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I am thrilled with how incredibly delicious this Fench Onion Pot Roast turned out! The meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender, after slow cooking to perfection in the perfect caramelized onion gravy!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unbelievably Tender: Seared and then slow-cooked for hours, the roast turns out perfectly fork-tender and packed with flavor.
- Rich, Savory Gravy: Caramelized onions create a deep, flavorful gravy that coats every bite with deliciousness.
- Minimal Effort, Maximum Flavor: With simple ingredients and hands-off cooking, you get a gourmet-quality dinner without much hassle.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: I love making this for a cozy family dinner, but it’s also great for special occasions. Serve it over my dad’s famous mashed potatoes with Lion House Rolls for a meal to impress!
Ingredients Needed
***Onion Tip: We tested this recipe a couple of times to get it just right. When the onions were sliced too thin, they were almost nonexistent when everything was done cooking. I switched to cutting the onions thicker, about 1/2 inch slices, and it was perfect!
How to Make French Onion Pot Roast
Making French Onion Pot Roast is all about patience, and it’s so worth the wait. Slowly caramelizing the onions is key! They create the irresistible gravy that soaks into the tender beef as it cooks low and slow. Let the oven do the work, and you’ll be rewarded with an irresistible roast that’s packed with savory goodness!
- Season the Roast: Heat half of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Season the chuck roast all over with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Sear on Each Side: Cook the roast for 3 minutes on each side to develop a browned crust. Remove the roast and then set aside on a plate.
- Add Onions: Reduce to medium heat, then add the remaining olive oil along with the sliced onions to the Dutch oven. Cover and cook the onions, removing the lid to stir occasionally until tender and cooked down. Remove the lid and cook for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are browned. While the onions cook, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add Seasonings: Add minced garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and pepper, then cook for a couple of minutes.
- Make the Sauce: Whisk the all-purpose flour into the onions, creating a paste, and slowly pour in the beef broth, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Bake, Shred, and Serve: Add the roast back to the Dutch oven and spoon the gravy mixture over it. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and put it into the preheated oven. Bake the roast for 4 hours or until the meat falls apart easily. Shred the pot roast and serve it fresh!
Choosing & Prepping for the Best French Onion Pot Roast
To have this French onion pot roast recipe turn out melt-in-your-mouth good, it all starts with the right cut of meat!
- Pick the Perfect Cut: For that super tender pot roast, it starts with the cut of meat. You want a cut that has lots of marbling. Which means it’s got lots of striations of fat running through it. This produces that amazing texture. Chuck roast is the ideal cut, but brisket is another heavily marbled meat.
- Sear for Maximum Flavor: Searing the meat at a high temperature brings out the most flavor in the meat! It caramelizes the natural sugars and brings out the savory flavor of the beef with its rich brown crust.
Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Pot Roast Instructions
- Instant Pot: If you have an instant pot large enough to fit the roast and all the liquids, you can use it to make this recipe! Once you’ve caramelized the onions and made the gravy, add it along with the roast into the instant pot. Seal it, and set it to manual pressure cook for 60 minutes. Do a natural pressure release and serve.
- Slow Cooker: Once you’ve caramelized the onions and made the gravy, add it, along with the roast, into the crockpot. Spoon some of the gravy and onions over the roast, cover, and Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours until the meat falls apart.
How to Store Leftover French Onion Pot Roast
- In the Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- In the Freezer: Freeze the roast in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. I like to freeze my leftovers in portions so I can reheat just what I want to eat rather than the whole thing.
More French Onion Recipes
That classic French onion flavor is just SO delicious! If you love it too, try our other French onion-inspired recipes, like French Onion Dip, French Onion Chicken, and more! Please leave a comment and review letting me know how you liked it!
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French Onion Pot Roast
This French Onion Pot Roast becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender as it simmers in a rich, savory gravy infused with sweet caramelized onions.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chuck roast
- salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 large halved and sliced onions sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 3 cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Heat half of the 4 tablespoons olive oil, in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the 3 pounds chuck roast all over with salt and pepper.
- Cook the roast for 3 minutes on each side to develop a browned crust. Remove the roast and set it aside on a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining olive oil along with the 3 large halved and sliced onions to the Dutch oven, cover and cook the onions, removing the lid to stir occasionally until tender and cooked down, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and cook for 10-15 more minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are browned. While the onions cook, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the onions are well browned (caramelized), add in 1 tablespoon minced garlic,1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Whisk the 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour into the onions, then slowly whisk in the 3 cups beef broth, 1 cup red wine, and 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce.
- Add the roast back to the Dutch oven and spoon the gravy mixture over it. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and put it into the preheated oven.
- Bake the roast for 4 hours or until the meat falls apart easily. Shred the roast and serve fresh!
Nutrition
Calories: 572kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 46gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 938mgPotassium: 1007mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 51IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
