French Onion Short Ribs.

French Onion Short Ribs. Best for when you’re craving steaming hot french onion soup but want something a little heartier too. Easy homemade french onion soup made with tender, fall-apart short ribs and a small touch of soy for a salty, delicious twist. This is a wonderful family dinner to make any night of the week, especially during these cold winter months. So warming, cozy, and delicious. Especially with all that cheesy bread on top. Yummmy.

I don’t know if you feel like you need this recipe this week, just days before the holidays, but I felt like you NEED this recipe. It’s the perfect cozy bowl for these bitter-cold December nights. And personally, I love it because it’s easy, serves my family, and is wildly delicious.

This is by no means a traditional french onion soup. And the short ribs are not cooked the usual way most of us cook short ribs. There’s also some unexpected flavors, but I promise you, it’s so warming and so delish.

Do any of you remember these French Onion Dumplings I made last November? I adore that recipe and have made it many times since first sharing it. It’s the perfect marriage of rich flavors. It’s the oniony soy broth that I love so much about the recipe.

I know it sounds odd, but the salt in the soy really pairs so wonderfully with a rich onion broth.

When I was in New York, I was describing the recipe to one of the producers at Kelly and Ryan. He had asked why I didn’t include any cheesy toast with the dumplings. And I too wondered, well, “why didn’t I”?

And that’s when I came up with this. It’s nothing crazy new. I’m sure someone has put short ribs in french onion soup before, but I did so in a very special way.

Here are details

Like a lot of recipes I’m sharing right now, you can use the stove or crockpot. I love both options but stuck with the stove this time.

The key to this is to caramelize the onions with a touch of wine just like I do in my french onion soup. They add so much flavor and make the broth feel rich and indulgent. When the onions have caramelized, add the broth, a splash of tamari (or you can use soy sauce), and then a bay leaf and star anise. The soy sauce, bay leaf, and star anise really create a flavorful broth that sounds different, but works really well with the rich onion broth and braised short ribs.

Please trust me, the tamari/soy is the secret.

Add the short ribs right to the broth, then transfer the pot to the oven to let the ribs cook. Keep the top on so the broth does not evaporate over time.

After 2-3 hours the ribs should easily fall off the bone.

You need to remove and discard the bones, then shred the meat. It should easily shred right into the broth mess-free.

To finish, you need the cheesy gruyere toast. Use french bread and shredded Gruyere, then broil until the cheese is bubbly.

Ladle the broth and meat into soup bowls and top with toast + thyme. And honestly, this sounds weird, but some chili garlic oil is really delicious on top too. It’s just an idea, but a yummy one!

Our nights are so much longer these days, so sometimes I find it nice to be able to spend a little extra time in the kitchen making dinner.

Everyone is going to love this recipe. It’s surprising, but in a good way!

Looking for other weeknight dinners? Here are my favorites: 

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Ginger Sesame Chicken Potstickers

Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema

Dan Dan Noodles

Lastly, if you make these French Onion Short Ribs, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!