Here’s how we’re spending the weekend: making French onion meatballs right now.
Hi — I’m back with another French onion recipe.
I KNOW.
I realize I’ve been turning everything into French onion this year, but I can’t help it. This might be the last one… unless it isn’t.
This year alone I made French onion sweet potatoes, lasagna roll-ups and classic French onion soup. I’ve also done a French onion grilled cheese, French onion dip and French onion deviled eggs. Maybe I have a French onion problem — but it’s a delicious one.
P.S. I made these on Instagram today!
As with any French onion dish, the key is caramelizing the onions — that’s where the flavor comes from. It does take some time, but once the onions are ready the rest of the recipe is straightforward. You can even make the onions or the meatballs ahead of time.
You can use ground turkey or chicken here — I prefer those because they let the French onion flavors shine, though ground beef would work too. After you pick the meat, everything that makes French onion soup great goes into these meatballs: gruyère, Parmesan, thyme, breadcrumbs and, of course, the caramelized onions.
Gruyère! Parmesan! Thyme! Breadcrumbs! All the good things, plus the onions.
Enter all the exclamation points.
These are nearly impossible to resist right out of the pan. Brown the meatballs, add a little stock, top with cheese and bake — they practically melt in your mouth.
What to serve them with? I piled mine on toasted sourdough and made a meatball melt — an excellent decision. You can also serve them straight from the skillet with roasted vegetables or another simple side. They’re flavorful and juicy enough to be the star of the meal. Tossing them with pasta, buttered noodles or even marinara works too, but they don’t need much added — they hold their own.
If you want something simple, serve them right out of the skillet with a side of roasted vegetables. If you want comfort-food level decadence, place them on toasted sourdough with extra melted cheese.
They’re rich, savory and comforting — perfect for a weekend dinner.
Okay, now that you’re convinced to stand over the stove and caramelize onions again, dinner this weekend is solved. xo
French Onion Meatballs
French Onion Meatballs
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey or chicken, I like 94%
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup finely grated gruyere cheese, plus extra for topping
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, for browning the meatballs
- 1 ½ cups chicken or beef stock
- 1 teaspoon flour
Instructions
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Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the sliced onions with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions caramelize, about 30 to 40 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, add 1 teaspoon of sugar, honey or maple syrup to speed the process, but stir and watch closely.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Take half of the cooled caramelized onions and chop them so they mix easily into the meat.
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In a bowl, combine the ground turkey or chicken, minced garlic, ½ cup gruyère, all the parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the chopped caramelized onions and mix until just combined — don’t overwork the meat.
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Wet your hands and form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs. They don’t need to be perfect rounds.
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Heat the same skillet over medium and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown on all sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
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In a shaker or jar, combine the stock and flour and shake until smooth. Pour it into the skillet with the browned meatballs. Add the remaining caramelized onions and sprinkle the remaining gruyère over the meatballs.
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Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the meatballs reach 165°F and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately — I love these on sourdough as a meatball melt.
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This is mind-blowing comfort food.