TGI Friday’s French Onion Soup

TGI Friday’s French Onion Soup is a favorite at the restaurant and you can make it at home with this copycat recipe. This delicious homemade French onion soup is made on the stovetop and then quickly baked to melt the cheese on top.

bowls of copycat TGI Friday's French onion soup.


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Homemade French Onion Soup

French onion soup isn’t as difficult to make as you might think. The key is carefully caramelizing the onions to get their special flavor. The dry white wine is a wonderful addition but may be omitted if you like.

What Makes the TGI Friday’s French Onion Soup So Delicious 

French Onion Soup is the kind of dish that, once you try it, you’ll probably want to order anytime it is on the menu. It’s that good. And this copycat TGI Fridays’ French Onion Soup recipe is a particularly delicious version.

Perhaps the secret is substituting white wine for the more traditional sherry. Or maybe it is opting to use all yellow onions and avoiding heavy seasonings. Whatever the reason, this soup is absolutely addictive.  

Why You Should Try This Recipe 

Don’t be intimidated by the perceived prestige of this dish. There is absolutely nothing intimidating about this copycat French Onion Soup recipe.

Although this recipe may be a streamlined version of the legendary classic, that doesn’t mean that the soup isn’t every bit as scrumptious as any you can order at a Parisian brassiere. As long as you take your time caramelizing the onions and use good-quality ingredients, this can’t-fail dish is sure to impress. 

French Onion Soup Ingredients

For this Fridays French Onion Soup, you’ll need:

  • Butter
  • Olive oil
  • Yellow onions peeled and thinly sliced
  • White sugar
  • Salt
  • All-purpose flour
  • Beef stock
  • White wine
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Hamburger buns
  • Provolone cheese
TGI Friday's French onion soup ingredients.

Ingredient Notes

Pinot Grigio is a fabulous wine choice for this recipe. Other good options include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Use the best quality beef broth you can for this recipe. It will make this soup shine if you can make the beef broth from scratch. However, if you can not, Bonafide Provisions’ Beef Bone Broth is highly recommended, although it is a little pricey.

How To Make French Onion Soup 

To caramelize the onions:

  1. Peel and chop the onions. 
  2. Place a large stockpot over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.
  3. When the butter stops foaming, add the onions, stir to coat, and cover the stockpot with a tight-fitting lid.
  4. Cook the onions for a few minutes until they soften and turn translucent. 
  5. Remove the lid and give the onions a good stir. 
  6. At this point, you have a choice. You can add the salt and sugar and cook the onions at medium-high heat until dark brown. Or you can reduce the heat to low and add only the salt to the onions. Using the higher heat and sugar method will caramelize the onions in about half the time, but they will lack some of the depth of flavor of the low and slow method. The low and slow method can take up to an hour and requires much more babysitting. At the end of the day, both options will work for this soup. 
  7. Whichever method you choose, you will need to stir the pot from time to time to prevent sticking and burning. 
collage of cooking onions for TGI Friday's French onion soup.

To finish the soup: 

  1. Once the onions are a deep brown, sprinkle the flour over the top. Lower the heat to medium and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula for a few minutes. Add a cup or two of the stock and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any stick-on bits.
  2. Pour the remaining beef stock and all the wine into the pot. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. 
  3. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce it to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
  4. While the soup is cooking, preheat the oven to 425°F. 
collage of making TGI French onion soup.
  1. Brush the inside of the hamburger buns with butter and toast in the oven.
  2. Once the soup is finished cooking, divide it between eight ovenproof bowls.
  3. Place one side of a hamburger bun with the cut side up on top of each bowl of soup.
  4. Lay a slice of provolone cheese on top of the bun.
  5. Place the soup bowls on a rimmed baking sheet and heat in the oven until the cheese melts.
  6. Serve immediately. You can garnish the hot soup with chopped fresh thyme if desired.
collage of final steps for making TGI Friday's French onion soup.

Three Tips to Caramelize Onions 

Heavily caramelized onions are the key to a memorable French Onion Soup. But, there is a none-so-subtle line between beautifully dark-brown caramelized onions and burnt ones. Here are three hints to help you ensure your onions develop the perfect color and sweetness:

  1. Slice the onions correctly. Use a mandolin to cut the onions into thin slices and as evenly as possible to ensure they caramelize at the same rate. 
  2. Don’t be tempted to stop carmelizing the onions too early. The flavor and color of this copycat French Onion Soup recipe depend on using fully caramelized onions. 
  3. Some people like adding an eighth of a teaspoon of baking soda to the onions instead of salt and sugar. The baking soda starts a chemical reaction that makes the onions caramelize much more quicker. However, they will also begin to break down and can become almost like a jam. 
overhead view of bowls of copycat TGI Friday's French onion soup.

What To Serve With French Onion Soup 

Fridays French Onion Soup pairs wonderfully with crusty bread, a baked potato, or a salad. It also makes a hearty first course for a steak or roasted salmon main course. 

Variations

  1. Use a slice or two of a stale baguette instead of a hamburger roll. Slice bread into ½-inch thick slices.
  2. Use mozzarella, shredded gruyere, or a mixture of shredded gruyere and parmesan in place of the slice of Provolone.

How To Store the Soup

Let the soup return to room temperature and transfer it into an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to three days or freeze individual portions in a freezer-safe container for up to two months. Thaw the soup in the fridge before reheating. 

What’s the Best Way to Reheat French Onion Soup

Bring the thawed soup to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer for at least a minute more. Spoon the soup into oven-safe bowls, top with toasted bread and cheese, and cook in the oven as above.

a bowl of copycat TGI Friday's French onion soup in a bowl and on a spoon.

More TGI Friday’s Copycat Recipes

Favorite Copycat Soup Recipes

Check out more of my easy soup recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes on CopyKat!

bowls of copycat TGI Friday's French onion soup.

TGI Friday’s French Onion Soup

Make TGI Friday’s French Onion Soup at home with this copycat recipe. 
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Soup
Cuisine: French
Keyword: French Onion Soup, TGI Friday’s Recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 402kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons butter divided
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 pounds yellow onions peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 8 cups beef stock
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 8 slices provolone cheese

Instructions

  • Over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil in a large, heavy stockpot. Add sliced onions; cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and translucent. Increase heat to high, remove the lid, and add sugar and salt. Saute, stirring often until onions are very soft and a deep golden brown.
  •  Reduce heat to medium, sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add about 2 cups of stock and stir to blend, and then add the remaining beef stock and wine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  •  Brush hamburger buns with remaining butter and place bread in the oven to brown. When the bread is browned, remove it from the oven. Gather 8 small ovenproof bowls; spoon in soup. Add one bun half and top with one slice of provolone. Put soup bowls in a baking dish and place into the oven. When the cheese has toasted, remove soup from the oven. You may also wish to use a baguette if you have it on hand. You do not need to place the soup back into the oven. You can simply top with cheese and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 985mg | Potassium: 800mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 12.9mg | Calcium: 315mg | Iron: 2.1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Esther Diamond

    What would be the equivalent of provolone cheese in the UK? I have never heard of it here in the United Kingdom.

  2. Iryna

    For an interesting version, try making this same recipe but use 1/2 chicken and 1/2 beef stock and add 1 tsp regular instant coffee and a tbsp or two of soya sauce.

    My family can’t get enough of this soup. Gramma’s best kept secret.

    • stephaniemanley

      I totally agree with you on mixing the broths. I really love to layer the flavor of soups and broths by a couple of different types of meats.

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