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The perfect warming pot roast recipe for the chilly months! My French onion pot roast is a mashup of winter favorites. It’s seriously full of flavor and you can even make it in the slow cooker for a stress-free dinner!
I’ve got a crazy simple french onion pot roast recipe to share with you today.
It really sounds a lot more difficult than it is. And the best part? You can make it in the slow cooker or the stovetop. Melt-in-your-mouth tender beef drizzled with a caramelized onion sauce over a bed of cheddar mashed potatoes – have mercyyy!
It’s family-friendly. Simple but fancy enough for entertaining.
I made this simple french onion pot roast for dinner one rainy evening. And it was a huge hit! It also doesn’t hurt that there aren’t many dishes to wash afterwards.
Plus this pot roast recipe definitely makes tons of leftovers. Just think about that for a second: french onion pot roast over buttered egg noodles, warm sandwiches with melty roast beef, gooey gruyere cheese on hot rolls.
Also, this is one of those dinners where the leftovers actually taste even better. So don’t be afraid of ’em.
This was fantastic!!! I’m not a huge lover of traditional roast flavor but love the pull apart meat. Now I can have both delicious flavor and perfect pull apart meat when I cook roast! Definitely a keeper 🙂
Ingredients for French onion pot roast:
- Beef Chuck roast: Use a two pound roast for a family of 4-6 people. Keep in mind that the roast will shrink a bit and it cooks so you’ll need more meat than you would think.
- Butter and oil: we’ll sear the meat in the butter and oil before adding everything to our slow cooker.
- Minced garlic: how can you make any good recipe without garlic?
- Onions, onions, onions: I like to use two large yellow onions for this recipe. Thinly slice the onions so that the become fall-apart tender in the crock pot while they slow cook.
- Beef broth: we’ll let the meat become fall apart tender in the slow cooker in the liquid as it simmers.
- Sauces: you’ll need Worcestershire sauce and apple cider the vinegar. The Worcestershire sauce adds umami to the dish and the vinegar helps tenderize the meat.
- Seasonings and Herbs: you’ll need onion powder, fresh thyme leaves or dried thyme, a bay leaf, celery seeds, some cornstarch and if you’re thinking that all of these ingredients sound like the content of a French onion soup mix, you would be correct. We’ll use cornstarch to make a slurry to thicken the au jus at the end.
Instructions for the best french onion pot roast:
- Sear the meat. pat down the chuck roast, then season generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat a skillet or a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add butter and oil and allow the butter to melt and start to cracker. Sear the roast on each side for a few minutes or until it develops nice crust on the outside. Remove the roast to a plate.
- Slice your onions really thin. The onions release all that natural flavor which then tenderizes the meat as it slow cooks. You can also sauté the onions for a few minutes in a tablespoon of butter over medium heat if you want to really build your flavors even more because they’ll pick up all the brown bits left behind by the meat. Do much depth of flavor there.
- Let it slow cook. Add half of the onions to the slow cooker, followed by the garlic, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, onion powder, dried thyme, bay leaf, celery seeds, sugar and the chuck roast. Top with the remaining onions. Cover the slow cooker with a lid and let it go low and slow. Test the meat for doneness using two forks. It should shred easily.
- Make a gravy. Remove the meat from the slow cooker. Cover and keep warm. Combine the cornstarch with water in a small bowl to make a slurry. You can pull out the aromatics, like the bay leaves. Pour this into the slow cooker and whisk to combine. Let it cook for several minutes. if the gravy is still thin, you can use additional cornstarch and water to thicken it to your liking.
- Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the leftovers. Just allow to defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Tips for the best onion pot roast:
Make sure to pat down the surface of your chuck roast and sprinkle generously with salt and black pepper.
Also, use the right size. Don’t overcrowd your pan. I like to use a stainless steel pan or a cast iron skillet or dutch oven because both of these retain the heat really well.
The milk solids will burn with the high heat that we need to sear the roast. So always, always use a little oil to prevent this from happening.
Make sure to allow the meat to sear for at least 3-4 minutes/side without trying to lift it. It’s hard but avoid it. Step away for a minute or two if you have to. Once it’s seared you’re ready to transfer everything into an oven-safe pot or a slow cooker and continue with the recipe.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
- French Onion Chicken Meatballs
- Jammy Hot Caramelized Onion Dip with Gruyere
- Braised Cider Pot Roast with Onions
- Gruyere Mac and Cheese with French Onion Crust
- Best Ever Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes
Soul Warming French Onion Pot Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck roast see notes for larger
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 3 garlic cloves pressed or minced
- 2 yellow onions thinly sliced
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅛ teaspoon celery seeds crushed between fingers
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
- SEAR: Pat down your chuck roast and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. If you're making the pot roast in the oven, you can do this directly in the dutch oven. Add the butter and a splash of oil. When the butter melts and starts to crackle, add the chuck roast to the skillet and sear on all sides for about 2-3 minutes per side. You want the meat to brown as this will make a more tender and flavorful roast. Remove to a plate.
- OPTIONAL: Add a little more oil to the pan and sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes or until they sweat down just a tad bit.
Slow Cooker:
- Add half the onions to the slow cooker, followed by all the garlic, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, dried thyme, bay leaf, celery seeds, sugar, and the chuck roast. Top with the other half of the onions. Allow the roast to cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours. I let mine go for 8 and it was fall-apart tender.
- Remove the meat from the slow cooker. Cover, keep warm. Combine 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch and water in a small bowl or mason jar. Add to the slow cooker, stir and let cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. If the gravy is still thin, use the remaining tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water, let cook an additional 5 minutes.
Oven Directions:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 275ºF. Once you sauté the onions (step 2), add the chuck roast back in to the dutch oven along with the garlic, 2 cups of beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, dried thyme, bay leaf, celery seeds, and sugar. The liquid should come half way up the chuck roast, if it doesn't add additional broth until half of the chuck roast is submerged. Stir to combine.
- Cover the dutch oven with a lid and let braise in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven, check for doneness and continue braising for an additional 1 to 1 ½ hours. Your roast it done when it easily pierces with a fork.
- Remove the meat from the dutch oven. Cover, keep warm. Combine 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch and water in a small bowl or mason jar. Heat the dutch oven over the stove on medium-high heat on the stove until the liquid reaches a simmer.
- Add the cornstarch mixture to the pot while stirring. Let the gravy regain a simmer. If the gravy is still thin, use the remaining tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water, let cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
Serving:
- Serve the pot roast over a bed of fluffy cheddar mashed potatoes or even with some no knead crusty bread on the side with a house salad!
Notes
- If you double or triple the recipe, you’ll need 6-8 quart slow cooker.
- Here’s the 3 quart slow cooker I have and love for a 2 pound roast.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
Where does the cornstarch go?
Very very delicious dish!
This recipe was a winner!!! So so good! I bought a bigger roast and doubled the recipe and I’m so glad I did. I roasted carrots and made homemade mashed potatoes. I think I could have drank the gravy! Amazing
I never know how much salt and pepper to put on meat. I am doubling the recipe and using 5 lb boneless chuck roast. In teaspoons, how ‘much salt and pepper do I need to generously season the meat? Thanks for your help. Unfortunately, I am not a very good cook but really want to make this recipe.
Hi Maggie, I generally use about 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of beef and half the quantity of black pepper. But that does change a bit if I’m using beef/chicken stock for the recipes. Then, I’ll cut the salt back to about 3/4 teaspoon and use low sodium stock. The pepper quantity remains the same. This may not necessarily work for your taste buds, but it’s a good starting point. If you prefer things salty, you may want a little more, if you prefer less salt, you can cut back to about 1/2 teaspoon/pound. Hope that helps! 🙂
My daughter send me this recipe and my husband made it in the crock pot. Amazing recipe, love that it is served over mashed potatoes and the flavors are wonderful. Will be definitely making this again.
Made this tonight and it was delicious! I used my instant pot.
This is the meal that I won over my now husband with. I was very intentional in making it for him because, you know, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. And boy, did this work!
I loveeee hearing that; thank you for sharing!
This recipe is definitely a keeper! So fast and easy. I used fresh thyme and served it over mashed potatoes. I even let it cook for 9 hours. The roast was so flavorful and tender. It pulled apart with a fork. It’s a must try!!!!
I made this beautiful pot roast recipe today using my oven rather than slow cooker. The house smelled so wonderful all afternoon and the taste was splendid. I paired it with a tray of roasted vegetables. The recipe is a total keeper, thank you so much!
This was fantastic!!! I’m not a huge lover of traditional roast flavor but love the pull apart meat. Now I can have both delicious flavor and perfect pull apart meat when I cook roast! Definitely a keeper 🙂
Just put this in the slow cooker, cant wait to try! I used a rump roast. I hope it turns out good!
Loved it! Super easy to make as well!
I’m making this recipe for a second time. I conservatively made a double batch the first go around thinking I would have leftovers but it all disappeared! In addition to mashed potatoes, what other sides would you recommend for this pot roast? Maybe something green?
Garlic sautéed green beans, kale, or even spinach would work well!
Hi Marzia,
thanks for the recipe. It sounds amazing. I actually prepared this in my instant pot this morning but decided to cook using the slow cooker feature for 8 hours on low heat. I was curious, I did not have any celery seeds therefore did not use it. Will this change the flavor tremendously? I am really hoping it does not! Can’t wait to come home and try it!
The parsley garnish makes the dish look so fancy!
Hey there! It won’t change the flavor tremendously but the celery seeds do add a nice flavor profile to the dish! Hope you enjoy the roast fully 🙂
Can you make this in the crockpot on high instead of low and how long? Thank you.
Yes, I think it should be just fine on high as well. It’ll take you anywhere between 3½-5 hours.
I have never been a pot roast enthusiast (my husband is) but I am a French onion soup lover so I had to try this recipe. We both loved loved loved it! I had mushrooms that needed to be used up so I threw those in and ended up not thickening the sauce because we decided an au jus would work better on baked potatoes or straight from the pot. Usually, I follow a recipe exactly the first time before making any modifications but I will do that next time. I can’t wait for leftovers.
Can I use a bottom round roast for this recipe?
Hi Jaimie, I think a round bottom roast should be just fine here. The slow cooking time may vary slightly, so I just suggest keeping an eye on it near the end. Hope you enjoy the roast!
This is one of our favorite recipes to make! A little extra prep for a crock pot meal but so worth the effort! I like to add a bit more corn starch at the end (probably ends up being closer to like 5 Tbsp) to really thicken up the gravy.
I’m making this tonight for dinner and my house smells so amazing!! I know my two little girls will love this! Can’t wait to try it! (:
This is a great recipe and I can’t wait to try it. Can you please tell me how much is one serving? At 351 calories per serving I feel like that is more than one cup. I had weight loss surgery and need to count my calories and protein and just want to make sure I can figure out how much I should eat at a time. Thank you!
Hi Amanda! I usually just divide the recipe into sensible portions and calculate calories and such that way. If you’d like additional info for your diet, it might be more beneficial if you plugged the url of this page into MyFitnessPal.com (or the app, it’s super easy that way). It’ll give you all the exact numbers so you can stay within your required perimeters! If you have any trouble with it, feel free to shoot me an email, and I’d be more than happy to walk you through it 🙂