Savory, homemade meatballs pan-seared and then oven baked in a delicious caramelized onion sauce. Serve French Onion Soup Meatballs over butter noodles or a bed of creamy mashed potatoes.
French Onion Soup is a classic in our house. We love how savory it is and eating a bowl (or three) just seems to warm you right up from the inside out. There are very few times in life that many would say hmmm... think I'm going to eat a TON of onions. But caramelize them low and slow in butter, deglaze the pan with rich beef stock, and add melty cheese? All of a sudden magic happens.
French onion soup is such an unpretentious meal, but wow is it good. I thought I would do a little twist on it and add homemade meatballs to the mix. I take down the amount of broth so it's less of a soup and more of a sauce and simmer the browned meatballs right inside so that they are moist and tender.
How do you make homemade meatballs?
The recipe to make the meatballs is extremely simple because the caramelized onion sauce is so flavorful.
- ground beef
- breadcrumbs
- milk
- salt
- fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- egg
- onion, finely diced
I combine all these ingredients together with my hands and form them into golf ball-sized balls
You can totally use this meatball recipe for any recipe that calls for meatballs! Because it's so simple, it's very adaptable to different cuisines.
Everything for this recipe can be made in the same pan, just make sure that it is oven safe. I love using my cast iron skillet for this one!
What makes it French Onion?
The delicious sauce the meatballs are then simmered in! I remove the browned meatballs from the pan and set them to the side. Then in that same pan, I slowly caramelize onion slices until they are rich in color and soft. Beef broth is added, along with a few seasonings, and voila! French onion.
Want another take on this recipe? Try my French Onion Soup Chicken!
French Onion Soup Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- one half cup breadcrumbs
- one fourth cup milk
- one half tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
- 1 egg
- one fourth cup onion finely diced
- 1 cup shredded swiss cheese
- 1 tbs. olive oil
French Onions
- 3 large onions sliced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tbs. butter
Instructions
- Begin by combining all of the ingredients in the meatball section, except for the shredded cheese and oil, in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix together with your hands and then form them into golf ball-sized balls
- Heat olive oil in an ovenproof skillet (I use cast iron), on medium heat. Add meatballs and cook until they are brown all around. This will take about 5-10 minutes.
- Place meatballs on a plate to the side.
- In that same skillet, add butter and onions. Allow onions to brown a bit (around 5 minutes) and then add the salt. Continue cooking until the onions are rich in color and soft. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Add beef stock and garlic powder to the onions and stir.
- Place meatballs back in and top with cheese.
- Finish the dish in the oven until the cheese is melted and the meatballs are cooked through.
Nutrition
Angela Baumeister
What a great twist on French Onion Soup! (One of my favs!) I can't wait to try this recipe!!