Savory Crock Pot French Onion Pot Roast (Print Version)

Tender beef slow-cooked with caramelized onions, herbs, and wine, topped with melted Gruyere cheese.

# What You'll 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
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, 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 crock pot. 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 crock pot, cover, and let melt for about 5 minutes.
09 - Serve topped with onions, sauce, and melted cheese. Garnish with fresh parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The slow cooker does all the work while you go about your day, and you come home to a house that smells like a French bistro.
  • Caramelized onions and red wine create a sauce so flavorful you will want to soak up every drop with crusty bread.
  • Tender, fall apart beef topped with melted Gruyere turns a simple pot roast into something truly special.
02 -
  • Searing the roast before it goes into the crock pot is not optional, the caramelized crust adds a depth of flavor you simply cannot get from raw meat cooked in liquid.
  • If your sauce seems too thin at the end, mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water, stir it into the liquid, and cook on high for ten to fifteen minutes until it thickens into a luscious gravy.
  • Do not skip the ten minute rest after removing the roast, it allows the juices to redistribute so every slice stays moist and tender.
03 -
  • Use a full-bodied red wine you would actually enjoy drinking, the flavor concentrates as it cooks, so a cheap, harsh wine will make the sauce taste sharp and unpleasant.
  • If you want an even deeper onion flavor, caramelize the onions for an extra five minutes until they are dark golden and starting to stick to the pan, then deglaze with a splash of the wine before adding them to the crock pot.
  • Let the cheese melt with the lid on but the crock pot turned off, this prevents it from breaking or becoming greasy from too much direct heat.
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