French Onion Meatballs

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I was browsing Jessica Merchant’s The Pretty Dish Facebook group page and noticed many people making and raving about her French Onion Meatballs. So, I decided I’d have to make them, and they are delicious! Whatever you use to make French onion soup goes into these meatballs to have that great flavor.

French Onion Meatballs 

Yield: 16 meatballs  Prep Time: 1 HR

Cook Time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey or chicken, 94%
  • 2 garlic cloves 
  • 1 cup finely grated gruyere cheese, plus extra for topping (Note: I used regular gruyere cheese, but you can make a vegan alternative. Go to https://plantsdish.com/vegan-french-onion-soup-with-gruyere-cheese/ for the recipe.)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan (Note: You can use Follow Your Heart Parmesan Style Grated Cheese Alternative.)
  • 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (Note: I used gluten free 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 
  • 1-1/2 cups chicken or beef stock 
  • 1 teaspoon flour 
Instructions:
  1. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the onions with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions caramelized, about 30 to 40 minutes. Once the onions are golden and caramelly, transfer them to a plate. (Note: If you’re really in a rush, you can add 1 teaspoon of sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc. to speed along the caramelization process.) 
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Take half of the cooled caramelized onions and chop them up a bit - Just so they easily mix into the meatballs.
  3. In a bowl, stir together the turkey, garlic, 1/2 cup gruyere, all the Parmesan, the breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Add in the chopped caramelized onions. Mix until the meatballs are just combined - do not over mix.
  4. Use your hands to form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs. It helps if you wet your hands with water before rolling. It’s ok if the meatballs are not perfect rounds.
  5. Heat the same skillet over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown them on all sides - let them cook for 1 to 2 minutes, before flipping.
  6. Once the meatballs are completely browned, fill a shaker cup or water bottle with the stock and flour. Shake it for 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into the skillet with the meatballs. Add the remaining caramelized onions. Top the meatballs with the remaining gruyere cheese.
  7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through (you want the internal temperature to read 165°F). Serve immediately.
As you can see from the photo below, the French Onion  Meatballs look and smell amazing as they come out of the oven. Jessica likes to serve hers over sourdough bread, like a meatball melt. You could also serve them with mashed potatoes or with a pasta of your choice. So hop onto the French Onion Meatball bandwagon and make this recipe! Enjoy! 


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