Savory French Onion Pot Roast (Printable)

Tender pot roast with caramelized onions, red wine, thyme, and melted Gruyere cheese in the slow cooker.

# What You Need:

→ 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 as substitute
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 Make It:

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, approximately 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. Pour the broth mixture over the roast and onions.
06 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours until the roast is fork-tender.
07 - Remove the roast and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice or shred as desired.
08 - Place cheese slices over the meat in the slow cooker, cover, and let melt for approximately 5 minutes.
09 - Serve topped with onions, sauce, and melted cheese. Garnish with fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The meat comes out so tender you can cut it with a spoon, no knife fighting required.
  • Your kitchen smells like a French restaurant all day without any of the work.
  • Leftover slices tucked into a baguette with extra cheese make lunch worth looking forward to.
  • You can start it in the morning and forget about it until dinner with no babysitting.
02 -
  • Searing the roast first is not optional, it builds the flavor foundation that makes this taste like you spent all day in the kitchen.
  • If you skip the rest after cooking, the juices run out the second you cut into it and you lose all that moisture.
  • Don't use pre-shredded cheese, it has anti-caking agents that make it clump instead of melt smoothly.
03 -
  • Use a slow cooker liner for the easiest cleanup, the sauce can stick and caramelize on the sides overnight.
  • If you double the recipe, sear the roasts in batches so they actually brown instead of steam in a crowded pan.
  • Taste the sauce before serving and add a splash of vinegar or a pinch of sugar to balance the flavors if the wine tastes too sharp or too sweet.
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