pounded beef is smeared with whole-grain mustard; rolled with bacon, onion, and pickle spears; and then braised until tender. Get the recipe for German Braised Beef Rolls »

Chettinad Pepper Chicken (Koli Milagu Masala)

This richly spiced chicken dish is adapted from a recipe in Madhur Jaffrey’s classic Flavors of India (West 175 Publishing, 1995). According to Jaffrey, “What gives this a very special southern flavor is the use of fennel seeds, curry leaves, and, of course, the pulse (legume) urad dal. This is definitely a dish you will want to make very frequently.” We couldn’t agree more. Get the recipe for Chettinad Pepper Chicken »
33 Braised Meat Recipes to Turn a House Into a Home

Subscribe Now and Save 72%
Limited time offer. Saveur for iPad included. Gift subscriptions available.

33 Braised Meat Recipes to Turn a House Into a Home

Honey-Braised Lamb Shanks (Mrouzia)

Lamb shanks are braised for hours in a sumptuous sauce of honey, almonds, and raisins in this centuries-old Moroccan dish served at the restaurant Mansouria. Get the recipe for Honey-Braised Lamb Shanks »

Mexican Braised Spare Ribs with Squash and Corn

Braise pork ribs with a homey, vegetable-rich sauce with a touch of heat, and use the leftovers for tacos. This is a classic recipe from Mexican cooking sage Josefina Velázquez de León. Get the recipe for Mexican Braised Spare Ribs with Squash and Corn »

Lamb Shanks in Red Wine with Creamy Eggplant

A creamy eggplant purée, enriched with béchamel and Gruyère cheese serves as a bed for meltingly tender lamb shanks, slow-braised in red wine and aromatics. Get the recipe for Lamb Shanks in Red Wine with Creamy Eggplant »

Beef Braised with Tomatoes and Cloves

Green Chicken and White Bean Chili

Green Chicken and White Bean Chili

Hungarian Braised Beef with Paprika (Pörkölt)

Known everywhere—except in Hungary—as goulash, this stew is made with a generous amount of paprika and cook down until the meat is fork-tender. Get the recipe for Hungarian Braised Beef with Paprika »

Braised Venison Shoulder with Mushroom Pierogi

A hearty warm venison stew with homestyle mushroom pierogis are all you need to stay warm in the fall. Get the recipe for Braised Venison Shoulder with Mushroom Pierogi »

Braised Oxtail with Butter Beans

Oxtail, a tough cut of meat, becomes meltingly tender when braised in this traditional Jamaican dish, served with Coconut Rice and Red Beans, which soak up all the flavorful pan juices. Get the recipe for Braised Oxtail with Butter Beans »

Braised Beef Stew with Garlic Cream

Braised Beef Stew with Garlic Cream

Braised Brisket Burgers with Pimento Cheese

Brisket is braised in stout, bourbon, and soy sauce in these spicy pimento cheese-topped sliders from Edward Lee, executive chef at 610 Magnolia in Louisville, KY. Get the recipe for Braised Brisket Burgers with Pimento Cheese »

Carnitas Tacos (Michoacán-Style Braised Pork Tacos)

At the Viva Taco bus in Turlock, Silvestre Valencia adds jalapeño pickling liquid to the pork braise, which tenderizes the meat and keeps it from drying out. Get the recipe for Carnitas Tacos »

Shanghai Red-Braised Pork with Eggs

Two types of soy sauce and a touch of sugar give this dish—beloved throughout China—its signature glossiness and a deep red-brown tint. Serve the tender pork belly morsels and boiled eggs with a light vegetable, like bok choy. Get the recipe for Shanghai Red-Braised Pork with Eggs »

The Ultimate Pot Roast

A low and slow braise is the best way to transform tough cuts of meat into fork-tender morsels. This version, made with a crosscut whole beef shank, is cooked in white wine and rich homemade beef bouillon layered with vegetables and aromatics for added complexity. Crunchy roasted radishes and a funky flaxseed, herb, and vinegar relish balance the pot roast's richness with acidity and texture. Get the recipe for The Ultimate Pot Roast »

Kashmiri Lamb in Chile Sauce (Mirchi Qorma)

Tender lamb simmers in a fiery sauce in this recipe from Adhoo's in Srinagar, Kashmir. Get the recipe for Kashmiri Lamb »

Chicken Paprikash (Paprikás Csirke)

Telangana-Style Curried Chicken Stew

Carved out of ten former districts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangan officially became India's 29th state in June 2014. For this eponymous dish from Telangana home cook Padma Reddy, the skin is removed from the chicken to allow the flavors of the marinade—coconut, lime, garlic, ginger, cardamom, mace and more—to penetrate. Get the recipe for Telangana-Style Curried Chicken Stew »

Crispy Pork Belly with Persimmons

Crispy Pork Belly with Persimmons

Filipino Beef Short Ribs Adobo (Adobong Tadyang)

Whole garlic cloves perfume the braise for this tangy beef dish from Marvin Gapultos' The Adobo Road Cookbook (Tuttle, 2013). Get the recipe for Filipino Beef Short Ribs Adobo »

Chickpea Stew with Lamb, Pork, and Veal (Cozido de Grão)

Chickpeas are bolstered with spicy sausage and three kinds of meat in a filling stew served at País das Uvas in Vila de Frades, Portugal. Get the recipe for Chickpea Stew with Lamb, Pork, and Veal »

Hunter's Wife Chicken (Pollo alla Cacciatora)

The recipe for this stew, a northern Italian braise of chicken and vegetables in a tomato sauce, is adapted from Marcella Hazan's book Essentials of Italian Cooking (Knopf, 1992). Get the recipe for Hunter's Wife Chicken »

Braised Pork and Clams (Porco à Alentejana)

For this dish, pork and fresh clams are braised in an aromatic mixture of wine, tomato, and red pepper paste. Get the recipe for Braised Pork and Clams »

Mustard and White Wine Braised Chicken

This adaptation of a regional French classic swaps out the traditional Dijon in favor of a grainy, seeded mustard. Get the recipe for Mustard and White Wine Braised Chicken »

Braised Rabbit with Mushrooms and Celery Root

Wild rabbit, a favorite among hunters in Kansas, is braised in beer and chicken stock to make an autumnal main dish. Get the recipe for Braised Rabbit with Mushrooms and Celery Root »

Braised Pork Roast with Root Vegetables (Schweineschmor-braten mit Rübengemüse)

Juniper berries and caraway seeds give braised pork a floral, woodsy flavor. Wrapping it in bacon keeps the meat moist. Get the recipe for Braised Pork Roast with Root Vegetables (Schweineschmor-braten mit Rübengemüse) »

Coq au Vin (Chicken in Wine Sauce)

This wine-enhanced chicken braise dotted with pearl onions and button mushrooms is as simple to prepare as it is elegant to serve. Get the recipe for Coq au Vin »

Flemish Beef and Beer Stew (Carbonnade)

Unlike French beef stews made with wine, carbonnade—a Flemish stew—relies on the deep, dark flavor of Belgian abbey-style beer. But what really gives the dish its distinctive character is the addition of brown sugar and cider vinegar, a sweet-sour combination that plays beautifully against the caramelized onions and rich beer. Get the recipe for Flemish Beef and Beer Stew »

Beef Brisket and Picadillo-Stuffed Empanadas

Tender, braised beef brisket is combined with raisins, sherry, pine nuts, and spicy chile powder in the fragrant filling for sugar-dusted, savory-sweet empanadas. Get the recipe for Beef Brisket and Picadillo-Stuffed Empanadas »

Doro Wot (Ethiopian Chicken Stew)

Spiced butter and an Ethiopian spice mix called Berbere are the secret to this long-cooking Ethiopian braised chicken dish. Get the recipe for Doro Wot (Ethiopian Chicken Stew) »

Beef Rendang

Instead of searing the meat before cooking it in liquid, as is done with a Western-style braise, beef rendang reverses the process. Slowly simmering beef chuck with Indonesian spice paste, coconut milk, and lemongrass yields an amazingly tender, rich dish that's great with both white rice or crusty bread. Get the recipe for Beef Rendang »

MORE TO READ

Want more Saveur?

Get the world's best recipes and kitchen tips in your inbox.

LET'S GO