My husband was shocked that this melt-in-your-mouth dinner only took 3 ingredients. The soda tenderizes the meat perfectly for a hassle-free meal

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. For the most melt-in-your-mouth texture, the LOW setting is best.

Once the roast is tender, use two forks to gently pull it apart into large chunks or shreds right in the slow cooker. Stir the beef into the dark, glossy sauce so every piece is coated with the cola-onion glaze.

If you prefer a slightly thicker, stickier sauce, remove the lid and let the shredded beef and sauce cook on HIGH for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the liquid reduces to your liking.

Taste the meat and sauce and adjust with a pinch of salt or pepper if desired (the onion soup mix is usually salty enough). Serve the roast beef hot, spooning extra sauce and softened onion bits over the top.

For a little heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce along with the onion soup mix (this technically adds another ingredient, but it won’t change the core 3-ingredient concept). Swap the cola for a different regular (not diet) dark soda like root beer or Dr Pepper for a slightly different flavor profile while keeping the same tender, fall-apart texture. If you need to stretch the meal, you can add baby carrots or halved small potatoes around the roast before cooking—just know that this moves it beyond three ingredients, though it’s great for a full one-pot dinner. For meal prep, cook the roast on a Sunday, shred it, and store it with the sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or extra cola to loosen the glaze. Leftovers freeze well for quick future dinners or sandwiches.