Next Post
Prosciutto Wrapped Baked Brie in Pastry.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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:
Ginger Sesame Chicken Potstickers
Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema
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!
French Onion Short Ribs
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 998 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- black pepper
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- chili flakes
- 6-8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce (low sodium is best)
- 4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 star anise (optional)
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 6 slices french bread
- 2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
Instructions
Stove/Oven
- 1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.2. In a large oven-safe Dutch Oven over high heat, melt together the butter and onions. Cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add the wine, season with pepper, and continue cooking another 5-8 minutes, until the wine has evaporated and the onions are lightly golden. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, sage, and chili flakes. Then add the short ribs. Pour over 6 cups of broth. Add the tamari, bay leaf, and star anise (if using). Cover and roast in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone. Add the carrots during the last 1-2 hours of cooking. 3. Remove the bay leaves and star anise. Discard any bones and extra fatty pieces. Lightly shred the meat. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Place over LOW heat on the stove. 4. Switch the oven to 425°. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, until very dry. Switch the oven to broil. Top the toast with cheese, then broil until bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. 5. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with cheesy toast, black pepper, and fresh thyme. Eat!
Crockpot
- 1. In a large Dutch Oven over high heat, melt together the butter and onions. Cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add the wine, season with pepper, and continue cooking another 5-8 minutes, until the wine has evaporated and the onions are lightly golden. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, sage, and chili flakes. Then transfer everything to the bowl of the crockpot. 2. To the crockpot, add the short ribs. Pour over 6 cups of broth. Add the tamari, bay leaf, and star anise (if using). Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Add the carrots during the last 1-2 hours of cooking. 3. Remove the bay leaves and star anise. Discard any bones and extra fatty pieces. Lightly shred the meat. Keep on warm. 4. Switch the oven to 425°. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, until very dry. Switch the oven to broil. Top the toast with cheese, then broil until bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. 5. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with cheesy toast, black pepper, and fresh thyme. Eat!
Easy and delicious. We had it with mashed potatoes. A great meal on a cold night. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Hey Gina,
Amazing!! I appreciate you making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner! xT
Would you make this in an insta pot and if yes what would the cooking time be?
Hi Karen,
Sure, I would cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Hi. I made this in the insta pot tonight. I did 45 mins on hi pressure and then turned it on sauté and put in the carrots for 30 mins/ until the carrots were cooked. I had to skim a lot of fat off the top but it was great! I will definitely make it again.
Hey there,
Amazing!! I appreciate you making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner! xT
This was delicious! I did make a few adjustments because I wanted to use some things I had on hand so beef broth instead of chicken, Swiss and Parmesan cheeses instead of Gruyère, and I used Chuck roast in place of the short ribs because it was too expensive. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great!
Hey Sarah,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! Glad to hear the chuck roast worked well for you! xx
I made this in the crock pot today; it was wonderful! Next time I will use beef chuck. The gruyere toasted bread was the ultimate finishing touch. So good. Lots of leftovers so I’ll freeze some, share some!
Hey Beth,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
I made this today and it was excellent. The short ribs really boost the beefy flavour. I just skimmed the fat off the top before serving and it was perfect.
Hey Barb,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Exceeded our expectiations (and I have a picky bunch)! Had to use boneless short ribs, but was wonderful. I did cook a bit longer to ensure the ribs were super tender. QUESTION: do you recommend freezing left overs? I have a lot left and would love to enjoy later 🙂
Thanks!!! Robyn
Hey Robyn,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! Yes, you can totally freeze the leftovers!! xx
I have been so looking forward to this recipe and am so disappointed. It is horrible. Flavorless fatty soup that makes your mouth oily.
Hey Blair,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! Thanks for giving it a try! xx
I have been waiting days to make this and it is such a disappointment. If you like soupy, flavorless and fatty then proceed. The short ribs are such a waste of money as the meat is so tough…Mine have been cooking over 3 hours and are nowhere near falling of the bone.
Hi Jill,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Which cooking method are you using? Is there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Short ribs are a fatty cut of meat:) Let me know how I can help! xx
This is comfort in a bowl. Perfect for a cold winter day. Made this weekend and my husband and I absolutely loved it. Planning to make another batch for a ski weekend coming up. Well done Tieghan!
Hey Leslie,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
Great recipe! I substituted beef bone broth for the chicken stock and used unsalted butter adding salt to taste and it didn’t suffer.
Hey Anita,
Happy Sunday!!❄️ I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out and sharing your feedback! xx
Made this last night and it was absolutely delicious! I was wondering if you could recommend a leaner cut of beef that would still add to the flavor? The short ribs I was able to purchase were very fatty and we are trying to eat healthier. Thanks!
Hey Tiffany,
Happy Sunday!!❄️ I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out and sharing your feedback! You could use a beef chuck! xx
The flavors were delicious! The little Gruyere toasts on top added such a great touch. I have to say that I found it super fatty as well – and I seared the short ribs first. I think that a different cut would work better. I also used the Instant Pot for 50 minutes with 15 minute natural release and that worked well. I put the carrots in for the last 5 minutes.
Hey Casey,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
I expected this to be convenient, and it was. I expected it to be cozy, and it definitely was. But I was amazed at the intriguing flavors! Definitely so YUM! Went all in with the Gruyere on the cheese toast…worth EVERY penny!
Hey Susan,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
I only have boneless short ribs. Will that still work? Or how would the recipe change with boneless short ribs? Thanks!
Hey Nicole,
Sure, you can follow the recipe as written using the boneless short ribs:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
This was delicious and so easy to make in the crockpot! As a mom of 2 under 2, I don’t have a lot of time with prep/cooking; This was such a cozy meal that tastes like I was in the kitchen all day with the richness in flavors. This is our new family favorite, totally recommend!
Hey Tara,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit!⛄️ xT