Savory French Onion Pot Roast (Print Version)

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

# 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 minced 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 approximately 5 minutes.
09 - Serve topped with onions, sauce, and melted cheese. Garnish with fresh parsley.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The meat becomes so tender it barely needs a fork, and the slow cooker does all the heavy lifting while you go about your day.
  • One-pot simplicity with restaurant-quality flavor that tastes like you fussed over it for hours.
  • Those caramelized onions and melted Gruyere turn an ordinary dinner into something that feels celebratory and warm.
02 -
  • Don't skip the searing step—it takes only 20 minutes but creates the flavor foundation that makes this taste rich and complex instead of just soft and tender.
  • If your sauce seems too thin at the end, mix cornstarch with cold water and stir it in while the pot is on HIGH for 10–15 minutes, but honestly, the natural sauce from the beef and onions is usually perfect as-is.
03 -
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, check the roast around 7 hours—some cookers cook faster than others, and you want that tender texture, not pulled-apart falling-apart meat.
  • Slice the roast thicker than you think you need to; it holds together better and feels more substantial on the plate, and the cheese drapes beautifully over thicker pieces.
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