French Onion Beef Stew

👉 If you love this French classic, make sure to check out my French Onion Pasta and French Onion Chicken recipes!

If you love French Onion Soup and adore beef dishes then you are in the right place! This French Onion Beef Stew brings together all the elements of the French classic but adds beef to create a hearty stew. It’s basically the comfort food of my dreams and I am so glad to finally share the recipe!

This is a slow-cooked stew that requires a bit of work so I usually make this recipe only on weekends or whenever we have friends over. But I love taking the time to properly caramelize the onions – they are the key to adding layers upon layers of flavor to this dish, making it taste luxuriously rich and delicious.

Apart from the onions you must also properly brown the beef cubes – which has to to be done in batches as they need some space in the skillet to get that golden-brown crust. The resulting “browned bits” (known as the fond in culinary terms) stuck to the pan are the other secret weapon in this recipe. But enough chit-chat – let’s get down to business, shall we?

French Onion Beef Stew Ingredients

• Beef – we need to use a cut suitable to long slow cooking braising steak or chuck steak. Luckily that’s an economical option as well!
• Salt and pepper to season.
• Olive oil and butter.
• Wine – white wine, Marsala or sherry.
• Onions – I need to warn you there’s A LOT of onions in this recipe. The amount will seem excessive when you slice them, but they will cook down as you sweat them. A mandoline will speed up the process of slicing them (but please be super careful when using one!).
• A little sugar – helps to caramelize the onions but you can skip it if you prefer.
• Garlic – fresh minced garlic.
• Dijon mustard and Worcester sauce for flavor. You can also add a little tomato paste, for color mostly.
• A little flour to thicken our stew.
• Beef broth – good quality beef broth or the Knorr Rich Beef stockpot to make stock.
• Bay leaves and fresh thyme.
• Baguette or other crusty bread for topping the stew.
• Gruyere and Parmesan for gooey cheesy goodness!

How to Make French Onion Beef Stew

Slice the Onions

1. Cut the top end of the onions but keep the root end intact. Peel the skin off and cut the onion in half without slicing all the way through (the root should keep the two halves of the onion together).
2. Use a mandoline or sharp knife to thinly slice the onions (apologies as this will likely cause a few tears… unless you are wearing contact lenses!).

Sear the Beef

1. Cut the beef into cubes and pat dry with paper towels. Season liberally with coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish or Dutch oven. Sear the beef over high heat, in batches to avoid overcrowding, until properly browned and set aside. You might need to use a splatter guard here.

1. Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping the browned bits stuck to the pan loose with your spoon. Simmer for a few minutes so they wine cooks down and is almost evaporated.

Prepare the Bread

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Slice the bread and discard the ends. Brush with olive oil and place on a baking tray. Toast in the oven for 15 minutes, turning over halfway, until the bread is golden. Set the bread aside, for now.

Caramelize the Onions

1. Add butter to the pan and melt. Add all the sliced onions, a good pinch salt and the sugar and cook over relatively high heat, stirring often, until they start to brown.
2. Add the minced garlic, thyme and wine and reduce the heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes or until the onions are soft and caramelized. Reserve a few spoonfuls of the onions in a small bowl.

Cook the Stew

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 320°F (160°F). Stir the Worcester sauce, mustard and flour then add the beef broth. Bring to a simmer and return the browned beef and any juices to the pan.

1. Add the bay leaves, cover the pot and transfer to the oven for 90 minutes, or until the beef is very tender. Discard the bay leaves and have a taste of the gravy to check if you need to adjust the seasoning.

Finishing Touches

1. Spread the toasted bread with Dijon mustard and pile with the Gruyere and grated Parmesan. Divide the beef stew between six ovenproof bowls and top with the bread slices to cover.

1. Add some extra cheese for good measure and place the broiler (grill) for a few minutes, until the cheese melts and starts to brown (keep a close eye on the cheese as it can easily burn). Scatter with the reserved caramelized onions before serving and prepare for everyone to congratulate you on this amazing meal!

Recipe Tips

• Drop the oven temperature by 15-20 degrees if you are using a fan-forced oven.
• You can toast the bread slices in an air fryer if you prefer – air fry for 10 minutes at 350°F (180°C), turning over halfway. You can likewise melt the cheese on the assembled French Onion Beef Stew bowls in the air fryer. Crank up the heat to the highest and air fry for 3-4 minutes, keeping a close eye on the cheese.
• For epic cheese pulls, pile extra cheese on the bread before melting 🙂
• You can use yellow onions or sweet Vidalia onions or even a combination of yellow and red onions.
• Traditional French Onion soup uses both white wine and brandy. I used dry Marsala here as it sort bridges the gap between the two.
• The stew will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, without the bread topping. You can also freeze it for up to three months.
• Serve the stew with the cheesy bread slices on the side if preferred.
  

Related Recipes

• Slow Cooker Beef Stew and Dumplings
• Crock Pot Carne Guisada (Mexican Beef Stew)
• Slow Cooker Venison Stew
• Kokkinisto – Greek Beef Stew in Tomato Sauce
• Mashed Potato Gratin with Caramelized Onions
• French Onion Beef Short Ribs

HAVE YOU MADE MY FRENCH ONION BEEF STEW RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #Nusde and make my day! If you have any questions, message me on Instagram and I will do my best to answer them quickly.