French Onion Beef Stew
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Want to amp up the flavor of traditional beef stew? Make this French Onion Beef Stew recipe! It’s the ultimate cozy comfort food, combining the rich, savory flavors of classic French onion soup with hearty, tender beef. Slow-simmered with caramelized onions, garlic, and a flavorful broth, this stew is packed with deep, savory flavor. Serve it topped with crusty bread and gruyere cheese for a family-friendly dinner that tastes amazing!
How this recipe brings the flavor
Have you ever noticed that the best french onion soup comes from a steakhouse? That’s because they have the best beef stock! Well, in this recipe, we’re cooking the beef right into the stew!
After testing and perfecting this recipe, here’s how I achieved layers of flavors in every bite.
- Caramelizing the onions first. By cooking the onions by themselves, the sweetness of the onions release as they caramelize for a wonderful depth of flavor.
- Using a rich beef stock. Since this is the base of the soup, it’s important to use a high-quality beef stock that’s thicker, richer, and more flavorful than beef broth.
- Searing the beef in a hot pan. Before slow cooking the beef to tenderize it, searing it in a hot pan on the stove gives it a rich flavor from caramelizing the outside of the meat.
Key ingredients and substitution ideas
Above I show you all of the ingredients for the recipe (because I’m a visual person and I find it helpful, hopefully you do too!), below I tell you about the main players in the recipe and why they matter. The full list of ingredients with measurements can always be found in the recipe card.
- Beef chuck roast – you can also use a flat cut beef brisket, beef stew meat, or a bottom round roast.
- French Onion Mix (click link for the recipe) – this seasoning mix of onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper gives the chicken so much flavor. I used my homemade seasoning mix for this recipe, but you can also purchase pre-made French Onion Soup Mix at your local grocery store. For this recipe, you’ll need two tablespoons French onion mix, which is equal to a one ounce package of mix.
- Beef stock – since this is the main liquid in the base of the stew, I recommend purchasing, or making, a high-quality beef stock. Beef stock has a richer, deeper flavor than beef broth. I found this Custom Culinary Beef Base at a restaurant supply store in San Diego and absolutely love it.
- Potatoes – for this recipe you can cut red potatoes or gold potatoes into 1 inch cubes, or use whole baby potatoes. If you keep the potatoes whole, they’ll cook all the way through, but have a firmer texture in the end. If you dice whole potatoes, they will end up with a softer texture. I like potatoes with a firmer texture, so I use whole baby potatoes. This is just a personal preference, and either one will work fine in this recipe.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and video, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Caramelize sliced onions in the oven for one hour.
- Dice and season the beef with french onion seasoning.
- Sear the cubed beef.
- Add flour to the beef drippings in the pot.
- Pour beef stock and Worcestershire sauce into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Add the seared beef and caramelized onions to the pot, along with potatoes, fresh thyme and bay leaves. Cook for 2 hours in the oven.
How to serve it
I like to serve this french onion beef stew like classic french onion soup. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls. Top the soup with a piece of toasted bread and lots of grated gruyere cheese. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and into the oven under the broiler.
Watch the soup! Broilers are very hot and can burn your cheese really quick if you’re not watching. Keep an eye on the oven for 1-2 minutes. Once the cheese is melted and bubbling, remove the soup from the oven and serve it immediately.
You can always serve extra toasted bread on the side for dipping in the stew. My favorite side dish to pair with the stew is a blue cheese salad, so you really get those steakhouse vibes at home!
French Onion Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 head garlic, peeled and cloves removed
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons french onion seasoning, click link for recipe
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 8 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound baby potatoes, or cubed red potatoes
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
Optional toppings
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese, or Swiss cheese
- ½ loaf french bread, sliced
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Thinly slice the onions using a sharp knife or mandoline.
- Add the onions and garlic cloves to an oven-safe cast iron dutch oven. Pour 4 tablespoons olive oil over the onions, sprinkle with the salt, then toss to coat.
- Cover and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and turn the heat on the oven down to 350°F.
- Remove the onions and garlic from the dutch oven and place them on a rimmed plate or a cutting board with grooves, as liquid will come out of the onions and garlic.
- Place the dutch oven on the stove over high heat.
- Toss the cubed beef with the french onion seasoning.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the dutch oven. Once the oil is hot, add the chuck roast and sear the pieces for about 4-6 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef from the pot and set it aside with the onions and garlic.
- Pour ¼ cup beef stock into the pot and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pot and scrape up any browned bits.
- Sprinkle the flour evenly over everything in the pot, stir to combine, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the remaining 7 ¾ cups beef stock and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Stir to combine everything, turn the heat on the stove up to high, and bring the stock to a boil.
- Add the seared pieces of beef back to the pot, along with the onions and garlic. Add the potatoes, fresh thyme, and bay leaves.
- Cover the pot with a lid, or tightly with a piece of aluminum foil, and transfer it to the oven for 2 hours.
- Remove the soup from the oven and use tongs to remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
Optional way to serve the soup
- Heat the oven to broil on high and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Slice a half loaf of french bread, then place the slices on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray, or brush with melted butter. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove the bread from the oven.
- Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls and top each bowl with a slice of toast and shredded gruyere cheese. Place on a baking sheet and under the broiler in the oven for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Notes
- You can make this recipe ahead of time. After cooking the beef stew for 2 hours at 350°F, simply turn the oven to warm and leave the stew, covered in the oven, for up to 2 hours. You can also transfer it to a slow cooker set to warm.
- You can cook the beef stew on the stove, instead of the oven, if you prefer. Simply cover the pot, set the stovetop temperature to medium-low heat and allow the stew to simmer for 2 hours on the stove.
- To make this recipe gluten free, use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the broth. Cornstarch is a stronger thickening agent than flour, so you’ll only need 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
- If you would like to add another layer of flavor to this french onion beef stew, you can replace one cup of the beef broth with dry red wine, like a cabernet sauvignon.
- Store leftover beef stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat the stew, add it to a pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Bring it to a simmer, then stir the stew occasionally for 5-7 minutes on the stovetop. You can also reheat one portion of the stew in a microwave-safe bowl, covered in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
- You can also store prepared beef stew in the freezer for up to 6 months. You’ll want to let the stew cool down to room temperature, then transfer it to a freezer-safe storage container. Freeze the stew for up to 6 months. To defrost, I recommend transferring the stew from the freezer to the refrigerator for 24 hours. You can then reheat the stew in a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
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