This Slow Cooker French Onion Roast is the perfect comfort food choice. It’s a great chilly evening go-to when you’re craving something warm and satisfying. If your panty staples are limited and you don’t want to go out – improvise! That’s what I did. After researching several recipes online, I couldn’t match the ingredient roster for any of them. But, I had an idea of the basic framework and built my own. I encourage you to do the same. Trust yourself, experiment and enjoy!
Slow Cooker French Onion Roast Sauce Base
Start by cutting a large yellow onion in half and layer the slices in the the bottom of your slow cooker pot. (You can certainly substitute a different onion variety here). Next, you’ll prepare a sauce base. Pour half of the sauce over the onions you placed in the pot.
To make the sauce base for a Slow Cooker French Onion Roast, you’ll need to combine the following in a small mixing bowl.
- 1/4 cup of diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable, beef or bone broth
- 2-3 Garlic cloves minced up
- 1 teaspoon of rosemary
- 1 teaspoon of thyme
- 1 tablespoon of seasoning sauce (worcestershire, soy or teryaki)
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar (champagne, sherry, white wine or balsamic) f
If you do not have the exact ingredients, this is where you can experiment depending on what’s in your panty. For example, I didn’t have broth stocked in mine. But, I did have veggie dip mix. I reconstituted that with boiling water, and stirred it in as the broth portion. It worked just fine. Also, I did not have Worcestershire – but soy sauce did the job!
Roast Prep
Now that the onions in the pot are covered with half the sauce, pat your roast dry with paper towels and season it with salt and pepper. I used a chuck roast (approximately 2 pounds).
Finishing Slow Cooker French Onion Roast
Lay the seasoned roast on top of the onion mixture in the slow cooker. Cover the roast with slices from the remaining half onion. Pour the second half of the Slow Cooker French Onion Roast sauce over the top.
Put the cover on the pot and ensure the lid is sealed securely. Set the unit on high and let the Slow Cooker French Onion Roast cook for 4 hours.
- When the roast is cooked through, remove it from the pot. Set it aside on a plate and cover it with aluminum foil. Leave the slow cooker on the high setting.
- Skim the fats and oils from the surface of the sauce.
- Remove 1/3 cup of the sauce with a cup. Add two tablespoons of cornstarch to the cup. (You can also use flour if you do not have cornstarch). Mix with a fork until smooth.
- Add the cornstarch mixture back into the slow cooker and stir with a spoon until blended thoroughly.
- Uncover the roast. Using two forks, shred the meat. It will be very tender. Remove any strings of fat.
- Place the shredded roast back into the pot. Stir. Place the cover back on the slow cooker and leave on the high setting for another 10 or 15 minutes while you prep the rest of your meal.
Serving Suggestions:
I served my Slow Cooker French Onion Roast with mashed butternut squash and broccoli roasted in the oven with olive oil and red pepper flakes. Be creative here with what you have on hand!
You can garnish the top with parsley, chive or scallion for some added color.
Again, use your imagination and be creative!
Related Simple Comfort Food Recipes
Slow Cooker French Onion Roast
Equipment
- 1 Crock Pot
- 1 Measuring Cups & Spoons
- 1 Small Mixing Bowl
- 1 Cutting Board & Knife
Ingredients
- 2 lb. Chuck Roast
- 1 Large Yellow Onion
- 2 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Pepper
Sauce
- 1/2 cup Diced Tomatoes
- 1 cup Vegetable or Beef Broth
- 2-3 large cloves Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp. Vinegar (Champagne, White Wine or Balsamic)
- 1 tsp. Thyme
- 1 tsp. Rosemary
- `1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tbsp. Cornstarch
Instructions
- Dry the roast with paper towels. Rub salt and pepper on each side.
- Slice large onion and layer half on bottom of the crock pot.
- Mix diced tomatoes, broth, garlic, rosemary, thyme, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Dump half of the sauce mixture over onions in the crock pot.
- Lay the roast on top on the onions and sauce.
- Top with remaining onions.
- Cover with remaining sauce.
- Seal crock pot with cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
- When roast is done, remove to a plate and cover with foil. Leave sauce in the crock pot on high setting.
- Skim oils from surface of sauce in the pot. Put two tablespoons of corn starch into a cup. Add 1/3 cup of the skimmed sauce and stir until smooth. Add this mixture back into the sauce in the crockpot and stir until mixed thoroughly.
- Using two forks, shred the beef that you have set aside. It will come apart easily. Remove any stringy pieces of fat or gristle. Return tender, shredded beef to the crock pot. Put lid back on and leave at high setting for another 10 or 15 minutes while prepping sides.
- Serve Slow Cooker French Onion Roast with sides of your choice. I chose butternut squash and roasted broccoli. Garnish with chopped parsley, chives or scallion.
I am going to have to try this! Looks easy and yummy. Will be a great Dutch oven try!
Yes! You can adapt it for a Dutch oven or an Instant Pot. Enjoy!