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From the versatility of cucumber salads to the set-and-forget comfort that is Mississippi Pot Roast, social media launched a wide variety of food trends in 2024. One of the biggest: French onion recipes. French onion soup is just the beginning. Now we’re French onion-ing pasta, casseroles, braises, and beyond.
Before we highlight our all-time best French onion recipes, we spoke with Lynn Blanchard, Test Kitchen director, for the dish about what makes these luscious, savory onions different from their crowd-pleasing cousin, caramelized onions.
Not to be confused with French-fried onions that are a must-have topping on a Classic Green Bean Casserole, “Frenched onions are caramelized onions that have ingredients—often, bouillon, sherry, and/or butter—added to boost the flavor,” Blanchard explains. “They can be used just like caramelized onions in things like casseroles, as steak and burger toppings, in omelets, on pizza, and on grain bowls.”
Since they can be used interchangeably and are so similar, the comfort food guide below includes both French onion recipes and a few caramelized creations for good measure. Feel free to swap in Frenched onions for caramelized in any of those dips, risottos, savory jams, or strombolis, if you like.
Jake Sternquist
Yes, we know that we just mentioned that those crunchy French-fried onions sold in cans aren’t the same as Frenched onions. But this chicken casserole features both—along with pops of frozen peas, leftover or rotisserie chicken, and silky sour cream—for a meal that fans confirm is “super easy and tasty” and “very close to chicken pot pie, but seriously elevated” thanks to the Frenched onions and a generous topping of melty Gruyère cheese.
Jacob Fox
Imagine your bowl of savory, thyme-scented French onion soup supplemented with a splash of cream. Then instead of a cheesy toast topping, this French onion recipe is fortified with enough pasta (a short cut like mezze rigatoni or cavatappi works great) to soak up enough of the broth as well as a handful each of shredded Parmesan and nutty Gruyère cheese. The result is an easy, cheesy casserole that all comes together in a Dutch oven.
Test Kitchen Tip: Boil the pasta in the Dutch oven first, then drain the cooked pasta, set it aside, dump out the water, and you’re all set to start step 1.
Of course, no round-up of French onion recipes would be complete without one (or a few) French onion soup recipes. Fans have told us this is among the best since you can make a remarkably flavorful beef bone broth in a third of the time as a stovetop version. Plus, you can caramelize the onions right in the Instant Pot—and only need to stir twice. After those alliums are aromatic and golden brown, deglaze the pot with dry sherry, then add the aforementioned broth and a bay leaf. Simmer on the “Sauté” function, top with cheesy toasts, and grab a spoon.
One BHG fan wrote in to confess that they never thought they liked French onion soup…until they tried this French onion recipe with short ribs. After their first serving, “I can safely say I actually LOVE French onion soup. Yes, this recipe completely changed my view on french onion soups!” So whether you currently adore or aren’t so keen on the concept of the soup, you should try this easy braised beef recipe. The broth keeps the beef succulent as it bakes, and we even coach you through how to make a cheesy toast to serve alongside (and use to soak up as much of that garlicky beef broth as possible).
Jacob Fox
Pour a glass of bubbly or dry white wine, toss together a crisp green salad, and call this elegant yet easy Tartiflette dinner. The name for this French dish comes from the tartifla, a term in the local Alpine dialect that translates to “potato.” The casserole includes sliced spuds, crispy bacon, caramelized onions, and ooey-gooey baked Brie cheese. After giving it a shot, one fan says, “there is so much flavor and richness going on, it is a dish that will definitely steal the spotlight. I can’t say enough good things about it.”
French onion soup is typically served as a starter. But stir in tortellini and a whole package of Fresh spinach, and all of a sudden, you have a soup, salad, and pasta course all in one. Since the pasta cooks right in the caramelized onion-fortified stock mixture instead of water, it absorbs extra flavor—and you only need to dirty one pot.
Brie Passano
Another way to transform the most ubiquitous French onion recipe into an entrée? Incorporate sliced mushrooms, sirloin, and egg noodles. Fans tell us it’s “heavenly” and tastes even better the next day. (So go ahead and make a double batch while you’re at it!)
As you’ve probably picked up by now, caramelizing or Frenching onions is traditionally done on the stovetop. But for this, one of our easiest riffs on the classic soup, we employ a brilliant hack for this French onion recipe: slice the onions, toss them with melted butter olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper, then roast on a sheet pan for 45 minutes, or until tender and light brown. Voila: You have your base, all set to spiff up with broth, sherry, Worcestershire sauce…and of course, a Gruyère cheese toast.
Brie Goldman
Think of this mash-up recipe like the best of pepperoncini-spiked Mississippi Pot Roast, pizza, and comforting French onion flavor all in one calzone-like package. The thyme, caramelized onions, and au jus really deliver on the French onion recipe promise, and the meat and cheese amp up the deliciousness and heartiness. Serve slices as a crowd-pleasing party appetizer, or enjoy a larger portion alongside a salad to make it a meal.
Imagine cooking down French onion soup until it reaches a jammy, spreadable consistency. That’s basically what you have here, with this savory and surprisingly quick (once you’ve roasted the garlic, it takes just 30 minutes!) savory onion jam. Share it in jars as a food gift, add a bowl to a cheese tray, or slather generous scoops atop melted gruyère-crowned toasts.
Marty Baldwin
Don’t run away due to the fact that both caramelized or Frenched onions and risotto usually call for quite a bit of stirring. This dinner—complete with salty bacon, umami mushrooms, and mildly-sweet marsala wine—is doable even for risotto newbies. Even though the French onion recipe looks, smells, and tastes like you fussed over it all day (or ordered it from a fancy restaurant), it can be on your table in less than an hour.
When you’ve prepped this French onion recipe ahead and have the ready-to-bake breakfast casserole in your refrigerator, the best part of waking up isn’t coffee. It’s the aroma wafting out of your oven as the bacon, broccoli, sourdough, eggs, cheese, and caramelized onions cook to golden brown perfection. Actually, it’s your first forkful of this masterpiece of a meal, which instantly became one of our favorite weekend or holiday brunch ideas. A fan who tried it themselves confirms that this make-ahead casserole is “perfect.”