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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!
We made this twice now. Both with boneless short ribs, trimmed very well, and both times extremely tasty. The second time I braised the meat first after seasoning it with salt and pepper, and really let the wine evaporate. I used a ton of herbs and let them sauté for a min with the garlic and shallot. I also cooked it for closer to 4 hours, until my meat started falling apart when picked up with a tong. I made the cheesy baguette slices, and we also used a more intense Swiss sprinkled on top. So tasty! Best French onion I’ve ever made.
Hey Lauren,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish! Have a great weekend! xT
Delicious! I used brandy as I didn’t have any wine and it turned into a sort of “stoop” somewhere between a soup and a stew. Devoured by myself and husband.
Hey Lynn,
Happy Monday!!🌴 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
This was absolutely disgusting. I wasted so much money on buying these short ribs, not to mention my afternoon and evening on this and it was not edible.
If I ever try this again, I’ll sear the short ribs before sautéing the onions.
Worse recipe from this page EVER. Don’t recommend.
Tasted fatty and blah even after adding extra seasoning.
Don’t waste your time or money
Is a 5 qt Dutch oven big enough or can this recipe be cut in half? I’m making this for 2 people and 4 lbs of ribs is a lot of meat. Your thoughts, please. Thanks
Hi there,
Sure, you could totally cut this recipe in half! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it’s delish! xx
This was delicious, although I’d call it a soup rather than just short ribs. The shredded rib meat was a great addition to the French onion soup, and the bread with melted Gruyere was the perfect finishing touch. I only used 1.6 lbs of bone-in ribs, which we thought was more than enough, and I cut the broth to about 4 cups. Definitely one I’ll be making again when I can afford more short ribs (these were ones I had had in the freezer for six months)!
Hey Helen,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Wednesday! xx
Can I use boneless short ribs instead? Same cooking time?
Hey Shannon,
You bet, that will work well for you! Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love this recipe! xx
My husband loves French onion soup so I made this take on it for him for my half of Valentine’s Day and he loved it! I don’t like the typical French onion soup but this was amazing!
Hey Anna,
Happy Monday!!💐 Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner! xx
Can this be made in the instant pot to cut down on cook time?
Hey Melissa,
Sure, I don’t see why not! I would do at least 45 minutes on high pressure in the instant pot. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hello! I have a diary allergy, could I use oil instead of butter to caramelize the onions? Thanks!
*dairy
Hey Amanda,
Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xT
Hey Tieghan! I made this last night and it cooked over 3 hours but the short ribs were still a little tough. There was also a lot of fat in the soup. What can I do next time to avoid all of this?
Hey Sam,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try!! So short ribs are fatty, it’s normal for them to release that fat while cooking. I’m assuming you used the stove top method? Is it possible your heat was too low? I hope this helps for next time! xT
Ovens broken 🙁 Could this be done in a dutch oven on the stove top?
Hey Kent,
You bet, that would be just fine for you to do! Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xx
I made this a few weeks ago and froze the leftovers. We just ate the rest of it served over mashed potatoes and it was delightful on a chilly February evening. Thank you for amazing recipes!
Hey Anne,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad it turned out well for you:)
Can you substitute anything else besides the wine I cannot consume alcohol right now.
Hey Jill,
Totally, broth would also be a great option for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Can I substitute another type of beef if I don’t have any short ribs at the store.
Hey Marielle,
A beef chuck would be your next best option. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I don’t have a dutch oven. Could I prepare in a regular pot before transferring to the crockpot?
Hi Lily,
Any large skillet will work well in place of the dutch oven. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT