Savory Crock Pot French Onion (Print)

Tender chuck roast slow-cooked with caramelized onions, red wine, and thyme, 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 sliced onions and mushrooms if using. Sauté until onions are golden and beginning to caramelize, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
04 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together beef broth, red wine or additional broth, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, and rosemary until combined.
05 - Place the seared roast in the slow cooker. Top with the sautéed onions and mushrooms.
06 - Pour the broth mixture over the roast and onions, ensuring the meat is partially submerged.
07 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, until the roast is fork-tender and easily pulls apart.
08 - Remove the roast from the slow cooker and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice or shred as desired.
09 - Place cheese slices over the meat in the slow cooker, cover, and let melt for approximately 5 minutes.
10 - Plate the roast topped with caramelized onions, braising sauce, and melted cheese. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It turns a tough cut of beef into something so tender you can pull it apart with a fork, and your kitchen smells like a French bistro all day.
  • You get all the flavor of classic French onion soup baked right into a hearty pot roast without babysitting the stove.
  • The slow cooker does the hard work while you go about your day, then you come home to a dinner that feels fancy but required almost no effort.
02 -
  • Searing the roast before it goes into the slow cooker is non-negotiable, I skipped it once to save time and the flavor was noticeably flat.
  • If your sauce seems thin after cooking, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water, stir it in, and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes until it thickens up.
  • Let the roast rest before slicing or all those beautiful juices will run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
03 -
  • Do not rush the onion caramelizing step, those extra few minutes in the skillet create the sweet, jammy base that makes this taste like French onion soup.
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, check the roast around the seven-hour mark to avoid overcooking it into mush.
  • Save any leftover sauce and freeze it in ice cube trays, then pop a cube into gravies, stews, or even scrambled eggs for a hit of deep, beefy flavor.
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