This French Onion Pot Roast recipe is packed with flavor. It simmers low and slow in the oven in a robust french onion jus until it’s succulent and fall apart tender. Serve over creamy mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort food dinner.

Ingredients to Make French Onion Pot Roast Recipe

There’s something comforting about a flavorful pot roast served over a heaping helping of creamy mashed potatoes. This oven braising technique results in fall apart tender beef, deeply caramelized onions and a rich and flavorful french onion gravy. This recipe begins with a chuck roast which is perfectly suited for braising and slow cooking. In this comfort food recipe I’ll show you how to braise a fork tender chuck roast in the oven, plus I’ve included the slow cooker technique for busy days.

Checkout this quick list of ingredients you’ll need to make tender French Onion Pot Roast: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

Beef – One 3-4 pound boneless chuck roast trimmed of excess fat.
Onion – Four jumbo sweet onions such as Vidalia or OSO Sweet for a mild onion flavor.
Liquid – Low sodium beef broth or beef stock and dry red wine or sherry. (You can use all beef stock.)
Oil – Olive oil or vegetable oil for sautéing the onions as well as searing the seasonings onto the beef.
Seasonings – Kosher salt and black pepper.
Acidic Notes – Balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce
Fresh Garlic – Whole garlic cloves amps up the flavor of the sauce.
Herbs and Aromatics – Bay leaves and fresh thyme.
Cornstarch Slurry – Cornstarch dissolved in cold water to thicken the gravy.

ingredients-to-make-french-onion-pot-roast

How to Make the BEST French Onion Pot Roast

Season Beef – Season chuck roast on all sides with salt and black pepper then sear the roast on all sides in a Dutch oven drizzled with olive oil. Remove from the pot.
Onions – Add onions and season per the recipe. Cook over medium heat in the same pot for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Mix-ins– Add balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce and garlic for added flavor. Continue to cook the onions for an additional 10 minutes to develop the flavor.
Herbs and Stock – Preheat the oven to 325°F. Add bay leaves to the pot and center the roast over the onions. Add sprigs of fresh thyme plus beef stock and wine to the pot. Cover and transfer to the oven.
Oven – Braise the roast with the onions per the cook time in the recipe.
Thicken Sauce – Thicken juices on the stovetop using a cornstarch slurry.
Serve – Serve French Onion Chuck Roast drizzled with French onion gravy.
French Onion Pot Roast in a Crockpot – Season and sear the roast per the recipe and place into a slow cooker. Follow the instructions for Steps 2-5 making the onions per the recipe, then pour over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Remove the roast to a platter increase the heat to high, then thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry.

Kitchen Equipment to Make French Onion Pot Roast Slow Cooker

6 quart or larger Dutch oven.
Measuring cups and spoons.
Small bowl to make the cornstarch slurry.
Sharp knife and chopping board.
Garlic press and large spoon for stirring.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

Use a Chuck Roast – This recipe does best using a chuck roast. A london broil isn’t as suited for slow cooking due to the lean nature of the meat. While cooking a chuck roast, the fat renders and makes for a tender and mouthwatering end result.
Sherry Substitution – Sherry adds acidic notes to the sauce that balances the flavor of the rich french onion gravy, and makes it so delicious. You could use red wine, or extra stock in its place.
Onion – I use jumbo sweet onions in this recipe such as Vidalia or OSO Sweet. You can use yellow onions if that’s your preference, for an even stronger onion flavor. Sweet onions are more mild in flavor.
Baking Dish – If you don’t have a Dutch oven, sear the roast in a large skillet on the stove top then transfer it to a 13×9-inch baking dish for baking.
Stock – Beef stock or beef broth will work interchangeably in this recipe. You could also use a can of french onion soup in place of part of the beef broth.
Remake Leftovers – You can make an open faced french onion pot roast sandwich topped with Gruyere cheese for a round two meal. Pop it under the oven broiler to melt the cheese.
How to Make a Cornstarch Slurry – The jus for this pot roast is thickened with a cornstarch slurry. To make a slurry, in a small bowl, mix together cornstarch with cold water until completely dissolved then whisk it into the cooking liquid. Repeat the process until the sauce is thickened to your taste.
Side Dishes to Serve with a Pot Roast – Round out the meal and serve this over creamy mashed potatoes, baked rice or sweet potatoes with a side of creamed spinach, a chopped salad or creamed potatoes and peas.

Storage and Leftovers

Leftovers – Store leftover French Onion Pot Roast in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating – You can make and reheat this pot roast before serving. When doing so, reheat while covered over medium heat on the stovetop or place the Dutch oven back into a preheated 350°F oven covered with foil, just until heated through. Don’t overcook or it will be tough.
Freezer – You can freeze leftover pot roast for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat just before serving.

More Easy Beef Recipes to Make

Open faced Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches are filled with comfort.
Add this Corned Beef and Cabbage to your St Patrick’s Day celebration.
Oven Braised Beef Stew with chunks of potatoes and carrots will warm you up from the inside out.
Tender Slow Cooked Braised Beef Short Ribs are simply delicious.
Impressive puff pastry wrapped Beef Wellington.
This Barbecue Beef Brisket melts in your mouth.
Grilled London Broil from Food Network.

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