Savory French Onion Pot Roast (Printable)

Slow-cooked chuck roast with caramelized onions, wine, thyme, and melted Gruyere for ultimate comfort.

# Ingredient list:

→ Beef

01 - 3 to 4 pounds chuck roast
02 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

03 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 cups sliced mushrooms, optional
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Liquid and Seasoning

07 - 1 cup beef broth
08 - 1 cup dry red wine or additional beef broth
09 - 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

→ For Serving

13 - 6 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese
14 - Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

# How-to:

01 - Season the chuck roast generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add onions and mushrooms if using. Sauté until onions are golden and beginning to caramelize, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
04 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together beef broth, red wine or additional broth, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, and rosemary.
05 - Place the seared roast in the slow cooker. Top with the sautéed onions and mushrooms.
06 - Pour the broth mixture over the roast and onions.
07 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, until the roast is fork-tender.
08 - Remove the roast and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice or shred as desired.
09 - Place cheese slices over the meat in the slow cooker, cover, and let melt for about 5 minutes.
10 - Serve topped with onions, sauce, and melted cheese. Garnish with fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The slow cooker does all the heavy lifting while you go about your day, and you come home to a house that smells like a French kitchen.
  • That combination of caramelized onions, red wine, and melted Gruyere tastes fancy but requires almost no skill once everything is in the pot.
  • Leftovers turn into the kind of sandwiches people ask about days later.
02 -
  • Searing the roast isn't optional, that caramelized crust adds a layer of flavor the slow cooker alone can't create.
  • If your sauce looks thin after cooking, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water, stir it in, and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes until it thickens beautifully.
  • Resting the meat after cooking lets the juices redistribute, so every slice stays moist instead of drying out on the cutting board.
03 -
  • Use a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker so the roast has enough room to braise evenly without crowding.
  • If you want an even deeper onion flavor, caramelize the onions longer, up to 15 minutes, until they're dark golden and almost sticky.
  • For a gluten-free version, double-check that your soy sauce and Worcestershire are certified gluten-free, many brands sneak in wheat.
  • Don't skip the resting step, cutting into the roast too soon lets all those precious juices run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
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