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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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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!
This post was originally published on December 21, 2022
This was delicious and so easy to make using the crockpot. The flavour was intense in the best way. I definitely will make this again.
Hey Amy,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit!⛄️ xT
This recipe is fantastic! It’s by far our favorite HBH recipe so far.
Love to hear this Kari!! Thanks so much for giving this dish a try! xT
Absolutely delicious! Turned out amazing! Super hearty and comforting! Will definitely make again!
Thanks so much Renee! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xx
Making this tomorrow with some Chuck. I just wanted to thank you for the inro to Tamari. It’s the perfect balance between Soy sauce and Magi. Absolutely delicious.
Oh love to hear this Gina, happy to share! Let me know how this dish turns out, I hope it’s delish! xx
Had a delicious flavor, but agree with others a different meat would be better. Maybe beef tips? When I removed the ribs to remove the bone, I also had to cut out a lot of the tendon area that would have not been edible. Other than that, delicious flavor!
Hey Linda,
Thank you so much for giving this dish a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great Thursday:)
It’s in the oven now, and smelling really really good! My kids gave me a Staub pot for Christmas and it’s the first thing I’ve made in it!!
Awesome, love to hear this!! I hope this recipe is delish! xT
So good! I upped seasoning a bit for my taste. I also agree super oily but SO AMAZING.
Hey there,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
Loved it! I used a mystery meat (frozen cubes of beef that needed to be cooked) instead of short ribs. This is a keeper according to my husband and me.
Hey Laura,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
This was my first time making a HBH recipe and it was delicious! I made it New Years Eve and it turned out great! Personally, I would decrease the butter to 3-4 tablespoons because there was a lot of oil at the top of the soup when served and a thick solid layer of fat at the top of the soup after I refrigerated the left overs. The short ribs that I used were pretty lean so I don’t think that layer consisted of very much animal fat. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Alle,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xT
Hi Tiegan,
Any recommendations for how to make this in the instant pot? Looking forward to trying this. 🤤
I’m wondering the same thing! Can short ribs be cooked in an instant pot?
Yes, I would do 60 minutes on high pressure!
Hi Kristina,
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
I made this last night with the ribs that were cut off of our Christmas prime rib roast. I was so yummy and probably a little less fat. I skimmed off most of the remaining fat before serving. You’re meals never fail, thanks!
Hey Karen,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for giving it a try! xT
Unfortunately, this was too greasy for us. It tasted great, but the ribs were so fatty, the broth was too fatty as well. I tired to skin some of thebgrease, but that didn’t help. This is the first one of your recipes that we haven’t loved. Sorry!
Hi Gigi,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. So sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
This recipe will go on repeat for our household! The grocery was out of short ribs so I used a chuck roast and cut it into 4 medium pieces, and it turned out great!
Hey Rebekah,
Happy New Year! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Hey Rebekah,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Thanks for the great recipe! The only thing I might do differently next time is make it a day ahead because my short ribs were kind of fatty and it would be easier to remove some of the is fat the next day. Wonderful flavor!
Hey Susie,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
I had such high hopes for this soup but unfortunately we found the broth extremely fatty. Wouldn’t it have been better to cook or braise the ribs first to get rid of all the excess fat?
We couldn’t get through a bowl of this and ended up draining the broth and and eating it on a plate.
Hi Dee,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry about the fattiness. You could always strain that next time with a cold spoon. I hope this helps! xT
This was delicious!!! Served it over Parpadelle pasta (husband was craving similar meal from local restaurant). I had it with the bread and cheese. And my 3 kiddos loved it too! 3 cheers!
Hey Kate,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Could you sub the soy sauce for red wine?
Hi Ariel,
Sure, that would be okay for you to do! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT