Name: Easy Pot Roast with Onion Soup Mix (Oven or Slow Cooker)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 210 min
Total time: 225 min
Ingredients: 3 lb beef roast (chuck roast (preferred), brisket, round roast, or stew meat chunks); 1 package dry onion soup mix; 1 can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted); 1-2 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 onion (halved and sliced); 1 lb medium or baby potatoes; 1 lb carrots (peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks); 1/2 can beef broth (if necessary)

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Nothing is as comforting as a flavorful, fork-tender pot roast made with onion soup mix. The best part is this is easy recipe is ready for the oven or slow cooker with only 15 minutes of prep time, and uses simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry!

Overhead view of easy onion soup mix pot roast with carrots and potatoes in a Dutch oven.

What could be more perfect than a delicious pot roast for a hearty Sunday dinner or a cozy one-pot meal on a cold night? This tender roast with root vegetables is the ultimate comfort food and is famous in my family for being the best pot roast EVER.

What is pot roast?

Pot roast is a dish made by braising or slow cooking a normally tough cut of beef in moist heat, often along with root vegetables like carrots, onions, and potatoes. By cooking low and slow, the collagen in the beef breaks down and melts into gelatin, making the meat fall-apart tender and moist. It’s a classic American comfort food!

Ingredients

For a while, my mom forgot how she used to make pot roast and tried all kinds of fancy recipes to recreate the flavorful roast she remembered. But when I found an old copy of her recipe, it turned out to be much more simple than she was making it out to be.

The secret to her family-famous perfect pot roast was none other than simple dry Lipton onion soup mix, undiluted canned cream of mushroom soup, and a sprinkling of soy sauce for extra umami.

And while I don’t typically use a lot of seasoning packets and cream-of soups in my recipes, this classic pot roast can’t be beat. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

Ingredients for pot roast with onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, carrots, and potatoes.

Here are the super simple ingredients that make this such an easy recipe!

Chuck roast: You may also use a brisket, bottom round, stew meat chunks, or even boneless short ribs to make pot roast. For more info on the different cuts of meat you can use for pot roast, see the section below.
Dry onion soup mix: Using a packet of store-bought Lipton onion soup mix is a great shortcut that takes the place of dehydrated onion, onion powder, and cornstarch. As much as I love making everything from scratch, dry onion soup mix contains other seasonings like dehydrated soy sauce that can’t be easily recreated. You may use French onion soup mix instead, which contains beef bouillon granules in addition. Golden onion soup mix contains chicken solids which would be fine, but I’d use regular Lipton onion soup mix or French onion soup mix instead if you have a choice.
Cream of mushroom soup: Even if you don’t like mushrooms (like my sister), this soup will add all the rich creaminess you need for the gravy, and you won’t even notice the mushrooms!
Soy sauce: Classic Lipton onion soup mix contains dehydrated soy sauce, and we’ll sprinkle some extra soy sauce on top of the roast for some bonus umami flavor!
Sliced onions: Yellow onions or sweet onions (like Vidalia onions) pair with pot roast for good reason! Over the long, slow cooking time, they will absorb the beef drippings and develop a mellow sweetness, much like the flavor of caramelized onions.
Carrots: While you can use whole carrots cut into chunks or baby carrots, I think carrots cut on the bias look more elegant and homemade. Plus, baby carrots are usually more expensive per pound than regular carrots!
Potatoes: Yellow or red potatoes are the best choices for pot roast, yellow being more buttery tasting. Avoid russet potatoes, however: their high starch content may make them disintegrate with the long cook time. You can also use multicolored baby potatoes for an extra pop of color, but be aware that once they’re cooked the purple ones will blend in, color-wise!
Beef broth (if needed): You’ll check the roast after an hour in the oven. If it looks dry, you can add half a can of beef broth (or if you don’t have any, a cup of water). You can also add some in at the end of cooking if you shred the meat and decide you need some bonus gravy.

Equipment

You can make this Lipton onion soup pot roast in a Dutch oven, roasting pan, or even a slow cooker. A regular 9×13 pan may not be large enough for this recipe as it cooks down and releases moisture, resulting in some overflow (ask me how I know).

White bowl of pot roast next to pot roast with carrots and potatoes in a Dutch oven.

Cooking time for pot roast

While roast beef (made from a lean cut with little connective tissue) is ideally cooked to medium rare (130-140 degrees), a pot roast needs to reach an internal temperature of about 195-205 degrees F to ensure a tender, fall-apart result.

Collagen breaks down and melts from 160-180 degrees, so if the meat is removed before it reaches that temperature, there will still be some tough connective tissue left. Plus, the roast needs to have enough time at that temperature for the connective tissue to break down. It’s not an instantaneous result.

How long does a roast take in the oven?

For pot roast, the rule of thumb is to cook about 45 minutes to an hour per pound at an average temperature like 300-350 degrees (we use 325 degrees). It will, of course, take longer in a slow cooker.

How long does pot roast take in a slow cooker?

If you decide to make this easy pot roast in your slow cooker, you can cook a 3 lb roast for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

The nice thing is, a little extra time won’t hurt it. It’s difficult (but not impossible) to overcook pot roast, so you can throw everything in before work on low and come home to the most amazing smelling house and dinner ready in the crock pot!

Here’s a handy chart to determine how long to cook your roast depending on size and method.

Size of roast	Time to cook in oven (at 325)	Time to cook in slow cooker (low)	Time to cook in slow cooker (high)
3-4 lbs	3-3.5 hours	8-9 hours	4-5 hours
4-5 lbs	3.5-4 hours	9-10 hours	5-6 hours
5-6 lbs	4.5-5 hours	10-11 hours	6-7 hours

What’s the best cut of beef for pot roast?

There are a few cuts of beef that are ideal for making a tender pot roast.

Heavily exercised areas of meat are tough when cooked high and fast, but become tender when slow cooked like pot roast. The connective tissue collagen breaks down into gelatin at higher temperatures, moistening the meat even with a tough shoulder.

Boneless Chuck Roast

While “pot roast” does not refer to a specific cut of beef, chuck roast is usually what people use when they make it. Look for a nicely marbled piece for the best flavor!

Best for: Fall-apart fork-tender pot roast with big, beefy flavor.
Part of the cow: Shoulder and neck region.
Also known as: chuck roast, shoulder steak, boneless chuck roast, blade roast, blade cut, or chuck shoulder pot roast, chuck seven-bone pot roast, or beef chuck arm. Stew meat chunks are also usually from the chuck roast.
Grain: All different directions. This makes it difficult to slice neatly against the grain, but falls apart beautifully in the context of a pot roast.
Fat: The fattiest of the pot roast options, giving it more flavor.
Flavor: Full-flavored and very beefy.

Brisket

Briskets, while usually a little more expensive per pound than chuck roasts, have a more regular grain (better for slicing). They’re also usually larger than chuck roasts, so you can plan to have leftovers for sandwiches the next day!

Best for: Feeding a crowd; leftover pot roast sandwiches.
Part of the cow: Breast or lower chest
Also known as: brisket flat cut or first cut (leaner), brisket point cut (fattier, more flavorful).
Grain: Long strands. May fall apart when hot and freshly cooked, but good for slicing the next day (be sure to slice across the grain!).
Fat: Less fat than chuck roast but more than round roast. Point cut has more fat content, making it better for shredded pot roast, but the flat cut, well, lays flat, making it better for slicing later.
Flavor: Still nice and beefy, but a leaner brisket flat means not as much flavor.

Round roast

Round roast will work to make a pot roast, but is the least flavorful of the usual cuts because it’s the leanest. However, it’s also usually the least expensive.

Best for: If you can’t find a chuck roast, or if you want a sliceable roast without paying a premium for brisket.
Part of the cow: rear leg
Also known as: rump roast, bottom round, top round
Grain: very fine, good for slicing
Fat: the leanest cut of the three
Flavor: Less fat content means not as much flavor as a chuck roast or brisket point cut.

How to Make the Perfect Pot Roast with Onion Soup Mix

For this easy pot roast recipe, we’ll give the meat a head start and add the veggies later so everything is cooked to perfection!

For Easy Oven Pot Roast

Step one:
Prepare the meat and onions. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Layer the sliced onion on the bottom of your Dutch oven or roasting pan. Place the roast on top, sprinkle with dry Lipton onion soup mix, and then spread undiluted cream of mushroom soup on top. Sprinkle with soy sauce, cover with an oven-safe lid or aluminum foil, and cook for an hour (longer for a larger roast).

Optional: For extra beefy flavor, you can start by searing the roast in your Dutch oven over medium high heat for a couple minutes per side until nicely browned. I usually favor the ease of sticking it in the oven completely raw.

Step by step images of making easy pot roast with onion soup mix.

Step two:
Add veggies. Remove the roast from the oven and surround the meat with carrots and potatoes (cut in even chunks about an inch cubed in size). If the meat is looking dry, you may add half a can of beef broth or so. Cover again and return to the oven for an additional 2-3 hours.

Process shot of making easy pot roast with onion soup mix: a partially cooked chuck roast in a Dutch oven, surrounded by raw carrots and multicolored baby potatoes.

Step three:
Enjoy! You may serve your pot roast straight from the pan or arrange the whole roast on a serving platter, surrounded by the carrots and potatoes. The onions will have essentially dissolved into the gravy.

If you’ve used chuck roast, you can shred the meat and mix it with the veggies. Brisket will do better when sliced against the grain to break up the long strands.

For Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Give the meat, seasonings, and onions a head start in your slow cooker if possible, adding the potatoes and carrots after an hour on high or after two hours on low. Cook for a total time according to the cooking time chart above.

Won’t be home to add the veggies later? Easy peasy! Just add all ingredients to your slow cooker before you leave. The potatoes and carrots may be a little softer but will still be delicious!

Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Slice leftover brisket or round pot roast for a delicious pot roast sandwich!

How to Serve Pot Roast

You may leave the roast intact and serve on a platter, surrounded by potatoes and carrots, or you can shred the meat with two forks and mix everything together like a stew.

Close up of easy pot roast made with onion soup mix in a white bowl with carrots and potatoes.

What to Serve with Pot Roast

Since classic root vegetables like onions, carrots, and potatoes are cooked with the meat, this easy recipe is a complete meal on its own.

However, if you’d like a little something on the side, I’d recommend either some crusty bread (like No-Knead Rosemary Thyme Dutch Oven Bread), rice, or egg noodles to really take advantage of the delicious gravy. Be sure to add a little beef broth if you want extra gravy for sopping up!

A simple green salad or Lemon Broccoli Salad can also be a nice contrast to a hearty pot roast.

If you like easy comfort food recipes, also check out:

Stove Top Beef Stew with Red Wine
Easy Turkey Chili
Kielbasa and Cabbage with Egg Noodles
Italian Sausage Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

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