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French Onion Meatballs

French onion meatballs with caramelized onion sauce and tender browned meatballs, finished with a dramatic Gruyère/provolone cheese crust. The meatballs simmer until juicy, then broil until golden and bubbly.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For meatballs
  • 1.5 lb ground beef
  • 0.33 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt and pepper
For French onion sauce
  • 3 onions
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine or beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 2 cup Gruyere or provolone, shredded

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make and brown the meatballs
  1. Mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper until evenly combined. Roll into 1.5-inch balls.
  2. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat and brown meatballs on all sides. Transfer to a plate or bowl so you can sauce them next.
Caramelize the onions and simmer
  1. In the same skillet, cook sliced onions in butter over medium-low heat for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized. The onions should look golden brown and smell sweet.
  2. Deglaze the skillet with dry white wine or beef broth. Scrape up browned bits from the bottom and cook for about 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in beef broth, Worcestershire, and fresh thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  4. Return browned meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 15 minutes, turning once if needed. The meatballs should be cooked through and coated in the onion broth.
Broil with cheese
  1. Transfer to a baking dish if the skillet is not oven-safe, then scatter Gruyère or provolone over everything. Make sure the cheese covers the top evenly.
  2. Broil for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Let it stand briefly before serving so the sauce thickens slightly.

Notes

Pro tip: if the onions start to stick before they caramelize, add a splash of broth or wine and keep scraping to pull up the browned bits. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or in the oven until hot through. Freezing is not recommended for best cheese texture. For a lower-fat swap, use lean ground beef (90% or lower) and replace half the cheese with a part-skim version.