Go Back

French Onion Beef Stew

French onion beef stew with deeply caramelized onions and tender chuck simmered until rich, then finished in oven-safe bowls with toasted baguette and bubbling browned Gruyere. A French-inspired one-pot stew with classic wine-and-thyme flavor and broiled cheese topping.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Cuisine: French-inspired
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
Seasoning
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Onion and aromatics
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme Use whole sprigs for easy removal of stems.
  • 1 bay leaf bay leaf
Thickener and liquids
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 4 cup beef broth
Bread and cheese topping
  • 6 slices baguette, toasted
  • 1.5 cup shredded Gruyere

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Season the beef cubes with salt and black pepper, then brown them in batches in the olive oil in a Dutch oven and set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil over medium-high so the beef develops browned edges before removing it to keep the stew from steaming.
Caramelize the onions
  1. Melt the butter in the Dutch oven and cook the onions with the sugar, stirring often, for 30-35 minutes until deep golden.
  2. Keep the heat at medium so the onions soften and caramelize rather than scorch.
Build the stew base
  1. Add the minced garlic and flour and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom to lift the browned bits.
  2. Simmer until the wine is mostly absorbed, about 1 minute, then proceed while the fond is incorporated.
Simmer until tender
  1. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme, bay leaf, and the reserved beef, then cover and simmer for 2 hours until the meat is tender.
  2. Check occasionally and keep a gentle simmer so the onions melt into the broth.
Broil the topping
  1. Ladle the stew into oven-safe bowls and top each with a toasted baguette slice and a generous layer of Gruyere.
  2. Broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and browned, watching closely to prevent burning.

Notes

Pro tip: caramelize the onions until they’re truly deep golden; this is what gives the stew its rich, savory sweetness. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freeze up to 2 months without the toasted baguette and cheese; reheat and then broil fresh toppings. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and serve with gluten-free toasted bread.