These French Onion Soup-Stuffed Buns Are the Upgrade to the Classic Comfort Food You Need to Try

When I think of comfort food, one of the things that immediately comes to mind is French onion soup. Slow-cooked caramelized onions, rich beef broth, and a thick slice of toasted bread smothered in melted Gruyère cheese — my mouth is watering just thinking about it. So when Josh Elkin, a self-taught chef and YouTuber, posted a Reel demonstrating how to make French onion soup-stuffed buns, he immediately had my attention.

The Reel opens with a shot of Elkin pulling apart one of the buns and revealing the cheesy, oniony goodness inside. “If you like French onion soup half as much as I do, then you’re gonna love these,” he says in a voiceover.

To make the buns, Elkin sautés chopped onions until they’re soft, then adds butter and continues to stir until they turn brown. He then adds chopped thyme, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce for some umami flavor. He thickens the mixture with some all-purpose flour, and adds in beef bouillon cubes mixed with water for extra flavor. The mixture is cooked down until the liquid is non-existent.

For the bread, Elkin takes a roll of Pillsbury French bread and cuts it into six equal pieces using a bench scraper. He sprinkles the dough with all-purpose flour to keep it from sticking to his hands and flattens each piece into a circle. Elkin spoons some of the onion mixture and a cube of Gruyère cheese onto each piece of dough, then rolls them into balls. The dough balls are placed on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, topped with egg wash and grated Swiss cheese, before being baked at 450°F for 25 minutes. The result is a perfectly tasty and cheesy treat to eat on-the-go, as a quick snack, or as a side dish to your dinner. Yum!

If you’re craving more updated French onion soup recipes, check out Lidia Bastianich’s twist on it or this one-pot pasta dish.