Apple Cider and Pomegranate Chuck Roast
This sweet and tangy slow cooker chuck roast combines apple cider, pomegranate juice, applesauce, Dijon honey mustard, and Lipton onion soup mix for a comforting beef dinner. Onion, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves cook alongside the roast until the beef is tender and ready to serve over mashed potatoes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 hours on LOW 6-8 hours on HIGH
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: CROKPOT
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 boneless beef chuck roast, 3–4 pounds
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise into long, thin pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
- 1 cup apple cider
- ½ cup pomegranate juice
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons Dijon honey mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon steak seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- Chopped fresh parsley, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Add the vegetables. Place the sliced onion, carrots, and minced garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Season the beef. Pat the chuck roast dry. Season with the steak seasoning and black pepper, then place it over the vegetables. Use additional salt sparingly, since the steak seasoning and onion soup mix already contain salt.
- Mix the sauce. Whisk together the apple cider, pomegranate juice, applesauce, Dijon honey mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Lipton onion soup mix.
- Fill the slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the chuck roast and vegetables. Tuck the bay leaves into the liquid.
- Cook until tender. Cover and cook on LOW for 8–10 hours or HIGH for 5–6 hours, until the beef pulls apart easily with a fork. Cooking time will vary with the thickness of the roast and your slow cooker.
- Finish the sauce. Transfer the roast and vegetables to a serving platter and cover loosely. Discard the bay leaves and skim excess fat from the cooking liquid. For a thicker sauce, transfer the liquid to a saucepan and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your preferred consistency. Taste before adding salt.
- Serve. Pull the beef into large, tender pieces. Spoon the sauce over the roast and vegetables, then finish with a light sprinkle of chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Ingredient measurements: These are the suggested amounts from the draft, scaled for a 3–4-pound roast. Adjust them to match the quantities you used before publishing.
- Apple cider: Use regular apple cider, not apple cider vinegar.
- Pomegranate juice: Choose 100% pomegranate juice without added sugar.
- Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce helps balance the sweetness of the cider and Dijon honey mustard.
- Salt: Lipton onion soup mix and steak seasoning both contribute salt. Taste the finished sauce before adding more, especially after reducing it.
- Tenderness: If the roast is still tough, cover and continue cooking until it separates easily with a fork.
- Serving: Serve with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or rice.