Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Onions (Printable)

Tender beef chuck roast with caramelized onions and rich gravy, slow-cooked to perfection for effortless comfort food.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 3 pounds beef chuck roast
02 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt
03 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

04 - 3 large yellow onions, sliced
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
07 - 2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces

→ Liquids

08 - 1 cup beef broth
09 - 1/2 cup dry red wine, optional
10 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
11 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

→ Herbs and Seasoning

12 - 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
13 - 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
14 - 2 bay leaves

→ Thickener

15 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch, optional
16 - 2 tablespoons cold water for slurry, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pat the beef roast dry with paper towels and season all sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until well-browned, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the seared roast to the slow cooker.
03 - In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the sliced onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and browned. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker with the roast.
04 - Arrange the carrot and celery pieces around the roast in the slow cooker.
05 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together beef broth, red wine if using, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. Pour the mixture over the roast and vegetables in the slow cooker.
06 - Add the thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, and bay leaves to the slow cooker.
07 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW setting for 8 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and all vegetables are soft.
08 - Transfer the cooked roast and vegetables to a serving platter. Discard the thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, and bay leaves from the slow cooker liquid.
09 - In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cold water to create a smooth slurry. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker liquid, cover, and cook on HIGH setting for 10 to 15 minutes until the gravy reaches desired thickness.
10 - Slice or shred the pot roast and arrange on the serving platter. Spoon the caramelized onions and rich gravy over the roast and serve alongside the roasted vegetables.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The hands-off cooking method gives you perfect, fork-tender beef every time without hovering over a hot stove.
  • Something almost magical happens with those onions as they melt into the gravy over hours, creating a sauce so good youll want to drink it straight.
02 -
  • Searing the meat before slow cooking isnt just for color, its essential for developing the complex flavors that make this pot roast memorable.
  • After numerous disappointing attempts with lean cuts, I discovered chuck roast is non-negotiable, as its connective tissue breaks down during slow cooking to create that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
03 -
  • After years of trial and error, Ive found cutting onions into thick half-rings instead of diced pieces gives them better texture and prevents them from disappearing completely into the gravy.
  • For the richest flavor, use homemade beef stock if you have it, or look for store-bought bone broth which provides similar depth without the work.

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