Chuck Roast Yield: Cooked Pot Roast per Pound
A boneless chuck roast trimmed practically free of fat gives about 0.63 lb of cooked lean meat per pound, and a bone-in one about 0.54 lb, according to the USDA Food Buying Guide. That is about 0.6 lb of boneless chuck per person for 6 oz of cooked meat. Braised in USDA cooking tests, an arm pot roast kept 71% of its weight and a boneless under blade pot roast 64%.
USDA yields for chuck roast
From the USDA Food Buying Guide: how much ready-to-use or cooked product one pound as purchased gives. The figures work the same in metric: 0.54 lb per pound is 0.54 kg per kilogram.
| As purchased (USDA description) | Result, as USDA states it | Yield | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef Chuck Roast, fresh or frozen; With bone, Practically-free-of-fat | 1 lb AP = 0.54 lb cooked lean meat (cooked) | 54% | FBG table |
| Beef Chuck Roast, fresh or frozen; Without bone, Practically-free-of-fat | 1 lb AP = 0.63 lb cooked lean meat (cooked) | 63% | FBG table |
| Beef Chuck Roast, fresh or frozen; Shoulder clod, Without bone, 1/4-inch trim, (Like IMPS #114) | 1 lb AP = 0.61 lb cooked, trimmed, sliced, lean meat (cooked) | 61% | FBG table |
| Beef Chuck Roast, fresh or frozen; Under blade, Without bone, 1/4-inch trim, (Like IMPS #116E) | 1 lb AP = 0.64 lb cooked, trimmed, sliced lean meat (cooked) | 64% | FBG table |
| Beef Chuck Roast, fresh or frozen; Roll, Without bone, Practically-free-of-fat, (Like IMPS #116A) | 1 lb AP = 0.41 lb cooked, trimmed, sliced, lean meat (cooked) | 41% | FBG table |
Cooking yield by method
USDA cooking tests: cooked weight as a share of the raw weight of the cut as described.
| Cut | Method | Yield | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, chuck, arm pot roast, lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat | Braised | 71% | 1 |
| Beef, chuck, under blade pot roast, boneless, lean and fat, trimmed to 0" fat | Braised | 64% | 33 |
How much is waste
USDA’s nutrient database (SR28, NDB 13809) lists 21% of “Beef, chuck, arm pot roast, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, all grades, raw” as refuse: bone and connective tissue.
How much to buy
At 63% (cooked lean meat from boneless chuck), for 6 oz (170 g) portions:
| Portions | Cooked | Buy as purchased |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 3.75 lb (1.70 kg) | 5.95 lb (2.70 kg) |
| 25 | 9.38 lb (4.25 kg) | 14.9 lb (6.75 kg) |
| 50 | 18.8 lb (8.50 kg) | 29.8 lb (13.5 kg) |
| 100 | 37.5 lb (17.0 kg) | 59.5 lb (27.0 kg) |
Cost per usable pound
At 63%, the price as purchased becomes, per pound and per kilogram:
| Price as purchased | Cost per usable pound |
|---|---|
| $5.00/lb ($11.02/kg) | $7.94/lb ($17.50/kg) |
| $6.00/lb ($13.23/kg) | $9.52/lb ($21.00/kg) |
| $7.00/lb ($15.43/kg) | $11.11/lb ($24.50/kg) |
Example prices. Put yours in the food yield calculator.
The MiseKit app
This test is one case. MiseKit remembers all of them.
Yields drift with every supplier, every cutter and every week. Save each test in MiseKit and it holds the result against your standard, flags the case that came in short with what the shortfall cost, and passes the real cost of each cut into your recipes.
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Run your own numbers
Good to know
- Chuck cuts vary a lot: the Food Buying Guide gives 0.64 lb for under blade with a 1/4-inch trim but only 0.41 lb for a chuck roll trimmed practically free of fat.
- The arm pot roast cooking row comes from a single sample; the under blade row averages 33.
FAQ
How much chuck roast do I need per person?
About 0.6 lb (9 1/2 oz) of boneless chuck for 6 oz of cooked meat (0.375 lb ÷ 0.63), or about 0.7 lb bone-in (0.375 lb ÷ 0.54).
How much does a chuck roast shrink when braised?
A boneless under blade pot roast kept 64% of its weight braised in USDA cooking tests (33 samples, 61–78%), and an arm pot roast 71%.
How much meat do you get from a 3 lb chuck roast?
About 1.9 lb of cooked lean meat from a boneless roast (3 × 0.63), or about 1.6 lb from a bone-in one (3 × 0.54).
Sources
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (yield tables; public domain)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Table of Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry, Release 2 (2014)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28 (refuse)
USDA figures are averages; size, grade, trim, ripeness and cooking change them. Weigh your own main items before you cost a menu on them.
Last reviewed October 11, 2026.
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