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Slow Cooker French Onion Pot Roast

Slow Cooker French Onion Pot Roast turns chuck roast into fork-tender beef with a savory French onion gravy. Sweet, caramel-style onions and a slow-cooked broth create spoonable richness for mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chuck roast
  • 3.5 lb boneless chuck roast
Seasonings
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
Onion and garlic
  • 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic, minced
Broth and mix
  • 2 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 can (1 oz) French onion soup mix
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Thickener and garnish
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp cold water
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Serving suggestions
  • 1 Mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Season and sear the roast
  1. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels, then season all sides with the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the roast for 3–4 minutes per side until deeply browned.
  3. Transfer the seared roast to the slow cooker.
Add the aromatics and braising liquid
  1. Nestle the sliced yellow onions and minced garlic around the roast in the slow cooker.
  2. Whisk together the low-sodium beef broth, French onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard, then pour it over the roast and top with the butter.
Slow-cook until fork-tender
  1. Cover and cook on Low for 8–9 hours (or on High for 5–6 hours) until the beef is fork-tender and easily shreds.
  2. Transfer the roast to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil.
Thicken to French onion gravy
  1. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together, then stir the slurry into the slow cooker juices.
  2. Cover and cook on High for 10–15 minutes until the gravy thickens.
Serve
  1. Spoon the French onion gravy over the roast, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve with mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.

Notes

For the most even flavor, slice the onions thin so they soften into the gravy as they cook. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or microwave until hot. Freeze cooked leftovers up to 3 months (gravy may thicken further on thawing—thin with a splash of broth if needed). For a lower-sodium swap, choose reduced-sodium French onion soup mix and use low-sodium broth.