French Onion Pot Roast Recipe

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This French Onion Pot Roast is the kind of meal folks remember. It’s hearty, simple, and tastes like home. You take a good chuck roast, add a few onions, and let it cook low and slow until it’s fall-apart tender. The onions melt right into the broth and make the nicest gravy you ever had. We’ve made this for years, and it always comes out right.

You can fix it before church, let it go all afternoon, and supper’s ready when you are. It fills the house with the kind of smell that brings people to the kitchen asking, “Is it ready yet?”

What You’ll Need

• 2 pounds beef chuck roast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 red onions, sliced thin
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
• ¾ cup beef broth or stock
• 1 (1-ounce) packet French onion soup mix
• 2 teaspoons parsley, chopped (optional)
• A little cooking oil

Equipment

• Skillet
• Slow cooker
• Sharp knife
• Mixing bowl

Note: if you are a beginner with no knife experience, go with the 8″ version for more comfort and control.

How to Make It

1. Brown the Meat
   Sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of the roast. Heat a heavy skillet with a bit of oil. Brown the meat on all sides until it gets a good crust. This takes about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Move it to your slow cooker.
2. Sauté the Onions
   In the same pan, cook the sliced onions until they’ve got a little color, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add garlic at the end and stir it around. Pour this over the roast.
3. Mix the Sauce
   Stir together the soy sauce, tomato paste, broth, and soup mix in a bowl. Pour that over the roast and onions.
4. Slow Cook It
   Put the lid on and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. When it pulls apart easy with a fork, it’s ready.
5. Serve It Up
   Take out the roast and place it on a nice platter. Spoon the onions and gravy on top. Sprinkle with parsley if you like.

Handy Tips

• Chuck roast is best. Plenty of marbling means tender meat.
• Red onions give a little bite, but yellow ones work just fine too.
• If you’ve got carrots or potatoes, toss them in. One less side dish to worry about.
• Don’t skip browning the meat. It makes a big difference in flavor.

Storing Leftovers

Put leftovers in a jar or covered dish in the icebox. Keeps for 3 or 4 days. You can freeze it too. Just be sure it’s cool first. Use a freezer-safe container. Good for a couple months.

Nutrition (per serving, serves 6)

About 317 calories, 31g protein, 17g fat, and 10g carbs.
Note: This is a rough guess. If you need to know for sure, ask your doctor or look it up.

Common Questions