Slow cooker French onion beef and gnocchi brings together sweet browned onions, pull-apart chuck roast, and soft potato dumplings. A little melted Gruyère finishes the dish without hiding the beef and onions underneath.
The onions get their color in a skillet before they go into the slow cooker. That takes a little attention up front, but it is what gives the sauce its French onion character. After that, the beef has a long, quiet cook on LOW.
Keep the gnocchi out until dinner is nearly ready. Cooking it separately takes only the time on the packet and gives you much more control over its texture than leaving it in the cooker all day.
Questions You May Have
Is this a dump-and-go recipe?
Not quite. Caramelizing the onions and browning the roast are part of the method, so allow time for the skillet work before starting the slow cooker.
Which beef should I buy?
Use boneless chuck roast. A lean steak is not an equal swap: this dish relies on a cut that softens during a long, moist cook.
Can I put the gnocchi in with the raw beef?
No. It would spend far too long in the liquid. Boil it separately near the end, drain it, and fold it into the finished beef.
Will the cheese turn brown?
No. Under the slow-cooker lid it melts into a soft topping. This recipe does not call for broiling the crock or making a browned cheese crust.
What You Need to Make French Onion Beef and Gnocchi
2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, thawed and trimmed of large fat deposits
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 package (16 ounces) shelf-stable potato gnocchi
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
You will also need a large skillet, a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, a saucepan for the gnocchi, tongs, two forks, and a food thermometer. Follow your appliance’s fill limits; the lid should close normally without ingredients pressing against it.
How to Make It
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 30–40 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and golden brown. Lower the heat if they scorch; a spoonful of water can loosen sticking bits. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then the flour for 1 minute.
Gradually stir the broth into the onions, scraping the pan. Add Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
Pat the thawed beef dry. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the roast on both broad sides, about 3–4 minutes per side, then immediately place it in the slow cooker with the onions and broth. Cover and start cooking at once.
Cook on LOW for 8–10 hours, until the beef pulls apart easily with two forks. Check the thickest part with a thermometer: beef must reach at least 145°F with a 3-minute rest, but chuck needs substantially longer cooking to become tender. If still firm, continue cooking with the lid on.
Lift the beef onto a board and discard the bay leaf. Remove any large remaining pieces of fat and pull the meat into bite-size pieces. Skim excess surface fat from the sauce. If the sauce is too thin, simmer it in a saucepan until it lightly coats a spoon, then return it and the beef to the cooker.
Cook the gnocchi separately in boiling water according to its package directions, until tender. Drain well and gently fold into the hot beef and onion sauce. Sprinkle with Gruyère, cover, and cook on HIGH for about 5–10 minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve promptly.
Small Details That Matter
Watch the onions rather than the clock. They should be soft and golden, not black at the edges. Stir more often as their moisture cooks away, and turn the heat down if the pan gets ahead of you.
The broth is deliberately low-sodium. Worcestershire and Gruyère add their own salt, so taste the finished sauce before adding more. A spoon-coating sauce is enough; reducing it to a sticky paste will leave the gnocchi dry.
Fold the gnocchi in gently. Stirring hard can break the dumplings and turn the sauce starchy. Once the cheese has melted, serve rather than holding the assembled dish for hours.
Storage and Reheating
Timing assumes about 8 hours on LOW; allow up to 10 hours for the beef, plus finishing time. Do not add uncooked gnocchi at the beginning. Use fully thawed beef and never use the WARM setting to cook or reheat. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or colder for 3–4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave to 165°F, not in the slow cooker. Contains wheat and milk; Worcestershire sauce commonly contains fish, and gnocchi may contain egg. Check labels.
For making ahead, keep the cooked beef and sauce separate from the gnocchi when practical. Refrigerate promptly, reheat the beef safely, then cook a fresh packet of gnocchi for serving. Follow FoodSafety.gov’s slow-cooker guidance for thawing and cooling.
Printable Recipe
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Slow Cooker French Onion Beef and Gnocchi
Tender chuck roast, caramelized onions, potato gnocchi, and melted Gruyère in a savory slow-cooked sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, thawed and trimmed of large fat deposits
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 package (16 ounces) shelf-stable potato gnocchi
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 30–40 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and golden brown. Lower the heat if they scorch; a spoonful of water can loosen sticking bits. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then the flour for 1 minute.
- Gradually stir the broth into the onions, scraping the pan. Add Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
- Pat the thawed beef dry. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the roast on both broad sides, about 3–4 minutes per side, then immediately place it in the slow cooker with the onions and broth. Cover and start cooking at once.
- Cook on LOW for 8–10 hours, until the beef pulls apart easily with two forks. Check the thickest part with a thermometer: beef must reach at least 145°F with a 3-minute rest, but chuck needs substantially longer cooking to become tender. If still firm, continue cooking with the lid on.
- Lift the beef onto a board and discard the bay leaf. Remove any large remaining pieces of fat and pull the meat into bite-size pieces. Skim excess surface fat from the sauce. If the sauce is too thin, simmer it in a saucepan until it lightly coats a spoon, then return it and the beef to the cooker.
- Cook the gnocchi separately in boiling water according to its package directions, until tender. Drain well and gently fold into the hot beef and onion sauce. Sprinkle with Gruyère, cover, and cook on HIGH for about 5–10 minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve promptly.
Notes
Timing assumes about 8 hours on LOW; allow up to 10 hours for the beef, plus finishing time. Do not add uncooked gnocchi at the beginning. Use fully thawed beef and never use the WARM setting to cook or reheat. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or colder for 3–4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave to 165°F, not in the slow cooker. Contains wheat and milk; Worcestershire sauce commonly contains fish, and gnocchi may contain egg. Check labels.
This dish draws on the caramelized-onion braise in Texas A&M’s French onion roast and the separately cooked gnocchi approach in Ricardo’s beef and gnocchi recipe.
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