I've Made 180 Dinners This Year, but THIS Is the Best One
When it comes to the ultimate comfort meal, few things can compare to pot roast. Whether it’s a classic pot roast with all the fixings, or a shortcut-style Mississippi pot roast in the slow cooker, it’s a one-pot dish that fills the whole house with its irresistible aroma.
Here, I’ve combined two of my favorite cozy meals — pot roast and French onion soup — into a dinner that tastes fancy, but is also incredibly easy to make. From the deeply caramelized onions and rich, red wine sauce to the fall-apart tender braised beef, it’s the most comforting dinner you’ll want to make all winter. Bonus: If you have leftovers, they make the absolute best sandwiches (with French bread and melted Gruyère cheese!) the following day.
Why You’ll Love It
The caramelized onion gravy tastes luxurious. Caramelized onions, red wine, and beef broth turn into a rich and incredibly flavorful gravy. Perfect over mashed potatoes or egg noodles!
The braised beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender. The whole thing is slowly braised in the oven until it’s fall-apart tender.
Key Ingredients in French Onion Pot Roast
Beef chuck roast: You’ll want to use a boneless beef chuck roast, around 3 pounds. Choose one with minimal visible fat, if possible.
Onions: Yellow onions have the perfect balance of sharpness and sweetness.
Red wine: The wine deglazes all the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and adds a deep, rich flavor to the sauce. Choose a full-bodied dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon.
Broth: Use a low-sodium beef broth so you can control the salt level of the pot roast.
Aromatics: Garlic, fresh thyme, and dried bay leaves infuse a lot of flavor to the dish.
How to Make French Onion Pot Roast
Sear the chuck roast. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels, season with kosher salt and black pepper, then sear in a large Dutch oven until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
Caramelize the onions. Slowly cook the onions, stirring occasionally at first and then more frequently once the onions start to brown, until the onions are a rich caramel brown color. Reduce the heat as needed, and make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot when stirring.
Add the remaining ingredients. Stir in the garlic and flour, then add the red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the beef broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Return the roast and any accumulated juices to the pot and bring to a simmer.
Cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook until the meat is gently falling apart when pricked with a fork, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Shred the roast into bite-size pieces with tongs before serving.
Storage Tips
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with French Onion Pot Roast
French Onion Pot Roast Recipe
Tender braised beef in a rich, caramelized onion gravy.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 4 hours 30 minutes
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 (3-pound) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dry red wine
2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
5 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for serving
2 dried bay leaves
Instructions
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Pat 1 (3-pound) boneless beef chuck roast dry with paper towels. Season all over with 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the roast and sear until dark golden-brown on two sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 6 thinly sliced large yellow onions, the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the pot. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir, cover again, and cook for 5 minutes more.
Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally at first and then more frequently once the onions start to brown, until the onions are a rich caramel brown color, 30 to 40 minutes. Reduce the heat as needed if the bottom of the pot is getting too dark. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot when stirring. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F.
Stir 4 minced garlic cloves into the onions and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the onions, stir well, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup dry red wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in 2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth, 5 fresh thyme sprigs, and 2 dried bay leaves.
Return the roast and any accumulated juices to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is gently falling apart when pricked with a fork, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Skim off some of the fat from the surface if desired. Remove and discard the thyme stems. Shred the roast into bite-size pieces right in the pot with tongs before serving. Garnish with more fresh thyme leaves if desired.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Further Reading
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