This slow cooker recipe for pot roast with onion soup mix is a great way to get tender roast beef on a weeknight after a long day.
This is my favorite way to prepare the ever popular Sunday dinner…pot roast. Slow cooking and onion soup mix creates a delicious fork-tender roast from an inexpensive cut of meat. Serve it up with a green salad and you have a great meal with little effort and almost zero minutes of prep.
Are you looking for great roast recipes? Try my Grandma’s Sunday Oven Pot Roast or my Slow Cooker Shredded Pork Roast for a Crowd OR even Guinness Beef Roast. When it comes to roast…I’ve got you covered!
INGREDIENTS FOR SLOW COOKER POT ROAST with Onion Soup Mix:
- Dry Onion Soup Mix. The best thing is that you can use whatever packet of onion soup mix you prefer ( I usually grab the classic Lipton onion soup mix) and you’ll still get a yummy pot roast. Word of caution… try to find an onion soup mix that keeps the salt levels down.
- Beef Roast. A chuck roast is a budget-friendly, well-marbled beef cut that becomes super tender and flavorful after hanging out in the Crock Pot all day. Best of all, choose a big ol’ chuck roast so you will have yummy leftovers! Go ahead and substitute your favorite cut of beef in place of the chuck roast.
- Water. For extra flavor use beef broth instead of the 1/2 cup of water, if you have it. Try to use the reduced sodium beef broth (or beef stock), if you can.
- Cream of Mushroom soup. I like to make up a big batch of my Homemade Cream of Mushroom soup and use some for this recipe. But the red and white can of condensed mushroom soup works great!
- Carrots & red potatoes …optional. Use baby carrots to keep this easy and fast. Red potatoes are my favorite but my husband prefers golden potatoes. Both taste yummy if you want to add potatoes to sop up that rich gravy.
Boosting the Flavor of Your Pot Roast Roast Recipe
To elevate the classic slow cooker pot roast with onion soup mix, I usually add one or two of these simple flavor boosters, depending on my time & energy:
- Worcestershire sauce. Just a bit goes a long way in adding depth of flavor. Try using about a tablespoon the first time.
- Beef broth. Use part of a can of beef broth for the water for added flavor. Look for reduced sodium, if possible.
- Red wine. Or, a great substitute for the water is red wine. The alcohol helps break down the chuck roast even better!
- Garlic Powder or Garlic Cloves: For an extra punch of garlic flavor, sprinkle some garlic powder into the onion soup mix or toss in a few whole garlic cloves to cook alongside the chuck roast.
- Fresh Herbs: Adding a bundle of thyme or rosemary tied with kitchen string can infuse your pot roast with yummy flavor AND it looks fancy.
These simple additions can make your pot roast recipe absolutely delicious and full of so much flavor with minimal extra effort.
How to make Slow Cooker Pot Roast with onion soup mix:
- Add olive oil to a hot, large skillet on medium-high heat and place your chuck roast in when it is hot. Sear until the sides of the roast are golden brown. Place the roast on a platter to wait.
- Mix cream of mushroom soup, water (or beef broth), and onion soup mix. Be sure to get the brown bits off the bottom of the pan…that adds great flavor.
- Place your potatoes and carrots & veg on the bottom of the slow cooker (see tip below about adding them on top to avoid mushy veg).
- Pour soup mixture (only half!) into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Place chuck roast on top and pour the rest of the soup mixture on top of the roast.
Cooking Time for Pot Roast Recipe
If desired, make a delicious savory gravy from the remaining broth.
Tips for Making Pot roast in the Crock Pot:
What order do the meat and veggies go into the Crock Pot?
- Generally your root veggies like potatoes, onions, and carrots should go on the bottom of the slow cooker and the chuck roast is put on top. This helps ensure your veggies don’t dry out and that they absorb the yummy flavor. However, sometimes they get mushy. If you don’t like that then place them on top of the roast and, half an hour or so before you serve, give them a bit of a stir to be sure they get coated in the liquid.
Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the Crock Pot?
- Yes, you really should brown your roast. It helps create flavor, speeds up the cooking time in the crock pot, and eliminates extra grease in your dish. It really is worth the extra five minutes it takes to create a delicious pot roast.
Shouldn’t the pot roast be covered with liquid in the Crock Pot?
- It’s not necessary to completely cover the pot roast with liquid. The small amount of liquid you add helps steam and keep the roast moist while also infusing it with flavor—especially if you use beef broth.
- If you’re concerned about the roast drying out, you can baste it by spooning some of the cooking liquid over the top about an hour before it’s done. Just be careful not to do this too often, as lifting the lid of your slow cooker frequently can slow down the cooking process and you won’t get that yummy, fork tender pot roast.
Do you need to stir food in a slow cooker?
- Nope. Nope. And nope. In fact, taking the lid off the slow cooker releases the heat and slows down the cooking process. Try to refrain from stirring until the end of the cooking time.
How to Make Gravy from the Pot Roast Liquid
After your slow cooker pot roast is done—you know, the one that’s been quietly doing its thing while you handled everything else—you can turn that flavorful liquid into gravy. Because honestly? You’ve already done the hard part.
- Remove the roast and vegetables from the slow cooker and put them on a serving platter. You’re almost there.
- Skim off any excess fat from the surface with a spoon. Don’t stress about getting every bit—we’re not going for perfect here.
- Pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan and put it on medium heat.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with equal cold water.
- Slowly whisk that cornstarch mix into the simmering liquid. Keep stirring until it thickens—about 3 to 5 minutes. You’ll know when it’s right.
- Taste it and add salt and pepper if it needs it. Trust yourself here.
- Pour that gravy over your pot roast, potatoes, and carrots. Or serve it on the side with some bread for dipping—whatever works for your people.
Use this gravy on your potatoes and carrots, sure—but also? Save some for tomorrow’s roast beef sandwiches.
Got leftover Pot roast?
How to store your leftover pot roast:
Got leftover pot roast? Here’s how to keep it tasting just as good! Pop those leftovers, along with any of the delicious juices, into an airtight container and stash it in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for up to three days—perfect for quick meals later on. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, you can reheat in the oven: preheat to 325°F, skim off any fat, place the roast and veggies in a baking dish with the saved juices, cover loosely with foil, and warm it up for about 20 minutes until nice and hot. In a hurry? The microwave works great too—just cover your portion loosely with wax paper and heat on medium for 2-3 minutes.
How to eat up that leftover pot roast:
- Cut the leftover roast into smaller pieces and serve it over egg noodles for a beef stroganoff (sub the ground beef for the leftover beef).
- Roast beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes are always delicious!
- Make up a yummy shepherds pie (especially if you have leftover veg!)
- Vegetable Beef Soup is always perfect for using up leftovers.
The Slow Cooker Onion Soup Pot Roast Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Put the oil in a cast iron skillet, salt and pepper roast, and brown over medium heat, turning to brown all sides of roast.
- Remove roast to a platter and turn heat to low.
- In same skillet, mix together soup, dry onion soup mix, and water. Stir to mix and get browned bits off the bottom (this is the good stuff :)).
- Pour 1/2 mixture from skillet into the crockpot, then lay roast in.
- Pour remaining mixture from skillet over the top of roast.
- Arrange potatoes around the roast.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until roast falls apart and potatoes are tender.
Notes
– Searing gives a yummy caramelized flavor to the meat.
– Searing helps eliminate extra fats and grease from the meat.
– Searing helps speed up the cooking time. But…You don’t HAVE to sear your meat. Why don’t you try not searing one time and searing the next and see which you prefer?
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
Paulette advises:
“Recipe is easy to follow and is delish! I recommend adding the onions and carrots just because I love veggies. Makes a lot of gravy so some mashed potatoes might help use that up :)”.
Other easy crockpot recipes:
- Sweet & Spicy Crockpot Meatballs
- Crock Pot Strawberry Dump Cobbler
- Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (Slow cooker recipe)
- 3 ingredient Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Recipe
- Slow Cooker Chocolate Stout Cake
- 17 Slow Cooker Desserts you NEED to try!
- the Easiest Sausage Queso Dip (slow-cooker)
- CrockPot Baked Beans (with bacon)
- easy Homemade Applesauce Recipe (stovetop, crockpot, instant pot recipes)
I’m so glad it worked out great!
I started making this for Easter dinner for my siblings and it was a hit! Used a red wine and broth mixture for the liquid.
Who doesn’t love a Pot Roast?! This one is fast and oh so tasty! Adding it to my list of great comfort food recipes!