Description
French Onion Meatballs are a hearty and comforting one-pan dinner featuring juicy beef meatballs flavored with Italian seasoning and onion soup mix, topped with sweet caramelized onions and melted Swiss cheese. Perfectly seared and baked to juicy perfection, these meatballs pair wonderfully with mashed potatoes or garlic toast for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1.5 lb ground beef
- 3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 oz onion soup mix (half of 1 package, about 1 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
Caramelized Onions & Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 oz onion soup mix (remaining half of package)
- 3/4 cup beef broth or water (divided)
- 4 oz Swiss cheese, sliced or shredded
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375˚F to prepare for baking the meatballs.
- Make Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Italian seasoned bread crumbs, grated parmesan, Italian seasoning, half the onion soup mix (about 1 tbsp), worcestershire sauce, milk, and eggs. Mix well to evenly incorporate all ingredients.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the mixture into 18 meatballs, each about 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter for even cooking.
- Sear Meatballs: Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Once hot, add meatballs carefully and sear each side for 2-3 minutes until nicely browned. Remove meatballs from skillet and set aside.
- Cook Onions: In the same skillet, add butter, sliced onions, 1/4 cup beef broth, and the remaining onion soup mix. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook onions for 8-12 minutes, stirring regularly until they turn translucent and caramelized. Add additional broth if needed to keep onions moist.
- Combine Meatballs and Sauce: Return meatballs to the skillet with the onions. Add the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth over the meatballs and onions, then top with Swiss cheese slices or shredded cheese evenly across.
- Bake: Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160˚F and cheese is melted. For a toasted cheese topping, broil for the last 1-2 minutes if desired.
- Serve: Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Serve the French Onion Meatballs over thick sliced garlic toast or creamy mashed potatoes for a delicious complete meal.
Notes
- This one-pan recipe is packed with flavor, combining juicy beef, sweet caramelized onions, and gooey melted Swiss cheese for a hearty meal.
- Serving the meatballs with mashed potatoes or garlic toast allows you to soak up the delicious onion sauce.
- Use an oven-safe skillet to easily transfer from stovetop searing to oven baking.
- For crispier cheese, broil the meatballs for 1-2 minutes at the end of baking.
- Adding broth during onion cooking keeps the onions moist and helps caramelize them without burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 551 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 983 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 167 mg
