Easy Pot Roast with Onion Soup Mix (Oven or Slow Cooker)
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!
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?
Here are the super simple ingredients that make this such an easy recipe!
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).
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!
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!
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.
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 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.
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.
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
Easy Pot Roast with Onion Soup Mix (Oven or Slow Cooker)
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 Yukon golds (preferred), red potatoes, or multicolored potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks. Avoid russet potatoes.
- 1 lb carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 can beef broth if necessary
Instructions
In the oven
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Place onion slices in bottom of Dutch oven or roasting pan and top with meat. Sprinkle dry onion soup mix over meat, cover with undiluted cream of mushroom soup, and sprinkle with soy sauce.
- Tightly cover with aluminum foil or an oven-safe lid and bake for 1 hour. See note for larger roasts.
- Remove from oven, uncover, and surround roast with potatoes and carrots. If using stew meat chunks, toss ingredients together to make sure vegetables are coated with soup and juices. If meat seems dry, add beef broth.
- Recover pan and return to oven for 2-3 hours, or until meat and veggies are fork-tender.
In the slow cooker
- Place onion slices in bottom of slow cooker and top with meat. Sprinkle dry onion soup mix over meat, cover with undiluted cream of mushroom soup, and sprinkle with soy sauce. Cook, covered, for 1 hour on high or 2 hours on low. See note for larger roasts.
- Add potatoes and carrots, cover again, and finish cooking for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
- If you won't be available to add veggies mid-way through, you may also add all ingredients at the beginning and cook for a total stretch of 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
Video
Notes
- 2 hours before the end of cooking in the oven
- 3 hours before the end of slow cooking on high
- 6 hours before the end of slow cooking on low
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 |
I don’t have the onion soup mix. Can I use onion powder and season salt ?
Onion powder, onion flakes, and a beef bouillon cube would be a better substitute if you have it. Here’s a recipe for an onion soup mix substitute! https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/homemade-dry-onion-soup-mix/
My dad made an oven pot roast every Sunday. As I recall he did it pretty much as you recommend but instead of the standard onion and mushroom soups, he used Campbells vegetable beef soup. I am cooking one like that as I write, will report on the results tomorrow!
A Sunday pot roast sounds like a great tradition!
I just made this for the first time. Flavors came out good but for some reason my meat was a little dry… :/ not sure why.
The main reason it might seem dry is the fat content of the meat. The fattier the meat is the juicer it should come out! Next time if you look for meat with more fat/marbling it should come out less dry! But if the meat seems dry you can also add a little broth in step 4 of the recipe. Hope this helps!
Can you use a frozen roast? If so, any change in time frame?
I haven’t tested this from frozen but I bet if you added a little time to the beginning (maybe half-hour?) it would probably work. No guarantees though since I haven’t tried it from frozen!
I can’t cook. At all. I burn water.
But even I could follow these easy instructions, and it was AMAZING!
Oh good, I’m so glad you loved this recipe! Thanks for your comment!
I have this in my dutch oven now cooking with 30 mins to go! I added celery to the recipe when I added the veggies. My house smells amazing! We are big deer hunters so this is the 1st beef roast I’ve bought in years. I am very excited!! Will try again with a deer roast soon! Smells like my grandmas house used to on the holidays.
Thank you!
Yum! I hope you enjoyed it and that it’s just as good with one of your deer roasts too!
I know I’m dating myself, but once my mom made this recipe and cooked it on the engine of our car. Multiple layers of heavy duty aluminum foil and separately wrapped potatoes. I don’t remember how they secured everything under the hood of the car, but by the time we got to our destination, we were all drooling and dinner was hot and ready!
I think I’ll stick to my oven or instapot
Haha wow, what a story! I love that this brings back those memories for you. Hope you enjoy it made in your oven too!
Thinking of making this tomorrow for my family… When you say 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 can of beef broth. How big are the cans?
I use a 10.5 oz. can of condensed cream of mushroom soup and a 14.5 oz can of beef broth (if necessary).
I used a can of cream of chicken soup as a base around the chuck roast,and a pack of apple wood bourbon slow cooker sauce,which I laid on top of the onions and then placed my roast on top and placed in the oven on 350 uncoverred it turnned out great.I will do this again.
Thanks for sharing!
We love this recipe!!! Enjoy!!!❤️
Thanks so much, Leo!
Im making it right now been craving it.
Awesome! Enjoy!
Next time I make this, I will either use an extra can of cream of mushroom or use only half a packet of onion soup. It came out tasting with too much onion
Thanks for sharing!
This is my new go-to pot roast recipe.
Better than Mom used to make when I was a kid. And Mom knew beef roasts!
Wow, that’s quite the compliment! Thank you so much!
5-STARS ! (I could not get the stars to light up! LoL) Hi Caroline! I make my pot roast using the same ingredients except that I omit the soy and add 1/2 cup dry Red Wine. It’s mixed with the cr of mushroom soup and the dry onion mix in a bowl and tops the beef prior to covering and baking. The smell alone is mouth-watering. Thank you for sharing.
Yum, you can’t go wrong adding some wine! Glad you enjoyed it!
I grew up with this every Sunday of my life that we ate at home. It went in the oven after breakfast and was done after church. Mama put the veggies in with the roast to begin with and they. She cut them in larger pieces so they cooked enough, but not too much. I adjust for the size of the carrots and potatoes to and play around with the liquid ingredients based on what I have on hand and my mood. 🙂 No complaints after 41 years of marriage!
Such good memories! That sounds like an excellent (and delicious) Sunday tradition!
Are you supposed to cover it after you add the veggies?
Yup, you are supposed to recover the pan before you put it back in the oven!
So delicious, I used a packet beef stew mix instead of broth, both very tender and lip smacking!!! Great recipe!!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing!
I accidentally bought cut stew meat. Will this recipe still work?! I’m such a beginner! Haha!
That’s actually what the recipe calls for!
It is so nice to see this recipe in print. My dad passed down the Onion Soup and Golden Mushroom Soup Pot roast recipe to me… It is so delicious!
It’s such a classic recipe, isn’t it? I’m so glad you like it!
Best pot roast I’ve ever made, delicious.
I’m so glad you liked this recipe!
Can I use a piece of bottom round?….a whole piece instead of chunks?
You should be able to use a whole piece of bottom round! A smaller roast around 3 lbs should cook in a total of about 3 hours while a 4-5 lb roast will probably need an extra hour to cook. It’s done when it’s fall-apart fork-tender!