French Onion Pot Roast – Tender and delicious pot roast recipe cooked to pull-apart perfection in a slow cooker layered with tender onions in a savory sauce. This pot roast is the ultimate easy comfort meal perfect for any night of the week!
This melt in your mouth pot roast recipe is made using a beef chuck roast. It more than exceeded our expectations! It is super flavorful, tender and the best part is it is so easy to make.
We served our French Onion Pot Roast with gravy from the broth it produced while cooking over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. You can also serve this pot roast with your favorite steamed veggies, a baked potato, a fresh salad and more.
This recipe serves about 4-6 people depending on everyone’s appetite. If you are cooking for a crowd, you can double the recipe. To store leftover pot roast: Store completely cooled pot roast in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days in the fridge.
Ingredients you need to make my Slow Cooker French Onion Pot Roast Recipe:
Chuck Roast – You will need a 2 pound chuck roast for this recipe. It doesn’t need to be exactly 2 pounds but close to that amount is good. Look for one with as little fat as possible. However, excess fat can be trimmed off.
Red Onion – You will need one large red onion or equivalent to 2 cups thinly sliced. You can also use white, yellow or sweet onion but I do prefer red in this recipe.
Garlic Cloves – Fresh garlic is best in this recipe.
White Wine Vinegar – If you don’t have white wine vinegar, you can also use red wine vinegar.
Worcestershire Sauce – This will be used in the sauce.
Tomato Sauce – This will go into making the sauce to cook your roast in.
Beef Broth – You will need 1 cup of beef broth.
Salt – I used sea salt in this recipe, but you can use any salt you have on hand. This is used to season the chuck roast.
Black Pepper – About a teaspoon of black pepper to season the chuck roast.
Thyme – I used 1/2 tsp fresh chopped thyme, but you can also use 1/4 tsp dried thyme.
Parsley – Fresh chopped parsley is sprinkled on top of the pot roast at the end for a fresh flavorful touch (optional).
Cornstarch/ All-Purpose Flour – You’ll need about 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to make gravy at the end.
Tools to have on hand to make slow cooker pot roast:
- Slow Cooker – You will need a slow cooker to make this recipe.
- Measuring Cups + Spoons – To properly measure the ingredients for this recipe.
- Cutting Board – To slice your onions and chop fresh herbs.
- Chef Knife – To slice onions and chop fresh herbs.
How to make French Onion Pot Roast:
In a small bowl, whisk together tomato sauce, beef broth, minced garlic, thyme, worcestershire sauce and white wine vinegar.
Trim any excess fat off of your chuck roast. Salt and pepper all sides of the roast.
In the bottom of your slow cooker, add half of the sliced red onions. Pour half the sauce over the onions. Place chuck roast on top of the onions and evenly sprinkle remaining onions on top. Pour remaining sauce on top.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours. When ready, roast will be fork tender.
Serve pot roast with gravy over a bed of mashed potatoes with a sprinkle of fresh parsley(optional). Enjoy!
To make gravy for the pot roast: Use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or flour per 1 cup of sauce from the slow cooker. Heat over low heat stirring frequently until sauce lightly thickens.
**Recipe notes: Pro Tip! PRIOR TO MAKING GRAVY – IF YOUR SAUCE TURNS OUT GREASY(chuck roast is a fatty cut of meat), separate sauce from pot roast and pour into a tall clear container. Place in the fridge to allow the grease to float to the top of the container. It will lightly harden when separating from broth making it easier to separate. Then, scoop or ladle out the grease. Now, you have a nice grease-free broth to make your gravy with.
How to make Pot Roast in the Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker:
Cook on “high” or “manual” mode for 1 1/2 hours. Let pressure release naturally when done (about 15 minutes). When done, shred beef with two forks.
My favorite side dishes to serve with pot roast:
Creamy Mashed Potatoes – Easy, creamy, buttery mashed potatoes sprinkled with fresh parsley. When it comes to mashed potatoes, the more butter the better! Add a little cream cheese and sour cream and you have the most satisfying mashed potatoes.
Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potatoes – Fresh rosemary and garlic baked red potatoes with a light golden crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
Balsamic Glazed Carrots – Quick and easy balsamic glazed baby carrots with a hint of lemon and honey. These are perfect for a healthy side dish to pair with your lunch or dinner!
More slow cooker main course recipes I think you’ll love:
Slow Cooked Tender London Broil – This London broil recipe is super easy and absolutely melt in your mouth delicious. The flavor is slightly sweet but mostly savory. If you are looking for a tender, pull-apart London broil recipe that takes very little effort from start to finish, look no further!
Slow Cooker Tender Short Ribs – English cut short ribs seared in a cast iron skillet then cooked low and slow in a red wine sauce.
Crockpot Italian Meatballs – Homemade Italian meatballs are the perfect easy weeknight meal cooked low and slow in your slow cooker. Serve on a bed of warm spaghetti or on toasty buns for a delicious meatball sandwich.
French Onion Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 2 lb Chuck Roast
- 2 cups Red Onion thinly sliced
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 cup Tomato Sauce
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Thyme chopped, or 1/4 tsp dried
- 2 tsp Fresh Parsley chopped
- 1-2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour or cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together tomato sauce, beef broth, minced garlic, thyme, worcestershire sauce and white wine vinegar.
- Trim any excess fat off of your chuck roast. Salt and pepper all sides of the roast.
- In the bottom of your slow cooker, add half of the sliced red onions. Pour half the sauce over the onions. Place chuck roast on top of the onions and evenly sprinkle remaining onions on top. Pour remaining sauce on top.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours. When ready, roast will be fork tender.
- To make gravy for the pot roast: Use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or all-purpose flour per 1 cup of sauce from the slow cooker. Heat over low heat stirring frequently until sauce lightly thickens.
- Serve pot roast with gravy over a bed of mashed potatoes with a sprinkle of fresh parsley(optional). Enjoy!
Notes
Thank you for stopping by! If you tried this recipe, please don’t forget to leave a review.
Can I use this with other cuts of beef. I have a rump roast and am not sure if these roasts can be used interchangeably.
Amazing!! My entire family loved it!
So very good!! My family LOVED it. Probably my go to pot roast recipe now. Thank you so much!
Hi Kari! I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed this roast! :)Amanda
I have been searching for crockpot recipes that are actually good and not just “meh”. This one hit the spot for our picky household! I’ll be honest….I wasn’t convinced that it was going to be yummy because I couldn’t really smell it (only slightly) throughout the house while it cooked. I thought it was going to be bland just based off of that. Boy were we happily surprised!
This one is going in the book as a monthly meal, for sure!
I added more fresh thyme than it called for because we absolutely love the thyme flavor, and some more fresh garlic because well…yum! But that is all we did differently and it turned out pretty amazing!
It fell apart nicely once it was done, and this was actually pretty simple to put together. Perfect for the hectic family life!
Hi Rose, Thank you so much for the nice review! :)Amanda
I think messed up by using chuck I unfortunately got a Lol confused on what I pulled out of freezer whoops! Still turned out pretty good and easy to make whole family liked it I was just wondering if you had any tips on the gravy my came out a little lumpy
This recipe is so good! I accidentally added one cup of flour instead of what the recipe said I completely misread it, but I just kept adding a bunch of Beef broth to fix the issue lol but other than that, it was amazing!!
Hi Jessie! Thank you for the review!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. :)Amanda
Great recipe! The only thing I altered was I subbed half of the beef broth for beer, used a very hoppy IPA. And added lots of mushrooms of course! Came out wonderful!
Hi Erin! Thank you for the review. Those additions sound yummy! 🙂
Will the flavor be the same
using sweet onion instead of Red onion?
Yes 🙂
Was wondering if there is just an oven recipe for this my crock broke and i wanna try it so bad.
Hi Chelsea! You can make this recipe in the oven at 250 degrees for about 2 1/2 hours. Be sure to bake in an oven-safe dish with lid or covered in foil. :)Amanda
How long would I cook this for in an instant pot??
Hi Ashley! Cook on “high” or “manual” mode for 1 1/2 hours. Let pressure release naturally when done (about 15 minutes). When done, shred beef with two forks.
I’ve been feeling depressed lately, so I wanted something easy and manageable. The best thing was coming home from a long shift and having this delicious smell floating down the hall. I definitely had to use more seasonings but it was hearty and delicious and really feeling. The best part? I’m getting at least five meals out of this, so I get to bring lunch to work for my best friend. Thank you for making something delicious that really made my day!
Tried this today – it was delicious and so easy. This will be a great cold weather comfort meal at my house! Thanks for posting.
This sounds so amazing! Have you ever done this as a freeze ahead meal?
I saw this last evening and it looked so good that I had to try it today. Had a chuck roast in the freezer, put it in the refrigerator overnight, in the morning I trimmed the fat off and sliced it 1/4 inch thick on a bias. The roast was still partially frozen so it was easy to do. I followed your recipe, the only thing I did differently was I used chives on the potatoes. It tastes amazing, my wife said don’t loose this recipe. Can’t wait to try it on rice or noodles.
My daughter shared this recipe with me. Made this and it is amazing!! Not sure how to add a pic…but it even looks pretty!
Amanda, if you dbl the recipe, will the cooking time be the same? Want to try!!
Hi Ginger,
Check the meat at normal time, if it isn’t pull-apart tender, cover and cook for another hour or so. :)Amanda
Hi Lori! Thank you so much for the 5 star review! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Making this right now… its only been an hour and I can already smell how amazing it’s going to be.
Made this last night and it was a hit with everyone including my picky 11yr old! Will definitely be making this again.
Hi Michelle! Wow! So happy you and your family enjoyed this recipe ! :)Amanda
If the roast is starting at the frozen stage, how long should it cook in the crockpot?
Thank you!
Hi Beth! I haven’t tried this recipe using a frozen roast, but I think 8-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high would do the trick for a frozen roast. :)Amanda
Do the onions go in the gravy? Or separate them out?
Hi Jordynn, you can separate them out. :)Amanda
Had for dinner tonight – absolutely amazing!!! I was out of tomato sauce so I had to make my own real quick last minute but it was absolutely amazing. Thank you!!
Hi Heather! So happy you enjoyed it! :)Amanda
Any suggestions for InstaPot? i.e. time/temp? Thanks!
Hi Vanessa, Here are the instant pot/pressure cooker instructions: Cook on “high” or “manual” mode for 1 1/2 hours. Let pressure release naturally when done (about 15 minutes). When done, shred beef with two forks.
Please update this with specific measurements for how much tomato sauce, garlic, vinegar and worchestershire sauce.
Hi Serena, The measurements are all listed above in the recipe card. 3 Garlic Cloves minced, 1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar, 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, 1/4 cup Tomato Sauce. (:Amanda
I hope you scrolled all the way down past the blog post to find the recipe…
Can you cook this in an instant pot?
https://www.popsugar.com/food/Slow-Cooker-Instant-Pot-Conversion-43823473/amp
Hope the link helps. I had to google this question because I wanted to know as well. This recipe looks amazing.
Is there a pressure cooker version of this recipe?
This recipe was a huge hit with my family. The roast was so tender, and the gravy was so flavorful. I added carrots to the slow cooker to add some quick vegetables to the meal. I have been eating the leftovers as a roast sandwich every single day.
Sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try this.