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French Onion Beef Stew

French onion beef stew with slow simmered, tender chuck and deep-golden caramelized onions. Topped with a toasted baguette slice and broiled Gruyere for bubbling, browned cheese.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soups, Stews & Chili
Cuisine: French-inspired
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck Cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes.
Salt and black pepper
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Butter
  • 3 tbsp butter
Yellow onions
  • 4 yellow onions Thinly sliced.
Sugar
  • 1 tsp sugar
Garlic
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced.
All-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Dry white wine
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
Beef broth
  • 4 cup beef broth
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Fresh thyme
  • 0.25 fresh thyme 4 sprigs.
Bay leaf
  • 1 bay leaf
Baguette slices
  • 6 baguette slices Toasted.
Gruyere
  • 1.5 cup Gruyere Shredded.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Season the beef chuck cubes with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches, then set aside.
Caramelize the onions
  1. Melt the butter in the Dutch oven and add the sliced yellow onions and sugar. Cook, stirring often, for 30-35 minutes until the onions are deep golden.
  2. Add the minced garlic and all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the dry white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot until browned bits release.
Simmer into stew
  1. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme, and bay leaf to the pot, then stir. Return the browned beef, cover, and simmer for 2 hours until tender.
Broil with baguette and Gruyere
  1. Ladle the stew into oven-safe bowls and top each with a toasted baguette slice and shredded Gruyere. Broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and browned.

Notes

For the deepest flavor, don’t rush the onions—keep them moving so they turn deep golden without burning. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently until hot before topping and broiling. Freezing is not recommended because the baguette and cheese topping can soften after thawing. For a lighter option, use leaner chuck or substitute part of the beef with mushrooms to reduce fat while keeping the onion-forward character.