Slow Cooker French Onion Chuck Roast: A Flavorful Family Favorite

French Onion Pot Roast
By: Julia Pacheco
This French Onion Pot Roast is slow-cooked to tender perfection in a rich, savory onion gravy. It’s cozy, comforting, and perfect for Sunday dinner. Imagine the aroma filling your home as this delectable dish simmers away, promising a satisfying and heartwarming meal. This recipe transforms a simple chuck roast into a culinary masterpiece, making it a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 8 hrs
Total Time: 8 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 5
Elevate your dinner experience with this easy-to-follow French Onion Chuck Roast recipe. Utilizing the convenience of a slow cooker, you can achieve maximum flavor with minimal effort. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or just starting out, this recipe provides clear and concise instructions for a consistently delicious outcome. This is more than just a recipe; it’s a pathway to creating unforgettable family moments around the dinner table. The tender, flavorful beef combined with the sweet, caramelized onions creates a harmonious blend that will tantalize your taste buds.
Perfect for busy weeknights or lazy Sunday afternoons, this slow cooker recipe allows you to set it and forget it. The long cooking time ensures that the chuck roast becomes incredibly tender, practically melting in your mouth. The French onion-inspired gravy adds a sophisticated touch, turning an ordinary pot roast into an elegant and flavorful meal. Serve it with mashed potatoes, crusty bread, or your favorite side dishes for a complete and satisfying dining experience.
The key to this recipe’s success lies in the slow and low cooking method. This allows the flavors to meld together beautifully, creating a depth of taste that is simply unmatched. The onions caramelize slowly, releasing their natural sweetness and adding a rich, savory note to the gravy. The beef broth, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce further enhance the complexity of the flavor profile, resulting in a truly exceptional dish.
Ingredients
- 2 lb chuck roast
- 2 large white onions, cut into rings
- 1 cup beef broth
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- ½ tsp thyme
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar
- 2 tbs cornstarch, + 2 tbs water to make cornstarch slurry (optional)
Feel free to experiment with the ingredients to customize this recipe to your liking. Add a splash of dry red wine for an even richer flavor, or include some carrots and celery for added nutrients and texture. You can also adjust the amount of garlic and thyme to suit your personal preferences. The beauty of this recipe is that it’s incredibly versatile and can be adapted to accommodate your dietary needs and taste preferences.
One of the best things about this French Onion Chuck Roast is its versatility. It can be served in a variety of ways, making it a great option for meal prepping or leftovers. Shred the beef and use it in sandwiches, tacos, or even as a topping for baked potatoes. The flavorful gravy can also be used as a base for soups and stews, adding a delicious depth of flavor to your favorite comfort food dishes.
This recipe is not only delicious but also incredibly budget-friendly. Chuck roast is a relatively inexpensive cut of beef, and the other ingredients are pantry staples that most home cooks already have on hand. This makes it a great option for feeding a large family without breaking the bank. Plus, the slow cooker method requires minimal hands-on time, freeing you up to focus on other tasks while your dinner cooks itself.
Instructions
- Cut onions into rings, set aside.
- Make the sauce in a medium size bowl: Add in the broth, garlic, tomato sauce, thyme, Worcestershire and red wine vinegar.
- In the slow cooker, put in half of the onions and half of the sauce.
- Place in your your chuck roast and season with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Add the remainder of the onions and liquid.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- You can serve it as is now, but if you want to thicken the gravy continue on.
Thickening the gravy (additional 10 – 20 minutes)
- Remove the meat and onions to a separate dish and shred it.
- Set the crockpot on high temp.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing equal parts cornstarch and water in a little bowl and pour it into the broth.
- Stir well and add meat & onions back in.
- Continue to cook additional 10 – 20 minutes.
- I like to serve it over mashed potatoes with a side salad!
Don’t be afraid to adjust the cooking time based on your slow cooker’s performance. Some slow cookers cook hotter than others, so it’s important to keep an eye on the roast to ensure that it doesn’t overcook. If the roast is tender enough to shred easily after 6-7 hours on low, you can reduce the cooking time accordingly.
For an extra layer of flavor, consider searing the chuck roast before adding it to the slow cooker. This will help to create a beautiful crust and add a depth of flavor to the finished dish. Simply heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, season the roast with salt and pepper, and sear it on all sides until it’s nicely browned.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can also make this recipe in a Dutch oven. Simply follow the same instructions, but cook the roast in the oven at 325°F (160°C) for 3-4 hours, or until it’s tender enough to shred. Be sure to keep the Dutch oven tightly covered to prevent the roast from drying out.
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Nutrition
Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 588mg | Potassium: 888mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 234IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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