Go Back

French Onion Gnocchi

French Onion Gnocchi with pillowy potato gnocchi simmered in a rich, caramelized onion broth sauce and finished with broiled Gruyere. Thin-sliced onions slowly caramelize until deeply golden, then the sauce thickens as the gnocchi cooks through.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 860
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

potato gnocchi
  • 1 lb potato gnocchi
onion sauce base
  • 3 large onions thinly sliced
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 garlic minced
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 1.5 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
topping
  • 2 cup Gruyere shredded
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Caramelize the onions
  1. Melt the unsalted butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, then add the thinly sliced large onions and cook 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized.
  2. Keep the heat at medium-low so the onions turn deep amber without burning, with visible sticky, browned bits forming at the bottom.
Build the sauce
  1. Add the minced garlic and fresh thyme, then cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  2. Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up browned onion bits.
  3. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and heavy cream, then bring to a simmer.
  4. Simmer until the sauce loosens and looks glossy, ready to coat the gnocchi.
Cook gnocchi in the sauce
  1. Add the uncooked potato gnocchi to the simmering sauce and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring gently, until the gnocchi is cooked through and the sauce thickens.
  2. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste, making sure every spoonful is well balanced.
Broil with Gruyere
  1. Scatter the shredded Gruyere over the top of the skillet so it covers the surface.
  2. Broil 3-4 minutes until golden and bubbly, with browned cheese spots across the top.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the onions at medium-low heat and stir only occasionally so they slowly caramelize instead of steaming; add a splash of wine if the pan looks too dry. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth or cream to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because cream sauces can separate when thawed. For a gluten-free swap, use gluten-free potato gnocchi (the rest of the recipe stays the same).