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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!
Used Worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce, and chuck roast instead of short ribs. Served over mash potatoes. Very good cozy meal.
Thanks so so much for trying out the recipe, I really hope you loved it! xT
11/10 ⭐️!
I loved the recipe, but made several substitutions – boneless short ribs, red wine, and beef broth. I also halved the ingredients because it makes SO MUCH food. If I did it again I’d probably use less soy sauce (I have a dark/rich variation from Hmart I used). For the bread I used a french baguette that I sliced up and toasted in a toaster oven with some olive oil and the gruyere cheese and personally chose to keep the bread on the side for dipping. The star anise really added a ton of flavor and depth that I really enjoyed and highly recommend! Overall I’m so happy with the result and it was the perfect hearty bowl of warmth in the autumn months.
Thank you so much Melissa! xT
I made this yesterday for dinner. I made some swaps to make it the more traditional French Onion way by swapping the chicken stock for beef broth, omitting the soy, swapped the short ribs for more affordable chuck roast and the white wine for red wine. I trimmed excess fat from the roast and seared it before putting it in the pot and skimmed fat after taking it out of the oven.
While it was really fatty, we really enjoyed it, the cheese toast and the carrots bring it all together. It’s a dish where pot roast and french onion soup meet. Thanks!
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I appreciate you leaving a comment! 🙂 xT
I Made my soup exactly as you did with one exception. I used left over prime rib bones and some leftover meat. Outstanding flavor. This winter I will definitely add star anise which we love with our soy chicken.
Made this for lunch today – it was really good! A couple suggestions, definitely a good idea to skim the fat off the top or even go so far as to let the soup cool and let the fat form at the top, remove and reheat.
I also recommend searing the meat before cooking. I pretty much went with the recipe verbatim minus the star… I did add a little better than bouillon beef base. You don’t need to add much because of the soy sauce adding salt and sodium.
Cooked for 2 and half hours in Dutch oven. The French bread with cheese was really a clutch addition and with the extra effort. Will definitely make again.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe James! xT
Made it tonight and it was absolutely amazing! I did braise the beef slightly, use red wine instead of white because it’s all I had and added a couple splashes of worcestershire at the very end for a little extra flavour. Was a totally winner thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Hope you’re having a lovely weekend! 🙂 xT
This was very yummy! I only had beef broth and since this has beef in it anyway and French onion soup is traditionally made with beef broth, I stuck to that. Also used red instead of white wine. I will say next time I’ll just use a small chuck roast, I don’t feel the short ribs were much different and it’s far more economical to use a boneless roast. No fishing out bones, either. But overall I was very happy with it and would make it again!
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! Have an awesome weekend! xT
Delicious!!! This will be on our regular rotation. A perfect meal for a cozy fall day. Loved it!
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Have a great day! xT
Can I make this in my pressure cooker ? What would be the cooking time ? Thank you 🙏🏽
Hi Vanessa! I haven’t ever tried this in a pressure cooker before so I can’t say for sure! xT
OMG! This is so delicious! I made it with a beef pot roast instead of the ribs and it was scrumptious! I have making quite a lot of your recipes over the past year and a half and we have enjoyed so many good meals, thanks to you. I really feel your recipes have upped my cooking game and I’m a better cook because of you! So thank you!!
Hi Ellen,
Happy Wednesday!! 🌸🌤️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it turned out well for you! xT
Amazing dish. Super easy. Had half of our short ribs fresh from a butchered cow, and the other half we had to go get from the store last minute, HUGE difference. The flavors were working. We used a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, very dry, to cook with, and it ended up pairing really well with the meal as well.
Hey Christine,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Ok, this was delicious! Another Sunday night family dinner winner. Everyone agreed that this one gets added to the list of recipes. Yum!
Hi Kathy,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx
I was PUMPED to try this, i read almost all the reviews for tips/modifications, I love HBH and i love anything French onion… that being said I have my go to recipe for French onion soup. I would’ve rather stuck with just that. I felt like this was bland. The short ribs weren’t necessary and this as a whole tasted like pot roast. I’m glad I tried it…Would I make it again probably not. BUT I will say if you’re looking for short ribs(this style) then her cider braised ones are 100% better!! Not a bad recipe by any means just not for me and there are better ones on the site 🤷🏼♀️
Hi Hali,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
My husband, 16-year-old son and I loved this!
Hey Michelle,
Happy Monday!!⛅️ Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
This was excellent! I seared the short ribs before putting it all in the oven for 3 hours. Also, skimmed off the grease after cooking. So delicious and will definitely make again. Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Erin,
Happy Sunday!😃 Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed:) xT
how large a dutch oven pot do i need ?
Hi Liz,
I would use at least a 7 quart pot. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx