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.
VIDEO: How to Make Easy Oven Pot Roast
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 |
Great recipe, meat comes out tough at times, any suggestions to tenderize before also. Disappointing because it is so tasty.
Hey Anita, a few things can affect how tender the meat comes out.
First, are you cooking it for the right amount of time? If you skimp on time, even if the meat is technically done and safe to eat, it won’t have enough time for the tough connective tissue to break down. If you’re using a larger piece of meat than called for in the recipe card, it will need more time. Check the notes section of the recipe card for the appropriate cooking time.
Second, the specific piece of meat can affect how tough it is. Be sure to choose a well-marbled piece rather than a super lean piece or one with all the fat in one spot. That will make it super tender and fall-apart!
Third, if it’s not just falling apart by the time it’s done, be sure to cut it against the grain.
Hopefully one of these things should help!
Why do you advise against using russet potatoes?
Due to their high starch content compared to other potato varieties, they may disintegrate with such a long cook time!
My husband hates pot roast and my 1 year old doesn’t like meat, but they both gobbled up this pot roast like fiends. It was delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks Eva! We’ve been enjoying it this winter too. I have to stop myself from devouring the whole thing myself!
Can I speed up the cooking process by turning it up to 350?
Hey Carolyn, pot roast is a low and slow meat, meaning it needs time for the connective tissue to break down and become tender. Cooking at a higher temp for a shorter time can make this cut of meat tough, even if it’s cooked to a safe temp. You could get away with a slightly shorter time with or without adjusting the temp but be aware it may not be as tender.
While true, you failed to mention that the internal temp must be at 203-205 degrees for that connective tissue to have broken down.
Hey Jess, I actually go into detail about this in the post under the “Cooking time for pot roast” subheading.
Thank you for this recipe; it was very delicious. I usually make homemade cream soup whenever I need it for a recipe; so I fried onions and mushrooms, made a rue of it, added the cream and dumped it on the roast after it cooled (because the roast was still raw). I also added Worcestershire and liquid aminos (my version of soy sauce). I was amazing! I thought the onion soup mix might make it super salty but it was perfect! Mine was the long hard way, I know, but I had the time and it was great !!!
Jen, your version sounds super awesome! I usually make homemade cream soups for recipes too (like in my green bean casserole) but a can and a packet is how my mom made it and she said she could never get it to taste quite right using a fancier recipe. I might try your way though at some point because that’s more my usual way of doing things! So glad you liked it!
Can you use cream of chicken soup if that is all you have ?
Cream of chicken probably wouldn’t be my first choice flavor-wise but it’ll do the job for moisture and texture. If you need to substitute, I’d probably use cream of celery or something. But, if it’s what you have in your pantry it’s what you have!
For a single man, no kids & yes the microwave is my best frieds—but no microwave for
this! Easy to make (gotta sear those sear till it’s a dark, dark brown), it still came out AWESOME! Definitely will make it again & freeze the leftovers for a quick 15 minute break at work! Thanks!!!đź‘Ť
Well, no need to pinch you but rather give you a BIG hug. This recipe is a definite winner. Thanks for your inspiration – my family is still raving about the delicious tender roast.
Awww thank you so much, Norma!! I’m so glad your family loved it!
For those who really do not like cream of mushroom soup, or any similar canned soup, you can try replacing it with a can of Italian stewed tomatoes, or plain diced tomatoes, instead. The acidity of the tomatoes will help break the meat down and will not add a ton of extra sodium to the dish. It gives it a whole new flavor profile.
Can I make without cream of mushroom soup? What would you use substitute ?
You can use another “cream of” soup like cream of celery. However if you don’t like the taste of mushrooms, even my mushroom-hating sister says you can’t tell with the cream of mushroom soup!
I also hate mushrooms but you can not taste them at all i Promise!!!
Thanks Lisa! They really just add a bit of that savory umami to the recipe, rather than a strong mushroom flavor. Glad you like it!
I made this recipe in my slow cooker today, following the recipe exactly including not searing the meat before cooking. The pot roast was absolutely delicious and only took 10 minutes to throw together! I’ve been making Ina Garten’s pot roast recipe for years. It is very good, but takes a lot of effort and ingredients, including flouring and searing the meat. This recipe is just as flavorful and so much easier! This will be my go-to pot roast recipe from now on. Thank you, Caroline!
Thank you so much for commenting, Pam! So happy to have helped you find a super simple way to enjoy your pot roast. It’s such a cozy dinner!
I made this tonight and it was super easy to put together. The gravy was very creamy and not overly salty. The only addition I made was to add some mushrooms to the veggie mix. Very tasty!
I made this as written for the crockpot. However, the recipe should specify what size onion to use. I used one large onion because it was all I had, and there was way too much onion in it for me. Otherwise, it was very good. The gravy was creamy and smooth.
Do you have to use the dream of mushroom soup ?
While I normally make my own from scratch for recipes, this recipe does require a condensed cream-of soup. If you don’t like mushrooms, rest assured my sisters who also don’t like mushrooms don’t even notice them with this. If you can’t find it, you can use golden mushroom soup, or if there’s an allergy you can use something like cream of celery instead, although that may affect the flavor a bit more.
My wife and stepdaughter hate mushrooms, but we always use cream of mushroom for recipes that call for it… They both admit that mushrooms add good flavor to the meals that I make and they just go around the mushrooms or pick them out if they are big… Hopefully this is helpful!
This oven pot roast is classic! It looks so delicious and simple. I’ll give it a try for my next family gathering. Thanks.
Did you sear the meat before placing it in the oven?
Can I do this with pork chops
I haven’t tried this with pork chops! Please let me know if you do and how it comes out.
I’ve made this before and loved it. A friend commented it was the best roast he’d ever had in his life!
Today I want to make it with a whole roast instead of the chucks of roast meat. Can I cook it in my Dutch oven? If so, should I change anything regarding recipe or cooking times?
Yes, you can use stew chunks or a whole roast, and my Dutch oven is now my preferred way to cook this!
I LOVE this recipe. Just the smell while it is cooking, alone, is mouthwatering. So much so that I HAVE to ask, is there a way to speed the cooking time up a little bit? What if I were to cook it at 350° as opposed to 325°?
Would Worcestershire sauce be a good sub for soy sauce
I think Worcestershire sauce would probably be a good substitution if you don’t have soy sauce! Regardless, I can’t see it tasting bad with Worcestershire!
I tried it. Turned out great.