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We love pot roast in our house – especially shredded chuck, cooked in a rich and creamy gravy – and this Onion Soup Pot Roast is our new favorite at my home! This pot roast is packed with flavor from a super simple cooking process, loaded with sweet and buttery caramelized onions for a French Onion Soup flavor that is perfect with a tender, juicy roast!
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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
How To Make Onion Soup Pot Roast
I like this pot roast to have more of a creamy gravy, so it’s perfect to ladle over salt-baked potatoes or sweet potatoes. This roast is also awesome over cous cous, rice pilaf, or even buttered cabbage and noodles.
Onion Soup Pot Roast Ingredients
To make this pot roast, we will need:
- 3–4 onions – These are the flavor backbone of the entire dish. As they cook down, they melt into the broth and create a naturally sweet, savory, caramelized base that infuses every bite of the roast and gravy.
- 3–4 pound chuck roast – The perfect cut for slow cooking—full of marbling that melts into tenderness. It breaks down beautifully, becomes fork-soft, and absorbs all the rich onion flavor from the braising liquid.
- 2–4 tablespoons olive oil – Helps you get a deep, golden sear on the roast before braising. That browned crust adds huge flavor and gives the gravy a rich, savory depth you can’t get any other way.
- 2 cans condensed onion soup – Adds concentrated onion flavor, seasoning, and body to the braising liquid. It creates a savory, slightly sweet, ultra-comforting sauce that thickens naturally as the roast cooks.
- 1 cup beef stock – Thins the condensed soup just enough while boosting the beefy depth of the gravy. It keeps the roast moist and helps everything meld together as it simmers.
- 2 tablespoons quick-acting flour (Wondra) – Makes it easy to thicken the gravy without lumps. It dissolves instantly and helps the sauce become silky, smooth, and perfectly clingy.
- Chopped green onions (stirred in at the end) – Add a fresh, bright pop that cuts through the richness of the roast. They give the dish a little lift and a burst of color right before serving.
Steps to Make Onion Soup Pot Roast
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following steps:
Brown Roast
In a large dutch oven, add olive oil and heat until shimmery. Season pot roast well with salt and pepper.
Brown roast, on all sides, about 5-6 minutes per side until a dark brown crust forms on each side.
Add Onions
Reduce heat, stir in onions. Toss around pan to brown lightly.
Add Soup
Add cream of onion or chicken soup, broth, garlic, and herbs. Stir to mix.
Roast
Roast until fork-tender, about 3 hours, at 325F. Add green onions when removing from heat.
Shred Pot Roast
Remove pot roast from pot and place in bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or use two forks) and shred pot roast.
Thicken Gravy
Add 1-2 tablespoons Wondra flour to gravy to thicken. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low simmer until thick.
Stir in Meat
Stir shredded meat into gravy. Serve over salt baked potatoes, rice pilaf, or even french fries – and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Onion Pot Roast
Brown the roast really well. Take your time with the sear—deep browning builds the foundation of the gravy’s flavor and gives the roast a richer, beefier taste.
Slice the onions thick. Thicker slices hold up during the long cook and melt into the gravy without completely disappearing.
Use low, slow heat. Whether on the stovetop or in the oven, a gentle simmer helps the chuck roast break down into fork-tender perfection without drying out.
Don’t rush the cook time. Chuck roast needs time for the connective tissue to soften. If it’s not shredding easily, it just needs more time—give it another 30–45 minutes.
Degrease if needed. For a cleaner gravy, skim off excess fat after cooking the roast but before thickening.
Thicken gradually. Wondra dissolves quickly, so add it a little at a time until the gravy reaches your preferred consistency.
Taste and adjust. Condensed onion soup is seasoned already—taste the gravy before adding salt or pepper.
Let the shredded meat simmer briefly in the gravy. A few minutes of gentle bubbling helps the meat soak up flavor and gives the roast its signature “melting into the gravy” texture.
Add green onions right before serving. Stirring them in at the last minute keeps them bright and fresh, balancing the richness of the roast.
Make it ahead! This dish gets even better the next day as the flavors deepen—perfect for meal prep or holidays.
Onion Soup Pot Roast FAQs
Chuck is ideal because it gets super tender when cooked low and slow, but you can also use brisket or bottom round. Just note that leaner cuts won’t get quite as melt-in-your-mouth.
Nope! They’ll soften and caramelize naturally as the roast cooks. Slicing them thick helps them hold up and melt into the gravy.
Absolutely. Sear the roast first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7–9 hours or on high for 4–5 hours.
It just needs more time. Chuck roast becomes tender only after its connective tissues fully break down. Keep cooking until it easily pulls apart.
If you don’t want to use condensed soup (you can use cream of chicken or mushroom, too) – if needed, mix caramelized onions with beef broth and a little flour or cornstarch. It won’t taste exactly the same but still works well.
Totally up to you! Add Wondra a little at a time until it reaches the consistency you like—light and pourable or thick and spoon-coating.
Yes! This pot roast freezes beautifully. Store in a freezer-safe container with the gravy, and it will keep for up to 3 months.
Mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, rice, or crusty bread are all perfect for soaking up that onion gravy.
What to Serve With Onion Pot Roast
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Onion Soup Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 –4 onions, sliced
- 3 –4 pound chuck roast
- 2 –4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cans condensed onion soup
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tablespoons quick-acting flour, Wondra
- Chopped green onions, for stirring in at the end
Instructions
Sear the roast.
- Heat 2–4 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat the 3–4 pound chuck roast dry and sear on all sides until deeply browned.
Add onions and soup.
- Add the 3–4 sliced onions around the roast. Pour in 2 cans condensed onion soup and 1 cup beef stock. The liquid should come about halfway up the roast.
Cook until fork-tender.
- Cover and simmer on low (or bake at 300°F) for 3–4 hours, or until the roast is fall-apart tender and the onions have melted into the gravy.
Shred the roast.
- Remove the roast from the pot and shred it with two forks. Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid if desired.
Thicken the gravy.
- Whisk 2 tablespoons Wondra into the hot cooking liquid and let it simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
Return meat to gravy.
- Add the shredded roast back into the pot, stirring to coat everything in the onion gravy.
Finish with green onions.
- Stir in the chopped green onions just before serving for a fresh, bright finish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
