Savory Crock French Onion Roast (Printable version)

Tender beef slow-cooked with sweet caramelized onions, red wine, and herbs, finished with gooey Gruyere cheese. A comforting, flavorful main course.

# What you need:

→ Beef

01 - 3 to 4 pounds chuck roast
02 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Liquid & Seasoning

07 - 1 cup beef broth
08 - 1 cup dry red wine (or substitute with extra beef broth)
09 - 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)

→ For Serving

13 - 6 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese
14 - Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Generously season the chuck roast on all sides with salt and pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add onions and mushrooms (if using). Sauté until onions are golden and beginning to caramelize, about 8–10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
04 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together beef broth, red wine (or additional broth), Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, and rosemary.
05 - Place the seared roast in the crock pot. Top with the sautéed onions and mushrooms.
06 - Pour the broth mixture over the roast and onions.
07 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8–10 hours, until the roast is fork-tender.
08 - Remove the roast and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice or shred as desired.
09 - Place cheese slices over the meat in the crock pot, cover, and let melt for about 5 minutes.
10 - Serve topped with onions, sauce, and melted cheese. Garnish with fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The beef becomes so tender you can cut it with a fork while developing those crispy edges everyone fights over
  • Rich flavors from wine and caramelized onions create a sauce that tastes like it simmered all day because it did
  • Melted Gruyere on top adds the perfect finish that makes this feel fancy without any real effort
02 -
  • Searing the beef first creates fond in the pan which dissolves into the cooking liquid adding essential depth that slow cooking alone cannot achieve
  • Letting the roast rest before slicing prevents all those delicious juices from running out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat
  • The cheese step at the end is what makes this taste like French onion soup so do not skip it even if you are impatient
03 -
  • Pat the beef completely dry before seasoning so it sears rather than steams in the skillet
  • Low and slow is genuinely better here so resist the urge to crank the heat to speed things up
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