- November 9, 2025
- Holiday Recipes
French Onion Baked Potatoes
These French Onion Baked Potatoes combine buttery Yukon golds, sweet caramelized onions, and a creamy Gruyère white sauce baked until bubbly and golden. It’s an elevated comfort food side dish that tastes like a cozy bowl of French onion soup in potato form.
If you love the cozy, savory flavors of French onion soup but crave something a little heartier, these French Onion Baked Potatoes are about to become one of your all-time favorites.
They’re everything you love about caramelized onions and melted Gruyère cheese, layered over buttery Yukon gold potatoes for the ultimate comfort food side dish. Think twice-baked potatoes meet French onion soup that creates a rich, creamy, and perfectly golden brown side.
Why You’ll Love These French Onion Baked Potatoes
These potatoes combine the flavors of French onion soup with the creamy, buttery interior of the potatoes for a truly unforgettable bite.
- Creamy Gruyère cheese sauce baked until golden brown and bubbly (thin scalloped potatoes)
- Sweet caramelized onions cooked low and slow in butter
- Simple, easy recipe perfect for a weeknight dinner or special occasion
- Cozy comfort food that doubles as a side dish or main course
Whether you’re serving roast chicken, steak, or a hearty vegetarian spread, this dish always feels special.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Potatoes
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
For the Caramelized Onions
- Yellow onions
- Butter
For the Gruyère White Sauce
- Butter
- Garlic cloves
- Flour
- Whole milk
- Gruyère cheese
- Salt, pepper, and dried thyme
For Assembly
- Butter
- Seasonings
- Additional shredded Gruyère cheese
How to Make French Onion Baked Potatoes
- Bake the Potatoes:
Preheat your oven to 400°F (use convection if available). Rub the Yukon gold potatoes with olive oil and kosher salt, then place them on a baking sheet or skillet. Bake for about an hour, or until fork-tender with crisped potato skins. - Caramelize the Onions:
In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add sliced onions. Stir occasionally until deep golden brown, about 30–40 minutes. This slow cooking technique builds that signature sweet-savory flavor of French onion soup. - Make the White Sauce:
In a saucepan, melt butter, add minced garlic, and stir in flour to form a roux. Slowly whisk in milk and seasonings, then remove from heat and melt in the Gruyère cheese until smooth and creamy. - Assemble and Broil:
Cut an “X” in each baked potato, lightly mash the insides, and season with butter, salt, pepper, and thyme. Top with caramelized onions, pour over the white sauce, sprinkle with more cheese, and broil for 4–5 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
Tips for the Best French Onion Potato Bake
- Choose the right potato: Yukon golds give a buttery flavor, but russet potatoes create a fluffier interior.
- Caramelize slowly: Keep the heat medium-low; patience gives onions that deep, rich color.
- Add flair: A splash of dry white wine or even a bit of sour cream in the sauce adds extra depth.
- Make it ahead: Assemble, refrigerate in an airtight container, and bake when ready to serve.
What to Serve With French Onion Baked Potatoes
Sweater Weather Suppers
Serve them alongside cozy cold-weather dishes like French Onion Pot Roast, Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna, beef bourguignon, or my fan favorite Blackened Chicken. These dishes go perfectly with this potato side dish.
Holiday Favorites
These make an elegant side for the holidays. Pair with Maple Pecan Salmon, Smoked Turkey, or these stuffed smoked cornish hens, or a show-stopping Smoked Prime Rib or Smoked Beef Tenderloin.
Protein Mains
Balance the creamy, savory potatoes with grilled or smoked meats like Oven roasted tri tip, Smoked Pork Steaks, or Smoked Beer Can Chicken. They’re a delicious dish to round out any meal — a side that steals the show every time.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through or microwave individual portions. The flavors only deepen with time, just like your favorite stuffed potatoes or other comfort food time favorites.
More Potato Recipes To Try
French Onion Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
For the Potatoes
- 8 Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
For the Caramelized Onions
- 2-3 medium Yellow Onions
- 2 tbsp Butter
For the Gruyère White Sauce
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 3 cups Whole Milk
- 4 oz. Gruyère Cheese freshly shredded
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
For Assembly
- 4 tbsp Butter divided
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 4 oz. Gruyère Cheese freshly shredded
Instructions
Bake the Potatoes
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (convection if available).
- Toss the Yukon gold potatoes with olive oil and kosher salt, then arrange them in a Le Creuset skillet or any oven-safe baking dish (one that is shallow that will fit all of your potatoes snuggly). Bake for about 1 hour, or until fork-tender and golden on the outside.
Caramelize the Onions
- While the potatoes bake, melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the sliced onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, about 30–40 minutes. Once caramelized, set aside.
Make the Gruyère White Sauce
- n a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Whisk in the flour to form a roux, cooking for about 1–2 minutes until lightly golden.
- Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Stir in salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Continue to cook on medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken. You can test the thickeness by coating a spoon in the sauce and drawing a line on the back to see if it holds the line.
- Once the milk has thickened, remove from heat and slowly whisk in 4 ounces of shredded Gruyère, stirring until smooth and creamy.
Assemble the Dish
- Cut an “X” into the top of each baked potato. Use a fork to gently smash and fluff the insides so they fill the bottom of the skillet or baking dish.
- Dot each potato with a little butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Spread the caramelized onions evenly over the top.
- Pour the Gruyère white sauce over the potatoes so it coats everything and drips down the sides.
- Sprinkle the remaining 4 ounces of Gruyère evenly over the top.
- Place under the broiler for 4–5 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and golden brown (watch it carefully). Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving so the sauce sets slightly. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Yukon golds are ideal for their creamy texture and buttery flavor, but Russets work if you prefer a fluffier interior.
- You can make this in a 9×13 baking dish if you don’t have an enameled skillet.
- For a richer twist, add a splash of dry white wine to the caramelized onions while cooking.
- Watch the full video tutorial here
Love love this recipe! Tried it last night and my whole family loved it. The gruyere sauce is my favorite part and makes the dish so creamy. Thank you! Cant wait to make this for thanksgiving
I am so glad you and your family loved it!!!
Hi this looks amazing!!! Can you use heavy cream instead of milk? I usually have the former … thanks
Yes, you can. It may just make your sauce pretty thick but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing 🙂
I cannot wait to make this for Thanksgiving, it looks incredible! Do you think you could assemble this ahead of time (the night before) and broil day of?
I haven’t tried it ahead of time but if you do here is my best advice- Prep it all as the directions say (but leave off that final top layer of shredded cheese) and fully assemble it. Let it cool to room temperature and the refrigerate it. I would take it out of the fridge 30-45 min prior to reheating so that the chill of the fridge comes off it a bit. Cover it with foil and bake it to reheat it first (I’d try 350-375 F. for 20-30 min and test it to see how much it has heated through). Then uncover and add the shredded cheese to the top and let it cook another 10 min uncovered with a little broil at the end if you want. This is what I would try (but haven’t tested). I hope this helps! Enjoy 🙂
AMAZING!! Lauren, you killed it with this recipe–thank you! I used half and half because that’s what I had and I deglazed the onions with au jus and next time I’ll add some white wine. These are going to be a hit on Thanksgiving! Thanks again!
Going to try making a vegan version of this today, and I think I will try a bit of balsamic vinegar in the onions, will let you know!!
Hi! I just made this for thanksgiving! Smells and looks delish! But it looks a little milky still. Any ideas on how I can fix before I serve tomorrow?
The white sauce should not be runny like milk but it’s not as thick as a Mac and cheese sauce. If you’re preparing and assembling it all tonight chances are the starches in the potatoes will also continue to thicken. If it is however, very runny- it sounds the like sauce just needed to cook longer before adding any cheese. If you coat the back of a spoon with the sauce and run a finger through it and the line holds – it’s thick enough.
This recipe is insanely good. My husband said, “This is the only way we should ever eat baked potatoes.”
My outcome was a wet mess. The amount of milk seems overstated by at least 2x. The cheese sauce remained liquid when added to pan and even after cooking was not absorbed by the potatoes. What I had to serve my guests was a somewhat tasty batch of potatoes swimming in warm milk.The recipe has no cooking time for the cheese sauce. Should it be reduced? For how long? What should the consistency be when you pour it over the potatoes? When this sort of essential info is omitted the recipes cease to be usable.
Hi Adam — I’m really sorry to hear this was your experience, especially when you were serving it to guests. I know how frustrating that can be.
This recipe is intentionally modeled after scalloped potatoes, so the sauce should be a properly thickened béchamel before it ever goes into the baking dish. From what you’re describing, it sounds like the roux-and-milk mixture didn’t fully thicken before being poured over the potatoes, which would result in excess liquid after baking.
To clarify for future readers:
• The cheese sauce should be cooked until it coats the back of a spoon and is visibly thick, not pourable like milk.
• This thickening step can take anywhere from 5–15+ minutes depending on pan size, burner heat, and whether the milk was cold or warm, which is why a fixed time isn’t listed.
• If the sauce is still loose when added to the potatoes, it will not properly absorb during baking.
A few variables that can also affect the final texture are the type of baking dish used, the thickness of the potato slices, and whether the cheese was freshly grated (pre-shredded cheeses contain anti-caking agents that prevent proper thickening).
There are step-by-step photos and a full video in the post that show the intended sauce consistency before assembly, but I appreciate you calling out that this step could benefit from clearer emphasis. I’ll absolutely take that feedback into account to make the technique even more explicit.
Again, I’m sorry this didn’t turn out as expected for you, and I appreciate you taking the time to leave detailed feedback.