Steak à la Lyonnaise with Caramelized Onions
Steak à la Lyonnaise is a pan-seared steak served with deeply browned onions and a sharp, savoury pan sauce built with wine, vinegar and beef stock. The onions are the signature: they should be soft, golden and sweet from slow cooking, not merely warmed beside the steak.
This is different from my steak with shallot sauce because the onion garnish is much more substantial, and from my Lyonnaise potatoes, which uses the same regional onion idea in a potato side.
What gives the dish its Lyonnaise character
Lyonnaise preparations often feature onions. For steak, the goal is not raw onion bite but slow-cooked sweetness balanced by a small amount of vinegar.
I use two large onions for four steaks. That seems generous when raw, but the onions collapse significantly as they cook. A smaller amount disappears on the plate.
The pan sauce uses dry white wine, beef stock and red wine vinegar. The wine lifts the browned steak bits, the stock adds body and the vinegar keeps the caramelized onions from becoming cloying.
Ingredients You Need
Use four sirloin, striploin or small ribeye steaks, about six to eight ounces each. Choose steaks at least three-quarters inch thick so you have time to brown the exterior before the centre overcooks.
You also need two onions, butter, neutral oil, dry white wine, beef stock, red wine vinegar, parsley, salt and pepper.
For a stronger homemade sauce base, use brown stock or neutral brown veal stock.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook the onions slowly
Slice the onions about one-quarter inch thick. Heat one tablespoon of butter with one tablespoon oil over medium heat.
Add the onions and a small pinch of salt. Cook twenty to twenty-five minutes, stirring every few minutes, until soft and deep golden. Lower the heat if they begin burning before softening.
This step takes longer than the steak, so cook the onions first.
Sear the steaks
Transfer the onions to a plate. Wipe out any burned bits but leave a light film in the pan.
Pat the steaks dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the pan over medium-high to high heat, add the remaining oil and sear the steaks until well browned.
For medium-rare, a one-inch steak often needs about three to four minutes per side, but thickness matters more than the clock. Use the internal cooking temperature chart and remove around 125–130°F before resting.
Build the Lyonnaise pan sauce
Transfer the steaks to a plate and rest them. Lower the heat to medium.
Add the white wine and scrape up the browned bits. Reduce by about half. Add the beef stock and vinegar and simmer until the sauce becomes lightly syrupy.
Return the onions and any steak juices to the pan. Stir in the remaining butter.
Finish the steaks
Taste the onions and sauce. Add parsley and black pepper. Spoon the hot onions over the rested steaks.
What to look for
The onions should be soft enough to drape over the steak but still have some shape. If they are pale and crunchy, they were cooked too quickly or not long enough.
The sauce should not be sweet like onion jam. The vinegar and wine should keep the finish savoury and slightly sharp.
For the steak itself, cook to your preferred doneness and let it rest at least five minutes. The sauce can be finished while the meat rests.
I like the dish with Lyonnaise potatoes, but because both components contain onions, Parisian potatoes or gratin dauphinois are also good choices.
Substitutions
Shallots can replace up to half the onion for a finer flavour, but using only shallots moves the dish toward my dedicated shallot steak.
Red wine can replace white wine and gives a darker sauce. Use the same amount and reduce it well.
Apple cider vinegar can replace red wine vinegar. Start with two teaspoons and adjust because cider vinegar can taste slightly sweeter.
For a pepper-focused steak instead, use my classic steak au poivre rather than adding a large amount of pepper to this onion sauce.
FAQ
Can I caramelize the onions ahead?
Yes. Cook them up to one day ahead, refrigerate, then warm them in the finished pan sauce.
Which steak cut is best?
Striploin and sirloin are excellent because they have enough beef flavour to stand up to the onions. Ribeye is richer and also works well.
Why add vinegar?
The onions become naturally sweet as they brown. A small amount of vinegar prevents the sauce from tasting flat or overly sweet.
Suggested Posts
For more bistro steaks, try steak Diane, French peppercorn steak, steak with Béarnaise or ribeye Bordelaise. The French beef classics collection has more ideas.
Steak à la Lyonnaise with Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 4 sirloin or striploin steaks 6–8 ounces each
- 2 large yellow onions sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup low-sodium beef stock
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook onions in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat with a pinch of salt for 20–25 minutes until deep golden. Remove.
- Pat steaks dry and season. Heat pan over medium-high, add remaining oil and sear to desired doneness, about 3–4 minutes per side for 1-inch steaks. Rest.
- Deglaze pan with white wine and reduce by half.
- Add stock and vinegar; simmer until lightly syrupy.
- Return onions and steak juices. Stir in remaining butter.
- Add parsley, taste for seasoning and spoon onions over steaks.
