This easy French Onion Beef and Noodles recipe combines tender beef and egg noodles in a creamy French onion sauce. Made in one pot and ready in just 25 minutes, it's the perfect quick and easy dinner for busy weeknights!
I love dinners that don't require a lot of planning, and this is one I can pull together quickly when I have some beef thawed and ready to go. In under 30 minutes, dinner is on the table, usually with a batch of my homemade dinner rolls on the side! The combination of beef stew meat, French onion soup, beef broth, sour cream, and Parmesan cheese creates a creamy sauce that reminds me a little of creamy beef stroganoff, but with plenty of French onion flavor. Everything, including the egg noodles, cooks together in one pot, which means less cleanup on busy nights. If you love quick and easy noodle dinners like this one, be sure to try my Amish Noodles next!
Quick Look: French Onion Beef and Noodles
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Method: One pot
Add me as a trusted Google source.Ingredient Notes
See printable recipe card below for exact ingredients and full directions.
- Beef Stew Meat: Cut any larger pieces into small, bite-size chunks so the beef cooks quickly and evenly. Browning the meat first also adds extra flavor to the sauce.
- Canned French Onion Soup: This creates the base of the savory sauce and gives the beef and noodles plenty of French onion flavor without needing to caramelize onions from scratch.
- Beef Broth: Provides the liquid needed to cook the egg noodles right in the pot while adding more beef flavor to the sauce.
- Egg Noodles: These cook directly in the French onion soup and beef broth, soaking up the flavor as they become tender. I prefer classic wide egg noodles for this recipe.
- Sour Cream: Stirred in at the end to make the French onion sauce creamy with a slight tang. Full-fat sour cream will give you the creamiest consistency.
Variations & Substitutions
- Ground Beef: Swap the beef stew meat for ground beef for a budget-friendly French onion ground beef and noodles variation. Brown and drain the ground beef before continuing with the recipe. If you love easy ground beef and noodle dinners, try my Instant Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff next.
- Add Mushrooms: Sauté sliced mushrooms with the beef for an extra boost of flavor.
- Change the Pasta: Egg noodles work best, but you can use another short pasta such as penne or fusilli. Cooking time and the amount of liquid needed may vary.
- Make it Spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for a little heat.
- Change the Cheese: Swap the Parmesan cheese for Gruyère or Swiss cheese for even more French onion flavor.
- Add a Crunchy Topping: Sprinkle French fried onions over the finished dish just before serving for extra onion flavor and crunch.
How To Make French Onion Beef And Noodles
Step 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef stew meat and season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the beef is browned on all sides.
Step 2. Add the French onion soup, beef broth, and egg noodles to the pot with the browned beef.
Step 3. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the egg noodles are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Step 4. Add the sour cream and Parmesan cheese to the pot.
Step 5. Stir until fully combined and the sauce is creamy.
Step 6. Serve and enjoy!
Cooking Tips
- Use a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. This gives the beef plenty of room to brown and helps the egg noodles cook evenly without sticking. If you love easy Dutch oven dinners, my Easy Beef Goulash is another family favorite to try.
- Brown the beef well. Let the beef stew meat brown on all sides before adding the French onion soup and broth. This adds more flavor to the finished dish.
- Stir the noodles occasionally. Give the egg noodles a stir every so often as they cook to prevent sticking and help them cook evenly.
- Keep an eye on the liquid. The noodles should absorb most of the liquid, but you want some remaining so the sour cream and Parmesan can create a creamy sauce.
- Adjust the consistency if needed. If the noodles absorb the liquid too quickly, add a small splash of beef broth and continue cooking until tender.
- Let it rest before serving. Give the French onion beef and noodles a few minutes to sit after cooking so the sauce can thicken slightly.
Make-Ahead & Storage
- Make Ahead: You can make French Onion Beef and Noodles ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until ready to reheat. The egg noodles will absorb more of the sauce as they sit, so add a splash of beef broth when reheating to bring back the creamy consistency.
- Storing: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Let the dish cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Keep in mind that the egg noodles may be a little softer once thawed.
- Reheating: Thaw frozen leftovers overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan over medium heat until heated through, adding a splash of beef broth if needed.
French Onion Beef and Noodles Recipe FAQs
Yes. Brown the beef first, then transfer it to the slow cooker with the French onion soup, beef broth, and seasonings. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Add the egg noodles toward the end and cook until tender, then stir in the sour cream and Parmesan cheese before serving.
Yes, but keep an eye on the sodium since both onion soup mix and beef broth can be salty. If adding onion soup mix for extra onion flavor, I recommend using a low-sodium beef broth and seasoning with additional salt only after tasting.
More French Onion Recipes You’ll Love
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Creamy French Onion Beef and Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb beef stew meat
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 can French onion soup
- 2 ½ cups beef broth
- 3 cups egg noodles
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the beef stew meat and season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides.
- Add the French onion soup, beef broth, and egg noodles.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the egg noodles are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Add the sour cream and Parmesan cheese.
- Stir until fully combined and the sauce is creamy. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Cut any large pieces of stew meat into smaller bite-size pieces so they cook quickly and evenly.
- If the noodles absorb the liquid before they are tender, add a small splash of beef broth and continue cooking.
- For leftovers, add a splash of beef broth when reheating to loosen the sauce, as the egg noodles will continue to absorb liquid as they sit.
HW says
The recipe is unclear as to how long to cook the meat in the sauce before adding the noodles. Because it can take a few hours on low heat for the meat to soften up, it is misleading to mention that it takes 25 minutes to make this recipe.
Other than the cooking time, the recipe is good.
Kristin says
I have included instructions on browning the meat on all sides before starting and then cooking with the pasta. If diced, it won’t take as long to tenderize the meat and browning, plus cooking with liquids makes it a faster process!
Alice says
Thank you for the inspiration! I used a packet of dried French onion soup rehydrated with 4 cups of hot water, instead of the beef stock and friend onions (as those weren’t in the pantry). Otherwise, I followed the seasoning directions to a tee. One important thing is that stew meat is tough, so it’ll be inedible unless cooked a very long time, or do as I did, and put it in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes (which is really about 30 minutes when you count the preheat and decompress times added to the front and back of the 15 minute pressure cook time). It tasted good and my husband and son wanted double servings!
Kristin says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed and love the use of the packet! Great tip!
Stella says
can I substitute hamburger meat for the beef?
Kristin says
Absolutely! That works great too! Enjoy!
Mary says
It says to use parmesan but for what?
Kristin says
You sprinkle it on in the end. Its just for added flavor, you can omit if desired 🙂
baltisraul says
What is the name of that corkscrew pasta in the pic? Love the look! Add a little Marsala wine, tomato paste and cream cheese and you could get away with calling it Stroganoff.
Kristin says
Oh for sure! This pasta is called Gemelli. I buy it from Costco, it comes in a 6 pack variety. Such a fun, yummy pasta variety to use!