Beef French Onion Soup Casserole tastes like a bowl of French onion soup turned into dinner: sweet, deeply browned onions, savory ground beef and tender egg noodles in a rich onion broth, finished with a crunchy pile of fried onions. It is a hearty one-skillet supper for a cold weeknight, and it feeds a family of eight.
How to make beef French onion soup casserole: Cook sliced onion in butter for 25 to 30 minutes until caramel colored, brown the beef with onion soup mix, then simmer egg noodles in beef broth and French onion soup for 10 to 12 minutes. Top with crispy fried onions and serve.
Why You’ll Love It
- One skillet: the noodles cook right in the broth, so there is no separate pot of water to boil and drain.
- Real onion flavor: slow-cooked onion, onion soup mix and French onion soup all build on each other.
- Soft and crunchy: tender noodles underneath, crisp fried onions on top.
- Feeds 8: two pounds of beef and a full bag of noodles make a big batch in about an hour.
Ingredient Notes
Yellow onion: Buy one large yellow onion and slice it thin. Yellow onions have a balanced, sweet flavor, and their natural sugars caramelize as they cook low and slow, which gives the whole dish its French onion taste.
Ground beef: Two pounds brown right in the same skillet after the onion. Ground pork, turkey or chicken work in its place if that is what you have.
Onion soup mix: One 1-ounce packet seasons the beef as it browns. If you keep homemade onion soup mix in the pantry, about 3 tablespoons equals one store-bought envelope.
Beef broth and French onion soup: Three cups of beef broth plus two 10.5-ounce cans of condensed French onion soup, used straight from the can, make the liquid the noodles cook in.
Wide egg noodles: Twelve ounces, uncooked. I use the wide ones, since they hold the broth and stay tender without falling apart.
Crispy fried onions: Six ounces, added at the very end for crunch and a second hit of onion flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 packet (1 ounce) onion soup mix
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 cans (10.5 ounces each) condensed French onion soup
- 12 ounces wide egg noodles, uncooked
- 6 ounces crispy fried onions
How to Make Beef French Onion Soup Casserole
1. Melt the butter. In a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
2. Caramelize the onion. Add the sliced onion and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very tender and caramel colored. Lower the heat if it starts to scorch.
3. Brown the beef. Add the ground beef, onion soup mix, salt and pepper. Stir to break the beef into small pieces and cook until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes, and the beef reaches 160°F. Spoon off any excess grease.
4. Add the liquids. Pour in the beef broth and the condensed French onion soup and stir.
5. Add the noodles. Add the egg noodles, pressing them under the liquid so they are completely submerged. Bring the mixture to a boil.
6. Simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the noodles are tender.
7. Top and serve. Remove the skillet from the heat, top with the crispy fried onions and serve.
Take Your Time With the Onions
The onions are where this casserole gets its flavor, so give them the full 25 to 30 minutes. They soften first, then slowly turn golden and finally a deep caramel brown, sweet and savory instead of sharp.
You are looking for onions that are very tender, almost sticky, and the color of caramel. If yours still look pale at the 25-minute mark, give them a few extra minutes. I set a timer and stir every few minutes, scraping up anything that sticks to the pan.
Keep the heat steady rather than high. Medium-high heat melts the butter quickly, but once the onions start browning, turn the heat down a notch if the edges darken faster than the middle.
Brown the beef in the same skillet without wiping it out. The onion soup mix seasons the beef while it browns with the caramelized onions, and everything stays in one pan.
Tips for Success
Why are my fried onions soggy?
They went on too early or sat on the hot casserole for a long time. Scatter them over the top right before you serve, and add fresh ones to leftovers after reheating instead of storing them on the noodles.
Why is there liquid in the bottom of the skillet?
A little broth left under the noodles is normal for this one-skillet casserole. Spoon it over each serving.
Why are my noodles mushy?
They simmered too long. Check a noodle at 10 minutes and take the skillet off the heat as soon as they are tender.
Variations
- Different meat: swap the ground beef for ground pork, ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Homemade onion soup mix: use about 3 tablespoons of your own mix in place of the packet.
Storage & Reheating
Let leftovers cool, then refrigerate them within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, as USDA FSIS advises. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot all the way through, to 165°F. To freeze, leave off the fried onions, freeze for up to 2 to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat, and top with fresh fried onions.
What to Serve With It
This is a rich, filling dish, so keep the sides simple: a crisp wedge salad, roasted carrots, asparagus or green beans, and warm dinner rolls or a sliced baguette for the broth. If you love French onion flavor, try French onion meatloaf, 4-ingredient French onion chicken or French onion pork chops next. For more ground beef casseroles, there is slow cooker Amish ground beef noodle casserole, cozy beef and rice casserole and beef Lombardi casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients for a French onion beef casserole?
Butter, a large yellow onion, ground beef, a packet of onion soup mix, salt, pepper, beef broth, two cans of condensed French onion soup, wide egg noodles and crispy fried onions for the top.
What can I make with ground beef and French onion soup?
This one-skillet noodle casserole is the easiest place to start. French onion soup also works as the cooking liquid for long grain white rice baked with browned ground beef, covered first and then uncovered.
What are the ingredients for a cheesy French onion beef casserole?
The same ingredients, plus a cup or so of shredded mozzarella, cheddar or smoked gouda. Sprinkle it over the hot noodles when they come off the heat, then add the fried onions on top.
Final Notes
Stir the noodles once when you check them, so any that float up go back under the broth. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Beef French Onion Soup Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 packet onion soup mix 1 ounce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 cans condensed French onion soup 10.5 ounces each
- 12 ounces wide egg noodles uncooked
- 6 ounces crispy fried onions
Instructions
- In a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
- Add the sliced onion and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very tender and caramel colored. Lower the heat if it starts to scorch.
- Add the ground beef, onion soup mix, salt and pepper. Stir to break the beef into small pieces and cook until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes, and the beef reaches 160°F. Spoon off any excess grease.
- Pour in the beef broth and the condensed French onion soup and stir.
- Add the egg noodles, pressing them under the liquid so they are completely submerged. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the noodles are tender.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, top with the crispy fried onions and serve.
