Onion Soup Mix Pot Roast
Chuck roast slow-cooked with onion soup mix, potatoes and carrots until it falls apart. The packet does the seasoning; you take the credit.
- Easy
- Slow cooker
- Cast iron / Dutch oven
- Beef
- Dinner
- 495 min total
- Serves 6
Ingredients
Ingredients for servings
Enter a number of at least ½, in steps of ½.
Original recipe serves 6. Ingredient amounts adjust automatically. Cooking times and pan size may need adjusting separately.
- 3 lb beef chuck roast
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix, 1 oz, like Lipton
- 1 1/2 lb baby gold potatoes, halved
- 4 carrots, cut in 2-inch chunks
- 1 yellow onion, cut in wedges
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Gravy
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp cold water
Gear
- Slow cooker, 6 quart
- Cast iron skillet
- Saucepan
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Steps
Step 1: Pat the roast dry and season with pepper (the soup mix brings the salt).
Step 2: Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Sear the roast 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply browned.
Step 3: Put the potatoes, carrots and onion in the slow cooker. Set the roast on top.
Step 4: Pour the broth into the hot skillet and scrape up the browned bits. Stir in the Worcestershire and pour it over the roast. Sprinkle the soup mix over the top.
Step 5: Cover and cook on Low 8 to 9 hours or High 5 to 6 hours, until the beef pulls apart easily with a fork.
Step 6: Move the beef and vegetables to a platter. Skim the fat off the liquid. Pour the liquid into a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and stir in the cornstarch mixed with the cold water. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes until it thickens into gravy.
Step 7: Shred or slice the beef and serve with the vegetables and gravy.
Swaps
- Oven: In a Dutch oven, covered, at 300°F for 3.5 to 4 hours.
- Veggies: Add parsnips or celery. Red potatoes are fine.
- Liquid: Swap half the broth for a dark soda like cola for a sweeter gravy.
Tips
- Don’t skip the sear. It’s 8 minutes of work for a lot more flavor.
- If it’s tough, it’s not done. Give it another hour.
The story
HAM Cooking. Let’s fire it up.
That little envelope of onion soup mix is the most overqualified product in the grocery store. It’s got dried onion, salt, beef flavor and a little sweetness, which is exactly what a pot roast needs.
Here’s the science, and it’s simple: chuck roast is full of collagen. Cook it fast and it’s tough. Cook it low and slow for hours and that collagen turns into gelatin, which makes the meat tender and the gravy rich. So if your roast is tough, the fix is the opposite of what you’d think. Cook it longer.
Sunday dinner, with about fifteen minutes of actual work. Spend the rest of the day doing something important, like napping.
HAM out.
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