This slow cooker pot roast recipe is full of flavor with tender chuck roast and onions that cook down into a rich savory French onion gravy. We serve it with buttery mashed potatoes and cheesy toasts for an easy dinner that feels special.
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Holly’s Notes From the Test Kitchen
While I love a classic pot roast made in the oven, this slow cooker French Onion pot roast is perfect for days you need to set-it-and-forget-it.
- Flavor: Caramelized onions, seasonings, and beef drippings create a rich onion gravy. We serve with cheese toasts inspired by French onion soup.
- Slow Cooker Setting: I haven’t included a time for cooking on high, as our tests showed a noticeable difference between low and high settings. Chuck roast becomes much more tender when cooked low and slow.
- Serving Suggestions: Best over mashed potatoes, egg noodles (store-bought or homemade), or rice with plenty of gravy. Also delicious with a side of roasted baby red potatoes or other roasted vegetables.
Ingredient Tips
- Onions: Use yellow onions for a classic flavor. Sweet onions are not recommended as they will sweeten the gravy too much.
- Dry White Wine: Adds another layer of flavor and deglazes the fond (brown bits in the skillet); replace it with extra broth if needed.
- Beef Roast: The best meat for crock pot pot roast is chuck roast, which comes out perfectly tender every time. Other great options include round roast or rump roast. Avoid very lean roasts.
- Beef Stock or Broth: Stock creates a richer gravy, but broth works well too. Use low-sodium if desired. Add additional bouillon for a richer flavor.
Variations
- Sauté mushrooms with the onions for a savory twist.
- Prefer sliced roast instead of shredded? Tie the roast with kitchen twine before searing, and leave it on during the cooking process for neat slicing.
- A bouquet garni (small bundle of fresh herbs tied with a string) of parsley, thyme, and/or rosemary can be added.
How to Make a Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Once the prep is done, this easy, hands-off roast is impressive to serve!
- Season and sear the roast, then add it to the slow cooker.
- Caramelize the onions and garlic, deglaze with wine, and pour over the roast.
- Add the remaining ingredients (see full recipe below) and cook on low.
- Rest the roast, thicken the gravy, and serve.
How to Prep Ahead Of Time
This roast is great for busy weeknights but does need a little bit of prep.
- Prepare the cheesy toasts up to 48 hours in advance, reheat them in the air fryer or microwave for serving.
- Caramelize the onions up to 3 days before cooking.
- Combine all gravy ingredients in a bowl or freezer bag up to 48 hours before cooking.
Perfect Pot Roast Tips
- Pat the roast dry before seasoning so it browns better in the skillet.
- If the roast is not tender within the allotted time, it likely needs more time to tenderize, not less.
- Onions will disintegrate into the gravy while cooking. Make extra caramelized onions for serving if desired.
Fridge and Freezer Tips
- Leftovers: Keep cooked pot roast in the gravy, and store them together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze beef in the gravy for 2–3 months for the best quality.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop with a splash of broth, or microwave in short bursts, stirring to heat evenly.
More Beef Roasts We LOVE!
Did you make this French onion pot roast? Leave a comment and rating below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 to 4 pounds chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 large yellow onions sliced ¼-inch thick, more if desired, *see notes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 1¼ cups beef stock or beef broth
- 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 beef bouillon cube crumbled
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
For the Gravy
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch see note
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Pat the roast dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown for 4 to 5 minutes per side and place it in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet. Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and starting to lightly brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the wine to the onions and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, then pour over the roast in the slow cooker.
- Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon cube, bay leaf, and thyme.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the roast is fork-tender. Transfer it to a plate to rest while you make the gravy, and discard the bay leaf. Skim any fat off the drippings.
- For the gravy, skim any fat off the top of the juices and discard. Transfer the juices to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water. Gradually whisk the cornstarch into the boiling juices to reach the desired thickness. You may not need all of the cornstarch mixture.
- Shred or slice the roast and serve over mashed potatoes topped with gravy. Serve cheesy baguette slices on the side (see notes).
Notes
The roast can be cooked on high for 4 to 6 hours; however, we find that cooking on low for 8-10 hours yields the most tender roast. If using a larger roast, allow extra time.
If the roast is not tender within the allotted time, it likely needs more time to tenderize, not less.
*Onions: The onions will disintegrate into the gravy while cooking. Make extra caramelized onions for serving if desired.
Gravy: The amount of cornstarch needed can vary based on how much juice the roast produces so I prefer to thicken on the stovetop. You can thicken in the slow cooker by adding the cornstarch mixture in to the slow cooker after removing the roast. Cover and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes, or until thickened. For a thicker gravy, use 4 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Cheese Toasts For serving (optional)
Cheese toast can be made 24 hours ahead of time and warmed in the oven or air fryer before serving.
- Preheat the broiler to high and adjust a rack 4 to 6 inches below.
- Slice a baguette or stale French bread into ½-inch thick slices, place them on a baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with 1½ cups shredded Gruyere cheese and 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, about 2-3 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 409 | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 701mg | Potassium: 761mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
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I made this roast yesterday. Perfect for a snowy day. I did use a rib roast. Next time I will use a chuck roast. The recipe is amazing and the gravy sublime. Having it tonight too
Lorraine, I am happy to hear that you enjoyed the roast and the gravy.
Definitely a do over! The gravy was superb. Made your Best Mashed Potatoes which are the best. I tossed my other mashed potato recipe. Heating the milk I think was the difference. Plan to make your nachos w/ the leftover roast!
Jon, we are glad you enjoyed the roast. The combination with the mashed potatoes sounds delicious. Let us know how it goes with the nachos.
eaay-no tomato, no veggies, but tremendous flavor.
Stef, we are happy to hear that you enjoyed the pot roast.
I made this earlier this week and it was fantastic! My husband said I had to give it 5 stars! It was so tender and full of flavor!! I served it over mashed potatoes and it may have been the best comfort meal ever! I will definitely be making this again!
Claudia, we are happy to hear that your husband gave it such rave reviews. Serving it over mashed potatoes sounds delicious.
I love coming to your site. You have so many good recipes. I made this recipe over the weekend and it was fantastic. My family could not stop eating it. This would be great for a dinner party. Is this something that can be made in advance and would reheat well?
It should reheat well. We recommend warming on the stovetop with a splash of broth stirring to heat evenly.
Holly
I’m going to try this sounds so yummy. I just want to say I have tried many of your recipes and they have all been delicious and the prep simple. You are my first go to and you never disappoint. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for your kind words, this means so much to me!
Hi,
I like the recipe and want to know if it can be made on top of the stove.
Happy Holidays!
This recipe should work just fine on the stovetop. Prepare the roast and onions as directed.
Place the pot roast in a Dutch oven and add enough broth to cover about ⅔ of the way. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook for about 3 ½ to 4 hours. Check the roast and if it isn’t tender, continue cooking on low until tender.
Trying the recipe for our Christmas dinner. With a few differences. Let you know. Merry Christmas and thank you.
Can’t wait to hear how it goes Jill! Merry Christmas to you and your family too!
Any chance this can be made with a bottom round roast? It sounds so delicious!
Yes, a bottom round roast will be come tender when cooked low and slow and it would work well in this recipe.
Made this for my family, everyone loved it.
I am so happy to hear your family enjoyed this recipe Paula! Thank you for sharing.
looks delicious 😋 I definitely am going to try it
Let us know how it goes Carolyn!
Holly love your recipes simple concise instructions, no multiple steps. And, Just wondered because your last name is spelled just like Harry Nilsson. Maybe a couple generations- relations :) ?
So glad you’ve loved the recipes Cheryl! My last name is Swedish, my husband’s Grandfather was from Sweden. No relation to Harry Nilsson ;)
Would this size of chuck roast and the additions work in a 4qt slow cooker, or fill it too much? If I went with a smaller roast, would the cook time be the same in the 4 qt? TIA.
The cooking time will remain the same. For a 4qt slow cooker, I think a 3lb roast should fit. Let us know how it goes!
Looks great
It really is so delicious! I can’t wait for you to try it.
Hi Holly! Can this be made on a stovetop or Instapot? I don’t have a slow cooker? Thank you!
I think this would work well in a 6 Quart Instant Pot. You could use the slow cooker settings on the Instapot and follow this recipe or you could use the directions on my Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe. Let us know how it goes!