With just 3 ingredients, this Crock Pot pot roast with cream of mushroom soup may be the easiest recipe on the internet. But don't let that fool you... It is second to none in flavor!
No matter how many times I try to get my extended family onboard with new ideas, it seems as though we're going to eat the same few foods at get-togethers for the rest of our lives. It used to drive me crazy. But, at this point, it really is a losing battle. And at least we eat REALLY delicious food! More than turkey, ham, or anything else, this roast is everybody's favorite. And it's not even close!
Why This Recipe Works
- Even though this is not a set-it-and-forget-it recipe, it still only has TWO STEPS! And the end result is perfect every time.
- Not including salt and pepper, this roast recipe only has 3 ingredients!
- Along with getting a perfectly cooked roast, you will have plenty of gravy for your potatoes. BONUS!
How To Make Crock Pot Pot Roast with Cream of Mushroom Soup
Season chuck roast generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
Place roast in slow cooker and cover with sliced onions. Cook on high for 4 hours.
After 4 hours (and once the roast has released its juices)...
...slide the onions into the juices.
Then add two cans of cream of mushroom soup...
...and mix with the juices. Do your best not to disturb the roast. Cook for another two hours on high. Check for fall-apart fork tenderness. If necessary, cook for another hour or so. Then switch to warm setting. It's pretty difficult (within reason) to overcook it.
And This Is The AMAZING Result...
Expert Tips
- Avoid the urge to add the soup at the beginning. I know that makes it easier, but a few things will happen if you do that. First, the roast won't develop any color - and with food, color equals flavor. Second, adding the soup first will literally just boil the roast - which is not what you want to do.
- If you want to take it to a whole new level, sear the roast in a cast iron skillet until caramelized on both sides before placing in the slow cooker.
FAQs
Can I use a different size roast? Any size roast will work with this method. My general rule-of-thumb is this... One hour for each pound, plus one more hour.
Is there a way to make this gluten-free? Yes, any gluten-free cream of mushroom soup should work just fine.
Can I make this in an Instant Pot? I wouldn't recommend using this soup in a pressure cooker because creamy things have a tendency to separate when cooked under pressure. But here's a version written for Instant Pot that is tried and true.
More Sunday Dinner Recipes
- Bundt Pan Chicken
- Mint-Crusted Rack of Lamb
- Lemon Dill Salmon
- Cast Iron Cornbread
- Cornbread Dressing
★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below! ★
Crock Pot Pot Roast with Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 5 lb chuck roast
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 yellow onions thick sliced
- 21 oz cream of mushroom soup
Instructions
- Season chuck roast generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Place roast in slow cooker and cover with sliced onions. Cook on high for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours (and once the roast has released its juices), slide the onions into the juices. Then add two cans of cream of mushroom soup and mix with the juices. Do your best not to disturb the roast. Cook for another two hours on high.
- Check for fall-apart fork tenderness. If necessary, cook for another hour or so. Then switch to warm setting. It's pretty difficult (within reason) to overcook it.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- Avoid the urge to add the soup at the beginning. I know that makes it easier, but a few things will happen if you do that. First, the roast won't develop any color - and with food, color equals flavor. Second, adding the soup first will literally just boil the roast - which is not what you want to do.
- If you want to take it to a whole new level, sear the roast in a cast iron skillet until caramelized on both sides before placing in the slow cooker.
FAQs
Can I use a different size roast? Any size roast will work with this method. My general rule-of-thumb is this... One hour for each pound, plus one more hour. Is there a way to make this gluten-free? Yes, any gluten-free cream of mushroom soup should work just fine. Can I make this in an Instant Pot? I wouldn't recommend using this soup in a pressure cooker, but here's a version written for Instant Pot that is tried and true. Can I cook this on low? Yes. You can cook on low for 8 hoursNutrition
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Lora Martin
Oh, my gosh, that pot roast looks great! Any tips for doing it stove top?
Gary White
I've never cooked a roast on the stovetop, so I cannot advise on that method.
Becky
Amazing how tender the roast is! I think we all agreed we could eat the gravy with a spoon. We had it with mashed potatoes but I think next time we'll have it with white rice. So good!
Sally
Excellent on a snowy day in Minnesota! Thank you
Lindsay Megnauth
I was very impressed such a simple recipe could be so flavorful! As a busy Mama of 3 (almost 4) I’m always looking for good recipes that don’t take forever to make. This is going to be one of my new staples! Love it!
Gina
I just found out I’ve been making this wrong for 30 years. BEST crock pot roast in cream of mushroom soup I’ve ever made. I did sear the roast in a cast iron skillet before putting in the crock pot. Thank you for your wisdom.
judy
A great recipe for chuck!
Mark Switzer
Would it be ok to add potatoes and carrots to this recipe? If so, when would you suggest. Thanks!
Gary White
Sure. Add the carrots and potatoes during the last two hours of cook time, as the carrots will take about two hours to cook. Make sure they are room temperature before adding because adding cold vegetables would lower the temperature of the whole roast. I personally prefer to cook the carrots and potatoes separately, roasting them in the oven, because I find that the roast takes on the taste of carrots when cooked together.
Carrie Rodriguez
Can you cook it on low?
Gary White
You can cook on low for 8 hours
Carl E.
This is “My Mother’s” pot roast that I’ve been doing forever!!! Her trick was to mix in a few tablespoons of either A-1/HP sauce or Heinz 57 sauce into the mushroom soup before adding to roast!!
I’m making it today with 4# crosscut rib roast- I used a bag of Pearl onions (browned in skillet after searing off roast) and a pound of sautéed quartered mushrooms. I’m using Heinz 57 today, I will roast carrots in oven- we usually serve with wide egg noodles! YUM!!! Beat pot roast EVER!!!
Bonnie Phillips
Hi. Thanks so much. Making it now for the first time.
When would you add celery and frozen peas?
Bonnie Phillips
Do you add water to the cream of mushroom soup? Sorry if it is a stupid question. I do not have a knack for cooking. The picture of your roast looked great, I love a lot of juice with my meat. So I really am looking forward to making it.
Gary White
No water. The roast will release liquid naturally as it cooks. 🙂
Priscilla
I made this today and it was fantastic. So much flavor . I seared the beef before putting it in the crockpot. I also added a bunch of Baby Bella mushrooms cut in half when I added the soup. Came out perfect. Will be putting this recipe in my rotation. So good !
Jennifer Louise Winchel
I want to sear the roast before I put it in the crock pot but I don't have a cast iron skillet. Would it be ok to sear it in a regular pan?
Gary White
Sure!
Sarah
This was the first roast I've ever made and I could not have picked a better recipe! I minced my onions but kept them on top as the directions said so I got the flavor without the chunks of onion, and I used way more mushroom soup (6 cans) to make sure I had lots of gravy for leftovers. SO GOOD! 5 stars!
Breezy
How long would you cook this if you are using a frozen roast? Also, can you sear it frozen?
Gary White
I would recommend thawing the roast before cooking it.
Ashley
I always cook my meat in cock pot recipes from frozen. I absolutely despise over cooked meat so this is the remedy I have found it still gets fully cooked and is super tender. Most of my recipes require so much prep and this one just made my day! Thanks!
Lisa Lowry Taylor
My first pot roast….woo-hoo! I prefer to cook everything slow and on low in my crock pot due to a
very unfortunate chicken divan incident.
I’m thinking about cooking it on low for 6+3 hrs instead of on high for 4+2 hrs. Your thoughts?
Gary White
I apologize for the very delayed response. You can cook on low for 8 hours.
Ellen Herrmann
Okay, this is a keeper. I was looking for a crock pot recipe to use with cream of mushroom soup. The roast came out nice and tender, easy to slice. The gravy was excellent. Thanks for posting this.
Pamham
This was the best roast ever!!!! I have been doing it wrong as well. Didn't know that it didn't need water or broth to cook. I was skeptical about not adding any water when I put it on with the onions. After about 30 minutes, I peeked and noticed that it had juices already being released. Go figure!! Thank you for such an easy and flavorful roast!!
bettylouhuttinger
One word, delishious! Made just the way it said. Will make it again and again
Rick Gunsorek
Very good! Recipe easy to follow and came out just as the video displayed. Will try the recipe again.
Gary White
Glad you enjoyed it!
Carol A Best
My new go to recipe for crock pot pot roast! Delicious! Not all crock pots are alike so take the experts advise. Make sure the roast is fork tender otherwise your roast will be tough! Thanks for the recipe!
Gary White
Glad you enjoyed it!
Lulu’s Momma
This was the best pot roast I’ve ever made! Easy and super delicious. The only thing I changed was to add some extra mushrooms I had. Absolutely fantastic recipe. Thanks!!
Jennie
Three pounds roast is not getting tender at all after four hours. Added the pinion to the juice and soup.
Angel G
My roast was dry as a bone and tough as shoe leather. I've always made roast with the liquid added at the beginning. The 4 hour "dry cook" totally ruined the meat. Never again.
Dee R
So simple I took the extra step and browned the Chuck roast the only thing I would change I will slice the onion then quarter them other then that a whole small package of mushrooms the meat was tender and juicy thank you for the recipe
CHARLEY
If cooked on low for 8 hours, when should the soup and other ingredients (ex. mushrooms/celery) be added?
Gary White
Between the 5-6 hour time.
Jacquelyn
I'm very impressed with the ease and yet 5 star flavor. It's a variation from the same old boring pot roast! Thanks so much for sharing.
Misti
Amazing 🤩
Katherine Kay Weitzel
I had 2 3 pound shoulder roast put in crock pot on high cooked for 5 hours delicious
Tierra Cole
Great, great , great. I cook my roast all the time this way now!!!
Ngan
I easily modified the cooking time for a 2 1/2 pound roast and it came out great. So good to have with French bread for dipping the juices or with jasmine rice. Thanks for the pictures in the recipe, it helped to see what the steps look like.
Viola F
Fall-off-the-bone tender! Using convection oven, I cut cook times by about 1/2. And I did brown all sides of the roast. Soooo good!!
Melissa Mcatee
It was absolutely delicious and so perfect. I will be making this again
Dana
My husband and I have very different ideas of how pot roast should taste. We finally have a recipe we both love! I browned both sides of the roast on the stove first. My husband bought a 2.5 lb. roast, and I only knocked off a half hour of the first 4 hours. I also switched to low during the last hour after the soup was added. He is right about not really being able to overcook it. It was unbelievably tender with a wonderful flavor.
I had loved a recipe like this when my grandma and then my mom made it. It was so easy that they never wrote it down. This is exactly what I came looking for. Some differences, I think, but it just makes it easier and better.
April
My family doesn’t like mushrooms and it’s hard to pick them out of the cream of mushroom soup. Any suggestions for substitutes?
Space Coast Pam
I think you could use any cream soups. They even have cream of onion. Cream of celery might also be good.
Chrissy
If I cook on low for 8 hours. How long before I throw the soup in?
Gary White
After 4 hours.