<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://ct.pinterest.com/v3/?event=init&tid=2612641878717&pd[em]=&noscript=1" /> Skip to Content

Cheesy French Onion Fried Toast

Fellow French onion soup fans, this fried toast is for us! Cheesy French Onion Fried Toast is a delicious assembly of sourdough bread, fried to crispy, golden perfection in extra virgin olive oil, topped with sweet caramelized onions over a thick layer of herb and garlic cheese spread. Then to gild the lily, we cap off this open-faced sandwich with the rich flavors of aged Gruyere cheese, a hint of zesty chili crisp, and a sprinkling of crispy fried onions. Part of my Toasted Tuesdays series, this entry is out-of-this-world delicious!

Close up of a cross-section view of one Cheesy French Onion Fried Toast.

Why I love this Cheesy French Onion Fried Toast (and I think you will, too!)

There’s really nothing quite like a slow-cooked pot of French onion soup, spooned into bowls and topped with a slice of crusty bread and aged cheese, melted under the broiler. The kind of onion soup where the onions have been cooking for so long that they’re falling apart on their own, deeply golden and jammy.

This fried toast is a deconstructed version of that lovely French onion soup, with all the caramelized goodness and melty, cheesy topping. Just without the soup part. Which might sound blasphemous for a soup addict, but for sandwiches, I make all the exceptions.

Ingredients for this fried toast spread out on a wooden serving board.

Ingredients, Prep Notes, and Substitutions

Onions — Of course, we have to start this list with onions. I use white onions here, but the season’s sweet onions will work, too (as will good ole workhorse yellow onions, in a pinch). You’ll notice in the recipe directions that we stop the cooking at 30 minutes. This is because, for purposes of this fried toast, onions are soft and golden and just starting to turn jammy at this point.

There’s absolutely no reason you can’t go the full 45-60 minutes for truly caramelized onions. I’m just making this for lunch, and the 30-minute mark gets the onions where I need them to be, while not sinking an hour of the early afternoon.

What makes caramelized onions “French?” French onions are usually enriched with beef broth, which I’ve called for here. I keep super convenient jars of chicken and beef Better Than Boullion in my fridge so that I can whisk up any amount of beef broth that I need, including just a couple of tablespoons. If you don’t have any kind of broth on hand, just skip it — but see tips below for keeping the onions hydrated. If you want to keep this toast vegetarian, Better Than Boullion has an awesome mushroom version, although it’s sometimes hard to find in brick-and-mortar stores.

I also add a drizzle of store-bought balsamic reduction over the onions, later in the cooking stage. The acid enhances the sweetness of the onions.

Oh, and note that you can make the caramelized onions ahead of time and store them in the fridge. Sometimes I make a big batch for sandwiches a couple of times during the week. Just nuke them in the microwave for a minute to take the chill off of them before adding to the bread.

Bread — For my fried toasts, I head straight for the sourdough bread, although hearty multigrain or whole grain wheat is delicious as well. I generally use bakery bread, as the bread is larger, and I can slice it as thickly as I want.

I would advise against using the regular, squarish, soft sandwich bread that you find in the packaged bread aisle. It will sort of work, but the goal of fried toasts is to create a substantial open-faced sandwich substitute and a side dish worthy of soup or salad. You won’t regret a big slice of toast!

Why fried? Counterintuitively, frying bread in a little olive oil actually strengths it and gives it a crispy structure that’s somewhere between a crusty, teeth-jarring baguette and regular crumbly dry toaster toast. Fried bread can support an impressive amount of toppings and still be bite-through-able … and that’s just what we want here. More fillings, less bread!

Herb & Garlic Cheese Spread — If you browse through my other fried toasts, you’ll notice that the first layer is almost always some kind of creamy spread, whether mayonnaise or pesto or cream cheese. This smooth, pliable layer actually acts as a sort of adhesive anchor for the next layer: It keeps things from rolling or sliding off the bread.

Here, I’m using Boursin, which adds a nicely subtle garlicky-herb counterpoint to the sweet onions, and provides a cozy bed for the onions to snuggle into. Cream cheese or ricotta would work great, too.

Gruyere — Gruyere is the traditional cheese used in French onion soup, and it’s a perfect match here, too. It’s nutty and complex, and melts like a dream. If you can’t get a hold of Gruyere, I’d go for a simple white cheddar. Maybe extra sharp. Or a mix of fontina and Parmigiana Reggiano.

Whatever cheese you end up with, I’d recommend grating it, rather than just slapping a big slice on top of the onions. The grated cheese will settle into the nooks and crannies of the onions and will even melt a little, if the onions still have some heat. (Although, if you use a slice and throw the toast under the broiler for a minute … that would be some melty goodness, right there!)

Toppings — Additional toppings are optional with this fried toast, but I’ll never not be looking for things to add chili crisp to. I love the zesty little kick in each bite.

To balance the softer textures of this toast, I added crispy fried onions as a finishing touch. I love the crunch as well as the fried onion flavors. While you can make crispy fried onions, I usually have a bag on hand because they’re absolutely delicious on salads. Most big-box grocery stores should carry them; they’ll probably be stocked in or near the produce department with the jarred garlic.

Close-up of an angled side view of one Cheesy French Onion Fried Toast on a plate.

How to Make Cheesy French Onion Fried Toast with Visuals

Here’s the overview of the process with step-by-step photos. Don’t forget to review the recipe card to make sure you have the right amount of ingredients and cooking times. We’re making one open-faced sandwich, but it’s easy to scale up with a little maths!

Step 1: Caramelize the onions

A photo duo of onions cooking in a cast iron pan.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium. When the oil is shimmering in the pan, add the onions, stirring to coat and let cook for a total of about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Keep a close eye on the onions and reduce heat a little bit if they start to brown on the edges. The onions should first soften, then turn translucent, and then begin to take on light golden tones evenly throughout

When the onions are soft and loose, drizzle the broth and the balsamic vinegar on top, along with a big pinch of sugar, mixing well to incorporate. Continue cooking the onions until they darken a bit more and become cohesive, almost jammy. Remove from heat to cool.

Step 2: Fry the bread

A slice of sourdough bread pan frying in olive oil.

Place a small to medium skillet over medium heat. Make sure the slice of bread sits flat in the skillet. When water flicked on the surface sizzles away, the pan is ready.

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over one side of the bread in zig-zags. You don’t have to completely saturate the slice. The oil will disperse while cooking.

Place the bread oil-side down in the center of the hot pan and let toast. Check every couple of minutes — you’re looking for golden brown markings more or less evenly across the slice.

When the first side is toasted, drizzle more olive oil over the upside of the bread slice, and flip. Let toast for a few more minutes, until golden. Transfer the toast to a plate to cool.

Step 3: Assemble the Fried Toast

A photo collage showing four views of assembling the fried toast: the cheese spread, the caramelized onions, the Gruyere cheese, and crispy fried onions.

Spread the herb-garlic cheese spread on one side of the toast in a thick layer. Pile the onions on top, followed by the grated Gruyere. If you like a little kick, spoon a little chili crisp on top of the cheese. This adds a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the onions. And then top everything with crispy fried onions.

Side view of a Cheesy French Onion Fried Toast open-faced sandwich on a plate.

Cheesy French Onion Fried Toast is a hearty lunch with some chips. But it can also sit right alongside a lighter dinner soup that needs a little extra something to be a full meal, such as my Panera Autumn Squash Soup, Roasted Red Pepper Soup, or Jalapeno Beer Cheese Soup. And if you really want to celebrate the caramelized onion, my Guinness Onion Soup or Vegetarian French Onion Soup.

There’s nothing like rich, savory-sweetness of caramelized onions, and adding them to fried toast with lots of cheese puts them to good use. I hope you’ll try it. This recipe is part of my Toasted Tuesdays series, where the motto is, More fillings, less bread!

Karen xo
Close-up of an angled side view of one Cheesy French Onion Fried Toast on a plate.
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Cheesy French Onion Fried Toast Recipe

Lusciously rich French onion soup meets the crispiest toast! This Cheesy French Onion Fried Toast features caramelized onions, herb-garlic cheese spread, chili crisp, crispy fried onions and loads of Gruyere cheese for a toasty treat that’s utterly irresistible. This recipe makes one serving but it’s super easy to scale up.
Share via Text
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time38 minutes
Course: Sandwich
Cuisine: American
Keyword: french onion fried toast
Servings: 1
Author: Karen Gibson

Ingredients

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion sliced thinly
  • 2 tablespoons beef or chicken broth*
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic glaze or vinegar
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • 1 slice sourdough bread
  • 2 tablespoons herb and garlic cheese spread (such as Boursin)
  • 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chili crisp (optional)
  • Crispy fried onions**

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium. When the oil is shimmering in the pan, add the onions, stirring to coat with the oil. Let the onions cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat a little bit if onions start to brown on the edges. At the proper heat, the onions should first soften, then turn translucent, and then begin to take on light golden tones evenly throughout the slices, not just on the edges.
  • When onions are loose and soft like noodles, about 12 minutes in, drizzle the broth and the balsamic vinegar on top, along with a pinch of sugar, mixing well to incorporate. Continue cooking the onions until they darken a bit more and become cohesive, almost jammy. Remove from heat to cool.
  • Towards the end of the onions’ cooking time, fry the bread. Heat a small skillet over medium heat, until drops of water flicked on the surface sizzle away on contact.
  • Drizzle the oil in zig-zags across one side of the bread. Lay the bread oil side down in the center of the skillet. Press gently on the slice to ensure maximum contact with the pan.
  • Let the bread toast on the one side for several minutes. Check periodically by carefully lifting up a corner of the bread and examining the underside. You’re looking for a nice, golden brown across the surface.
  • When the first side is ready, drizzle more oil over the second side (the “up” side) and flip the bread. Again, let the bread toast until that side is golden brown. Remove to a plate to cool.
  • To assemble the fried toast: spread the cheese spread on the cooled fried toast, using as much or as little as you want. Layer the onions on top.
  • Sprinkle the Gruyere over the onions in a thick layer. Optional: you could place the toast under the broiler for a minute or two to melt the cheese.
  • Drizzle the chili crisp, if using, over the cheese, and then top with the crispy fried onions. Serve immediately
Nutritional information, if shown, is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.
Recipe Rating