This French onion beef stew recipe marries the rich flavors of French cuisine with the heartiness of a comforting stew. This recipe, is all about the art of slow cooking where deeply caramelized onions are deglazed with brandy and beef stock before slowly simmering with cubes of beef. And, of course, it wouldn't be an ode to French onion soup without a topping of toasted bread and generous amounts of gooey melted cheese.
This hearty French onion stew is rich with layers of flavor featuring beef so tender and onions so sweet, it can only be done with one key ingredient: time. Plan ahead and let this stew simmer slowly on the stovetop all day long. Better yet, make this stew a day ahead of time and allow the flavors to meld overnight.
Ingredients
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Onions - We used regular yellow onions for this recipe and I love how a long and slow cook can transform the humblest of ingredients into something extraordinary.
- Substitutions: You can use any combination or yellow onions, sweet Vidalia onions, red onions and/or shallots.
- Beef - I cubed up a chuck roast into 1 inch cubes. I like to cut the meat myself to trim away excess fat, cut the cubes into my ideal bite-sized piece and keep it fresh - but if you can definitely use a precut stew meat here, as well.
- Substitutions: Chuck roast, bottom round, brisket, and boneless short ribs are all nice cuts for beef stew. For any cut, look for beef with evenly distributed fat marbling.
- Brandy - I love how the warm flavors of brandy compliment the sweet onions and rich beefy flavor but don't need it, you can use any liquid to help you deglaze the pan. If you do use brandy, there's no need to break the bank but I do recommend something sip-worthy, without added flavorings or colors.
- Substitutions: Sherry, Marsala and Madeira wine can be used in place of brandy and each add their own distinctive qualities. Alternatively, you can use a dry red or white wine or simply omit the alcohol and deglaze the pan with a splash of beef stock.
- Beef Stock - A nice beef stock adds rich flavor as the base of the stew.
- Substitutions: Chicken stock is a great alternative and lends a slightly lighter flavor. I recommend using a homemade chicken stock that's packed with collagen such as our homemade chicken bone broth recipe.
- Bread & Cheese - No French onion soup (or stew!) is complete without a generous topping of bread and gooey cheese! I used toasted sourdough bread and lots of Comté cheese (a French alpine cheese). Comté melts perfectly gooey, has beautiful cheese pulls and a subtly sweet and nutty flavor.
- Substitutions: Any crusty bread like sourdough or baguette will stand up nicely to the stew. For cheeses, choose something melty like gruyere, raclette or baby Swiss cheese.
Pro Tip: The Art of Slicing Onions
Spoiler Alert: You are going to cry. But don't worry, French onion beef stew is so good, a few tears are worth it.
The good news is that most of the "work" for this recipe comes right at the beginning and you can get it out of the way pretty quickly. Any life hacks you have for cutting onions will come in handy now. I've heard you can try eating crackers or chewing gum... our friends even don a special pair of onion slicing ski goggles (very Colorado of them).
Personally, I have found that using a super sharp knife (or mandolin) helps a bit. (Dull knives crush the cell walls that release the compounds make your eyes burn.) I also find chilling the onions can help. I never store my onions on the refrigerator, but chilling them for about an hour or so might help you out a bit, especially in this case of many onions.
How To Slice Onions for Optimal Caramelization
This is a bit nerdy but I think it's cool, and pretty important for this recipe. The direction in which you slice your onions can affect the texture and intensity of your caramelization. Slicing the onions parallel to the root helps to create the soft "melted" onion texture.
- You want to start by cutting your onions in half, vertically from the root end.
- Then, lay the half onion flat on your cutting board. Slice off the end that is opposite of the root. Peel the papery skin from the onion but leave the root in tact, to hold the onion layers together.
- Thinly slice the onion in slices that are parallel to the root. This does two things:
- First, the root holds your onion together making is safer and easier to slice thinly.
- Second, and this is the nerdy science part, slicing the onion this way breaks through the cell structure of the onion allowing the moisture to evaporate faster and more evenly. By exposing the "pores" in each layer of onion, the onions can cook down more deeply and create that coveted "melted" onion texture.
- FYI - Slicing the onions in the other direction, perpendicular to the root, helps to keep onions with a crisp texture that is perfect for stir-frys and quicker cooking methods where you still want a little crunch.
Seasoning and Searing The Beef
Even though the beef won't be added back into the stew for several hours, I like to start with this step to develop a flavorful fond (browned bits in the pot) that can help to flavor the onions while they cook. We will need a pot big enough for the entire stew - I used an 8 quart Dutch oven.
- Combine the flour with kosher salt and black pepper. Toss the cubed beef in the seasoned flour mixture until evenly coated. Reserve any excess flour in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large, thick bottomed pot over medium high heat. In small batches, to avoid overcrowding, sear the cubed beef on all sides. Transfer the seared beef into the bowl with any leftover seasoned flour.
- Toss the seared beef in the excess seasoned flour mixture until the flour is completely absorbed. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator while you cook the onions.
Caramelizing The Onions
From here on out, this recipe is incredibly easy, but requires several hours of cooking the onions, then the beef slowly and gently, over low heat. The onions barely fit at first but quickly cooked down to a fraction of their size.
- Start by melting a stick of butter in the pot with the fond (browned bits from searing the beef). Add all of the sliced onions and minced garlic. Cook over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan and tossing the onions as best you can - it will be a little easier once they cook down a bit.
- Cook Time: 15 minutes... Continue cooking the onions, stirring occasionally. In the beginning, while the onions are still crisp, you can use medium heat and can stir more infrequently, every half hour or so.
Cook Time: 30 minutes... As the onions continue to cook, more moisture will evaporate away and the onions will continue to shrink.
Cook Time: 90 minutes... As the color deepens, you may need to lower the temperature and stir more frequently. The goal is to cook the ovens slowly and evenly to concentrate the natural sugars and achieve a rich brown color.
Cook Time: 3 ½ hours... When your onions reach this point of caramelization, after several hours, they will smell sweet and be very soft. At this stage, you can move on to the next step of deglazing the pan when you are ready, but for optimal flavor continue caramelizing until the final stage.
Cook Time: 5 ½ hours... Here, the onions are truly caramelized and have a deep brown coloring and an almost paste like texture. This stage of caramelization creates layers of flavor that make for an incredible base for the French onion beef stew.
Deglazing and Stewing
- When you are satisfied with the onion caramelization, it is time to deglaze the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the brandy (or substitution) to the onions, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to release any bits that have stuck. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and continue cooking and stirring until the liquids have nearly evaporated (about 5 minutes).
- Add in the seared cubes of beef and stir until evenly distributed. The flour clinging to the cubes of beef will act as a thickener for the stew.
- Stir in the beef stock.
- Add the bay leaves and fresh thyme. (I like to bundle my herbs with a piece of kitchen twine, so they are easy to remove later on.) Bring the stew to a simmer and allow to cook, stirring occasionally for about 3 hours, or until the beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender. Continue to serve immediately or chill and refrigerate over night, to further meld the flavors.
Gooey Cheese Topping & Serving
This part is technically optional... but is it, really?
- When ready to serve, ladle a generous portion of the stew into a heat-safe crock. Top with a handful of staled and/or toasted sourdough cubes.
- Top the crock with lots (and lots!) of thinly sliced or shredded cheese. Broil and watch closely until the cheese is bubbling with golden spots.
Alternatively, you can melt the cheese over the bread on a sheet pan, carefully transferring the gooey goodness over your bowl of stew.
Several hours later you have the best dang French onion beef stew you could dream up. I hope you love it as much as I do. Enjoy with a big spoon (and preferably a snow storm in your slippers).
Saving & Storing
This recipe is easily made ahead of time and enjoyed later in the week (or coming months!). It's a great recipe to bring to your ski vacation lodge, serve for a hearty holiday meal or to freeze into individual portions to aide you through the long Winter months.
- Refrigerator: 3 - 4 days
- Freezer: 2 - 3 months
Please reheat the stew in the microwave, stovetop or slow cooker to a minimum of 165° Fahrenheit.
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Recipe
French Onion Beef Stew
Equipment
- Mandolin Optional for slicing onions
- Kitchen Twine Optional for herb sachet
- Oven Safe Crocks for serving, if you have them
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds beef chuck roast (or stew meat) trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 inch cubes
- ½ Cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon fine kosher salt* plus more for seasoning stew, to taste
- ½ Tablespoon Freshly-ground black pepper plus more for seasoning stew, to taste
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided, as needed for searing in batches
- ½ Cup butter (1 stick)
- 2 pounds yellow onions very thinly sliced (See Note: a)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Cup brandy OR sherry wine OR additional beef stock
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 quarts beef stock
- 5- 6 sprigs fresh thyme bound with bay leaves and kitchen twine, if using
- 2 bay leaves bound with thyme springs and kitchen twine, if using
- 8 Cups cubed sourdough staled and/or toasted
- 1 pound Comté, Gruyere or Swiss cheese thinly sliced or shredded
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl toss the cubed beef with flour, salt and black pepper. Reserve any excess flour mixture in the bowl.1 ½ pounds beef chuck roast (or stew meat), ½ Cup all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon fine kosher salt*, ½ Tablespoon Freshly-ground black pepper
- In a large pot (or 8 quart Dutch oven) heat a splash of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the seasoned beef in batches, on all sides. Transfer the seared beef back into the bowl with reserved flour and toss to combine. Refrigerate and set aside.3 Tablespoons olive oil
- In the same pot, lower the heat to medium. Add the butter and use a wooden spoon to scrape the fond (browned bits) loose from the bottom of the pan. Add in all of the sliced onions and minced garlic. Stir to combine.½ Cup butter (1 stick), 2 pounds yellow onions, 3 cloves garlic
- Continue cooking the onions, stirring occasionally, for several hours. During this time the onions will shrink considerably, become sweeter and take on a deep brown coloring. As they caramelize further, you may need to lower the heat and/or stir more frequently, to promote even browning and prevent burnt spots. I recommend caramelizing the onions for 3 - 6 hours, or until the onions are deeply browned. More time will equate to more flavor.
- Stir in the brandy and Worcestershire sauce, a splash at a time, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the pot is nearly dry.1 Cup brandy, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Add the seared beef to the pot and stir. Slowly stir in the beef stock. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer slowly, stirring occasionally, until the beef is melt in your mouth tender, about 3 hours. Serve immediately or cool overnight.2 quarts beef stock, 5- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves
- When ready to serve, ladle the hot stew into oven safe crocks. (See Note: b.) Top with a handful of toasted sourdough croutons and a generous portion of cheese. Broil for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to blister. Allow to cool briefly before enjoying with a big spoon.8 Cups cubed sourdough, 1 pound Comté, Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Notes
Nutrition
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