Go Back
–+ servings
French onion beef stew with caramelized onions and a Gruyère toast.

French Onion Beef Stew

Amanda S
Beef chuck braised on the stovetop with caramelized yellow onions, red wine, and thyme. Serve with optional Gruyère toasts.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine French
Servings 4 servings
Calories 666 kcal

Equipment

  • 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven with lid
  • Tongs
  • Knife and cutting board
  • Wooden spoon
  • Broiler-safe baking sheet for the optional toasts

Ingredients
  

French Onion Beef Stew

  • 2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast (907 g after trimming), cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes
  • 4 large yellow onions about 900 g peeled, thinly sliced root to stem
  • 4 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tbsp / 15 g)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter (28 g), divided
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (15 ml)
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (15 ml)
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (8 g); see notes for the separate cornstarch method
  • 1 cup dry red wine (240 ml) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef bone broth (480 ml)
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 6 g kosher salt up to this amount, divided to taste; start with half and adjust for your broth
  • 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (about 1 g)

Optional Baguette & Gruyère Toasts

  • 4 to 8 slices French baguette cut 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) thick and toasted; optional topping, excluded from stew nutrition
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese (150 g) or Swiss / Comté; optional topping, excluded from stew nutrition

Instructions
 

Stovetop stew

  • Pat the beef dry and season with half the salt and the pepper. Heat the olive oil and half the butter in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in uncrowded batches, turning when a brown crust forms; do not wait for every face to brown deeply. Transfer to a plate. Lower the heat if the butter or browned bits begin to burn.
    Beef chuck pieces browning in a Dutch oven before the onions are added.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining butter, the onions, and part of the remaining salt. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom as needed, until soft and deeply amber, allowing roughly 35 to 50 minutes or longer if needed. If browned bits darken too quickly, lower the heat and add a splash of water. Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute.
    Deep amber caramelized onions in the Dutch oven before adding wine.
  • Stir the flour into the onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, beef, and any accumulated juices.
  • Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, checking occasionally, until a fork enters the beef with little resistance. Add a little water or broth if the liquid reduces too far. If the meat is still firm, continue gently until tender. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems. Adjust the sauce consistency and salt to taste.
    Tender beef and caramelized onions in the finished stew before adding the toasts.
  • Arrange the already toasted baguette slices on a baking sheet explicitly rated for broiler use. Divide the Gruyère over the slices and broil according to your oven's instructions, watching continuously, until melted and browned in spots, usually just a few minutes. Ladle the stew into serving bowls and add the cheese toasts immediately before serving. Omit this step when serving the stew without the topping.
French onion beef stew with caramelized onions and a Gruyère toast.
French Onion Beef Stew

Notes

Timing: The main card covers the stovetop Dutch oven method. Allow about 35–50 minutes or longer for the onions, plus 2 1/2–3 hours of gentle braising. The total is a planning guide; check the onion color and beef tenderness rather than stopping solely at the stated time.
Slow cooker option: Complete the beef, onion, flour, and wine steps on the stovetop, then transfer with the remaining stew ingredients to a suitable slow cooker. Cook on LOW for about 7–8 hours, until the beef is fork-tender. Add the stovetop work to that time; the main card's total does not apply. Make the cheese toasts separately.
Cornstarch variation: Omit flour at the onion stage. Near the end, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and stir the slurry gradually into the simmering broth, using only as much as needed. Simmer until thickened. For a gluten-free meal, also check the Worcestershire sauce and broth labels and use gluten-free bread or omit the toast.
Serving definition: Divide the stew into 4 portions. The baguette and Gruyère are optional toppings.
Nutrition: Calculated per serving as one-fourth of the stew, including an equal share of beef, onions, and broth; optional baguette and Gruyère are excluded. The calculation uses USDA FoodData Central reference values for 907 g of raw trimmed chuck eye roast, SUNFED RANCH beef bone broth, and the full 6 g of added salt. All cooking fats and the full energy of the wine are counted, without deducting alcohol lost during cooking. Values vary with the cut and trimming, broth, salt used, discarded fat, and wine evaporation.

Nutrition

Calories: 666kcalCarbohydrates: 27.1gProtein: 49.6gFat: 35.4gSaturated Fat: 15.5gSodium: 880mgFiber: 4.4g
Keyword Easy French Onion Beef Stew, French Onion Beef Stew, French Onion Beef Stew Recipe, French Onion Beef Stew Slow Cooker, French Onion Braised Beef, Old Fashioned French Onion Beef Stew
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!