This oven baked 3-ingredient beef barrington is the sort of old-fashioned supper-table recipe that earned its place on stained index cards and church potluck tables all across the Midwest. It leans on simple pantry staples to turn humble beef into glossy, tender, deeply savory bites, and that kind of thrift-and-flavor cooking has always had a welcome place in country kitchens. When the weather turns cool and folks start gathering indoors again, this is exactly the kind of warm platter that disappears before anything else.
Serve these beef bites over fluffy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or plain white rice to catch every bit of the rich sauce. For a buffet table, I like to set them out with toothpicks alongside green beans, roasted carrots, or a crisp cabbage slaw so the sweet-salty glaze has something fresh to balance it.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredient Beef Barrington
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 pounds beef stew meat or chuck roast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup bottled chili sauce
1 cup grape jelly
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Place the beef in a 9x13-inch glass baking dish in an even layer.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the chili sauce and grape jelly until well combined. The mixture will be thick and glossy.
3. Pour the sauce over the beef and turn the pieces so they are well coated. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
4. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, stirring once or twice during cooking, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has darkened and caramelized around the edges.
5. Serve hot straight from the dish or transfer to a warm platter for parties.
Variations & Tips
Slow Cooker Method: If you want to free up the oven, combine the beef, chili sauce, and grape jelly in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until tender.
Best Cut of Beef: Chuck roast gives the nicest texture because it softens beautifully as it bakes. If your stew meat is cut unevenly, trim the larger chunks down so everything cooks at about the same rate.
For Party Serving: This dish holds well in a small slow cooker on the warm setting, which makes it handy for tailgates, holiday nibble tables, and autumn church suppers.
Flavor Adjustment: If you like a tangier sauce, use a little extra chili sauce and slightly less jelly. If you prefer it sweeter and stickier, do the opposite. Old card recipes like this are forgiving, and a little tinkering never hurt a thing.