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French Onion Meatballs

French onion meatballs made with deeply caramelized onions and tender, seared homemade meatballs simmered in rich gravy. Finished under the broiler with melted gruyère for a bubbly, golden top—ideal over mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meatballs
  • 1.5 lb ground beef
  • 0.5 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
French Onion Gravy
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Topping
  • 1.5 cup shredded gruyère cheese
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the meatballs
  1. In a bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, large egg, milk, garlic, minced, dried thyme, Salt and black pepper, to taste. Mix gently and form into 16–18 meatballs.
Sear the meatballs
  1. Heat a large oven-safe cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear the meatballs on all sides until browned. Remove and set aside.
Caramelize the onions
  1. In the same skillet, melt butter and add sliced large yellow onions with sugar. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 25–30 minutes until deeply caramelized.
Make the gravy
  1. Sprinkle all-purpose flour over the onions and stir to coat, cooking 1 minute.
Simmer the gravy
  1. Slowly whisk in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, then bring to a simmer until slightly thickened.
Simmer with meatballs
  1. Return the meatballs to the skillet, nestle them into the gravy, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Broil and finish
  1. Sprinkle shredded gruyère cheese generously over the top and broil for 3–4 minutes until melted and golden.
Serve
  1. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

Notes

For extra-even browning, keep the meatball mix just combined and don’t over-handle. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze meatballs with gravy (skip the broil) for up to 2 months, then reheat and broil with cheese before serving. For a lighter option, use lean ground beef (or 93% lean) to reduce total fat without changing the technique.