Grandma’s Easy Pot Roast

5 from 21 votes
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This pot roast recipe is an easy and absolutely delicious dinner! The trick? Canned onion soup! This recipe has been in my family for decades, passed down from generation to generation – and it’s the absolute best!

My grandmother came up with this pot roast recipe, simply using a big beef chuck roast, cans of condensed onion soup, potatoes and veggies. That’s it! Assembly takes just a few minutes, before you pop your pot roast in the oven and let it slow cook for four hours. For tender, flavorful pot roast, follow these steps. It can’t get easier!

Ingredients for Pot Roast

  • Boneless beef chuck roast – boneless beef chuck roasts make the best pot roast! I do not recommend chuck shoulder roasts for pot roast. A shoulder roast is a different cut of beef that is leaner and doesn’t shred as well as boneless chuck!
  • Canned French Onion Soup – onion soup will flavor your roast in a delicious premade oniony beef broth without the extra effort of making your own broth! My grandma always used Campbell’s Condensed French Onion Soup because of its rich flavor. It’s delicious. This is not an ad!
  • Fresh herbs (optional) – I like to add fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme to my onion soup broth for aromatics. It’s the perfect extra touch! This is optional.
  • Potatoes and root vegetables (optional) – although this step is optional, why not cook your sides in the broth with your pot roast? I like using baby red potatoes and baby carrots. You can also add cubed rutabagas, turnips, pearl onions or shallots!

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Fresh herbs – substitute dried herbs for fresh herbs.
  • I do not recommend using dried onion soup mix!

How to Make Pot Roast

  1. Choose the right piece of meat in the grocery store! You want a 3 to 4 pound boneless chuck roast. A chuck shoulder roast is not the same thing! Make sure the size of your pot roast is between 3-4 pounds so the cooking time listed below gives you the best results!
  2. Place your chuck pot roast in a roasting pan. I use my 12x10x2 inch roasting pan. You’ll want a pan that’s large enough to fit your roast and deep enough to fit the broth!
  3. Add 4-5 cans of onion soup, so your roast is mostly submerged in liquid. I usually end up using five 10.5 ounce cans.
  4. Add as many potatoes, carrots and other veggies that can fit without the soup overflowing out of the pan! If your potatoes or vegetables are large, cut them into rough cubes.
  5. If you want to add in some herbs, pinch off a small handful of rosemary and thyme from the sprigs. If you only have dried herbs, you can use them instead!
  6. Cover your pan tightly with foil and place your pot roast in a preheated 300-degree oven for 4 hours. You might want to place a baking sheet or a few sheets of foil on the bottom rack of your oven to catch any juices that overflow!
  7. Let your pot roast slow cook for those 4 hours, untouched! At 4 hours, your roast should reach an internal temperature of at least 190 degrees for tender pot roast. Carefully take your roast out of the oven and enjoy, with lots of spoonfuls of that delicious onion soup broth.
Your pot roast should be almost submerged in onion soup broth before cooking.
Use 4-5 cans of soup so that the pot roast is mostly covered in onion soup broth.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best cut for pot roast?

Boneless beef chuck roast is the best cut of meat for pot roast. A chuck shoulder roast is not the same thing! A shoulder roast is a different cut of beef that is leaner and doesn’t shred as well as boneless chuck roast. The shredded texture of chuck pot roast is unmatched!

Is pot roast beef or pork?

Pot roast is a beef dish, made by slow cooking (braising) an inexpensive, typically tough cut of beef in liquid. The liquid is usually a rich broth that not only tenderizes the beef but flavors it! Looking for slow-roasted pork instead? Try this Pulled Pork recipe!

What are the best potatoes for pot roast?

The best potatoes are baby red potatoes. They fit well in a roasting pan without cutting them, and baby red potatoes have a thin skin and a waxy texture that stand up well to slow-cooking.

What to do with leftover pot roast?

My favorite way to use leftover pot roast is to make a pot roast sandwich! Use rye or your favorite bread, slather with mustard, and stack with shredded hot or cold pot roast. There’s nothing better in the world!

How long is pot roast good for?

A cooked pot roast should last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

How to reheat your pot roast?

Reheat your pot roast by shredding it into small pieces in the broth, covering with foil, and heating in the oven at 350 degrees until hot. If you’re really in a pinch, place shredded pot roast, broth and veggies in a microwave safe covered dish and heat in increments of 30 seconds until hot.

Can you freeze pot roast?

Absolutely! Pot roast freezes very well, although the veggies might get mushy. I recommend using frozen pot roast within 3-4 months.

What to Serve with Pot Roast

One of the best parts about this pot roast recipe is that it’s easy: your veggies and potatoes (the side dishes) go right into the pan to slow cook with your roast for a complete dinner!

Root vegetables like carrots, turnips and rutabagas are classic accompaniments for pot roast. I love using a blend of veggies, along with baby potatoes and pearl onions or peeled shallots. They’ll absorb all the rich flavors of the onion soup broth, which is just AMAZING!

Homemade Yeast Rolls, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or Roasted Zucchini.

More Deliciously Meaty Recipes on Tastefully Grace!

5 from 21 votes

Grandma’s Easy Pot Roast

Pot roast doesn’t need to be difficult to make! This pot roast recipe is easy and absolutely delicious! The trick? Canned onion soup!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
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Equipment

  • Large roasting pan roughly 12x10x2 inches or larger

Ingredients 

  • 3-4 pound boneless beef chuck roast
  • 5 (10.5 ounce) cans French onion soup

Optional:

  • 1 pound root vegetables, like baby carrots, cubed turnips, rutabagas, or pearl onions
  • 1 pound baby red potatoes
  • Fresh herbs, 1 large sprig rosemary & 2 large sprigs thyme

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  • Place your chuck pot roast in a large roasting pan. I use a 12x10x2 inch roasting pan. You’ll want a pan that’s large enough to fit your roast and deep enough to fit the broth and potatoes/vegetables!
  • Add 4-5 cans of onion soup, so your roast is mostly submerged in liquid. I usually use 5 cans.
  • Add as many potatoes and veggies that can fit in your pan without the soup overflowing out of the pan! If your potatoes or vegetables are large, cut them into rough cubes.
  • If you want to add in some herbs, pinch off a small handful of fresh rosemary and thyme from the sprigs. If you only have dried herbs, you can use them instead!
  • Cover your pan tightly with foil and place your pot roast in a preheated oven for 4 hours, untouched. You might want to place a baking sheet or a few sheets of foil on the bottom rack of your oven to catch any juices that overflow!
  • At 4 hours, your roast should reach an internal temperature of at least 190 degrees for tender pot roast. Carefully take your roast out of the oven and enjoy, with lots of spoonfuls of that delicious onion soup broth.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • I love Campbell’s Condensed French Onion Soup. My grandmother used this soup to make her pot roast, and it’s the best! This is not an ad, just a personal recommendation.
  • Add as much vegetables and potatoes that will fit in your pan without causing the soup to overflow!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 817kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 69g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 231mg | Sodium: 1808mg | Potassium: 3098mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 43IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 817
Keyword: beef, dinner, easy dinner, fall, pot roast, winter
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About Grace Vallo

Welcome to my kitchen! Cooking and baking with the seasons has always been a part of my life. Here in New England, cooking and baking with the seasonal flavors available is a way of life. It's the "feeling" that you get when making homemade popsicles or grilled meats in the summer, apple pie with Mom's pie crust recipe in the fall, or a warm bowl of hearty pasta in the winter. Whether it’s Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter or any holiday in between, I hope my recipes satisfy your seasonal cravings!

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4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Sweetheart this recipe has been around almost as long as the Campbell’s soup company itself. It is a very good recipe though.

    1. Hi Roxanne!

      From the Campbell’s site, they use Cream of Mushroom Soup along with other time and ingredient differences but I’m so glad you liked the recipe!

      Grace