Want the most indulgent meatballs you’ve ever tasted? This French onion-inspired mashup is the upgrade you didn’t know you needed. Toss out the soup mix; We’ve combined sweet caramelized onions with juicy pork and beef meatballs, then crowned them with a melty blend of cheddar and gruyere. Sit back and say hello to flavor.
The magic lies in building layers of flavor – from perfectly caramelized onions to our signature sauce that infuses every bite. Each meatball is tender, succulent, and draped in that irresistible cheese pull you expect from French onion soup. We handed them to a group of friends for cocktail hour, and everyone immediately lit up at the nod to the classic in this fun bite-sized twist.
Ingredients:
- Sweet onions – It’ i’s important to use sweet onions, like Vidalias, for this. That gives the caramalized onions their sweet flavor.
- Kosher salt
- Ground beef & Ground pork
- Garlic powder & Dried onion flakes
- Panko (we use pork panko for low-carb option)
- Egg
- Milk
- Fresh Thyme
- Black pepper
- Dry White wine, Beef broth, & Worcestershire sauce
- Cornstarch – to make the slurry, which thickens the sauce
- Gruyère cheese (we found a gruyere cheddar blend at our local Kroger that is perfect)
- Optional garnish: crispy onions (but, lets be honest, not really optional)
Instructions:
1. Caramelize Onions: In a cast iron skillet, combine sliced onions with butter, season with salt, and cook covered in the oven at 375 degrees F for 90 minutes. Uncover, stir, and continue to caramelize for an additional 30 minutes.
2. Prepare Meatballs: Mix ground beef, ground pork, soaked pork panko (panko and milk mixture), egg, spices, and half of the fresh thyme. Form into 1 ½” meatballs and chill.
3. Brown Meatballs: After removing onions, sear meatballs in the same skillet, then set aside.
4. Make Sauce: Deglaze skillet with white wine, add beef broth, Worcestershire, and remaining thyme. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry.
5. Combine and Cook: Stir onions into the sauce, add meatballs back to the skillet, and bake uncovered for 20 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.
6. Broil with Cheese: Top with shredded Gruyère and broil until bubbly and golden.
Recipe Tips:
It’s tempting to try to speed this recipe up and skip steps. Don’t the Devil is in the details:
- Caramelization is Key: Properly caramelizing the onions is crucial as it builds the foundational flavor of the dish.
- Browning the Meatballs: Searing the meatballs before baking adds depth to their flavor and texture.
- Cheese Choice: Gruyère cheese melts beautifully and adds a rich, nutty flavor to the dish, enhancing the French onion theme. You can use Swiss if as a substitute.
How to Serve:
Serve these French onion meatballs as a hearty appetizer with crusty bread like toasted baguette slices to sop up the onions and sauce.
To make a comforting meal of it, serve them with a side of creamy mashed potatoes or over a bed of buttered egg noodles. The rich French onion sauce and melted cheese create a perfect complement to the tender meatballs.
Storage and Reheating:
Cool any leftovers and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat in the oven or on the stovetop, adding a bit of broth if needed to keep the meatballs moist. The cheese layer will be folded into the leftovers, so you can sprinkle a pop more cheese on top if desired and not counting calories.
Leftover Idea: Toss leftovers into a hoagie roll and drizzle the leftover sauce on top for an incredile sandwich.
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French Onion Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 sweet onions sliced into thin strips
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried onion flakes
- ½ cup panko we use pork panko to keep it low-carb
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- 3 tbsp Fresh Thyme divided
- Black pepper
- ¼ cup White wine
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 8 oz Gruyere cheese shredded
Instructions
Caramalize the Onions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add the onions and butter to a large cast iron skillet with lid or braiser.
- Place the onions in the skillet and season with a pinch of salt and fresh thyme sprigs, cover with the lid and cook for 90 minutes.
- Carefully remove the lid and stir the onions.
- Cover and cook 30 minutes longer. You want the onions to start to take on a rich brown caramelized color but not be burnt.
Make the meatballs:
- Meanwhile, make the meatballs.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and pork together, breaking into small clumps.
- Stir the milk and egg together in a bow. Add the pork panko and let it sit for a minute.
- Then add it to the bowl with the ground meat.
- Add a pinch of salt, garlic powder, dried onion flakes, ½ teaspoon of fresh thyme, and black pepper.
- Using your hands, gently combine the meat mixture and then form into meatballs about 1 ½” wide.
- Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes until ready to cook.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and set the onions aside. They should be a deep golden.
Sear the Meatballs and Make the Sauce:
- Add 1 tbsp oil to the skillet and preheat over medium heat.
- When heated, sear the meatballs on one side for about 1 to 2 minutes to brown.
- Set the meatballs aside.
- Then deglaze the pan by carefully adding in the white wine and using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom.
- Let the wine simmer for 1 minute to reduce,then slowly pour in all but one tablespoon of the beef broth.
- Add the Worcestershire and the remaining fresh thyme.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the remaining beef broth to make a slurry.
- Add it to the skillet and allow the liquid to thicken for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir the onions back into the broth the nestle the meatballs, browned side facing up, into the onions.
Cook the Meatballs:
- Return to the oven, uncovered, and cook for 20 minutes, until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F with a digital meat thermometer.
- Remove the skillet from the oven, increase the heat to broil and sprinkle the skillet of meatballs with the cheese.
Add the Gooey Cheese Topping and Serve:
- Place the French onion meatballs under the broiler with a watchful eye for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese gets browned and melted.
- Remove from the oven. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes before serving with a sprinkle of crispy onions and fresh thyme on top.
Notes
Nutrition
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