French Onion Pot Roast (Printable)

Slow-cooked beef simmered with caramelized onions and gravy over buttery egg noodles for a comforting meal.

# Components:

→ Beef & Aromatics

01 - 3 lbs beef chuck roast
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme
06 - 2 tbsp tomato paste

→ Liquids & Seasonings

07 - 1 cup beef broth
08 - 1 cup dry white wine or additional beef broth
09 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
10 - 1 tsp kosher salt
11 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

→ Pasta & Finishing

12 - 12 oz wide egg noodles
13 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
14 - 1 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese, optional
15 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish

# Method:

01 - Season the beef chuck roast generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until browned, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to the crockpot.
03 - In the same skillet, add sliced onions and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized. Add minced garlic, thyme, and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Deglaze the skillet with white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 2 minutes, then pour the entire mixture over the beef in the crockpot.
05 - Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce to the crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 8 hours or until the beef is very tender and easily shredded with forks.
06 - Remove the cooked beef from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Return the shredded beef to the crockpot and stir to combine with the onion gravy.
07 - Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain thoroughly and toss with butter until well coated.
08 - Spoon buttered noodles onto individual plates and top generously with shredded beef and onion gravy. Sprinkle with Gruyère cheese and fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The beef becomes so tender it practically dissolves on your tongue without any fussy techniques or pressure cooker drama.
  • Caramelized onions do the heavy lifting here, creating a gravy so naturally rich you might not even miss the cream.
  • Everything cooks while you ignore it for eight hours, which feels like cheating in the best way possible.
02 -
  • Searing the beef before slow cooking isn't just a technique—it actually matters because it develops a crust that adds depth the whole dish tastes better for.
  • Don't skip the caramelization step for the onions; rushing them on high heat gives you cooked onions instead of the sweet, complex layers that make this gravy worth remembering.
03 -
  • Pat the beef roast dry before searing—any surface moisture will create steam instead of a crust, which is the opposite of what you want.
  • Don't open the crockpot lid repeatedly during cooking; every opening releases heat and adds time to the process, so trust it and walk away.
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