These French Onion Meatballs combine the comfort of French onion soup with the heartiness of meatballs into a delicious meal that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. This flavorful one pan dinner is easy enough for busy weeknights for a delicious family dinner but fancy enough for special occasions and holidays.

freshly cooked meatballs in a white skillet covered with melted cheese.

Table of Contents

Many french onion meatball recipes consist of seasoned meatballs in a french onion sauce with caramelized onions. So in actuality, the bulk of the french onion action is outside the meat.

If that be the case (and in my opinion), you may as well throw some meatballs into classic french and onion soup and call it a day.

Our French Onion Meatballs recipe raises the bar, because the mouthwatering flavor is right inside each juicy beef meatball and not just in the sauce.

With seasonings and onions inside each homemade meatball, it’s then cooked in a tasty thick broth and finished with melty gooey cheese.

Best of all, our french onion meatball recipe is a one-pan meal made entirely on the stove top, and is ready in under 1 hour.

Serve alone or over mashed potatoes or rice, they make a hearty dinner that is packed with incredible flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

HOMEMADE – Sometimes quick and easy one-pan meals aren’t entirely homemade. This one is!
DELICIOUS – Incredible flavors of french onion soup combined with hearty and filling meatballs make this an excellent recipe.
EASY RECIPE – With a prep time for 15 minutes and a cook time of just 30 minutes, it’s a dish that is on the table in under 1 hour.
VERSATILE – Serve alone or with your favourite sides, there’s many ways to make this meal your own. There’s many options for leftovers too!

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients and Notes

ingredients on a table to make french onion meatballs

Here are the simple ingredients you’ll need to make easy french onion meatballs. As always, the full recipe is on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Olive Oil – To cook the meatballs in.
Red Onion – You can also use yellow onion if you prefer.
Ground Beef – Lean ground beef works best for this recipe, but you can substitute with ground turkey or ground chicken for a lighter version.
Gruyere Cheese – This nutty, melty cheese is essential to achieving the French onion flavor. You can find it at most grocery stores or use Swiss cheese or mozzarella cheese as a substitute if needed.
Breadcrumbs – Regular breadcrumbs will work, yet you can also use Italian breadcrumbs for that extra seasoning.
Egg – To help bind the meatballs.
Seasoning – Dried thyme, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper are aded right into the meatball mixture.
Onion Soup Mix – Pre-made packets of dry onion soup mix can be found at any grocery store. You can also make your own by following our Homemade Onion Soup Mix Recipe.
Beef Stock – I like to use beef broth in this recipe, as its traditional to French onion soup. Yet in a pinch, you could use chicken broth or vegetable broth – yet it won’t have that depth of flavor that beef broth gives.
Cornstarch – plus 3 tbsp water, to thicken the sauce.
Fresh Thyme Leaves – For garnish, adds more seasoning.

Recipe Variations

Mushroom Addition: Add sautéed mushrooms to the sauce for an earthy flavor boost to your french onion soup meatballs.
Caramelized Onions: If you want more onion in this recipe, add some chopped onions into Step 5, and allow them to cook and caramelize in the sauce. Yet doing this will add approx. 10 minutes to the cook time of this recipe.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

For even browning, make sure the meatballs are similar in size.
If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of beef stock to thin it out.

How to Make French Onion Meatballs

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sliced onions, 1 cup of grated gruyere cheese, bread crumbs, dried thyme, garlic powder, egg, 1 tablespoon onion soup mix, salt, and pepper.
Mix well until everything is evenly incorporated.
Using your hands, shape the meat mixture into evenly sized meatballs.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally to brown them on all sides. Remove the meatballs and set them aside.
In the same skillet, add the rest of the onion soup package and beef stock. Stir and bring to a simmer. Mix the corn starch with a little water to form a slurry, then whisk it into the sauce. Let the sauce thicken for about 2-3 minutes.
Return the cooked meatballs to the pan. Stir gently to coat the meatballs in the sauce.
Remove from heat sprinkle extra grated gruyere on top, let it rest until the cheese is melted.
Garnish with fresh thyme and serve the French onion meatballs hot. Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to the top if you wish.

What to Serve with French Onion Meatballs

French onion meatballs pair beautifully with rice, mashed potatoes, crusty bread, French bread or over egg noodles.

You can also serve them with a fresh green salad or roasted vegetables. Excellent vegetable side dishes balance the richness of the meal.

Another way to serve these meatballs is an appetizer. Serve them alone and watch your guests make them disappear.

More French Onion Recipes

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) or in the microwave until heated through. The meatballs can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

What to Do with Leftovers

Leftover French onion meatballs can be used in many ways, which is another thing to love about this recipe.

Either serve the leftover meatballs with sides, or make a french onion meatball sub or sandwich. You can also put them into wraps, or top them on noodles or rice.

FAQ’s

More Meatball Recipes

Here are a few more of our favorite meatball recipes.

Easy Oven Baked Chicken Meatballs – perfect for adding into salads or into so many recipes. Freezer friendly, and great to have on hand.
Crockpot Hawaiian Meatballs – The best appetizer meatball that everyone will love.
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs – If you love Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip, you have to try these meatballs!

If you’ve tried this French Onion Meatballs or any other recipe on my blog please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Finally, consider leaving a 🌟 star rating while you’re here. Thanks!

cooked meatballs in a white pan with melted cheese on top

French Onion Meatballs

Mouthwatering French Onion Meatballs is the perfect combination of traditional french onion soup and hearty tender meatballs. Rich flavor yet easy to make.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Servings:

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Author: Tammi

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
1 red onion (finely chopped)
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup gruyere cheese (grated, plus extra for topping)
⅓ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 pkg onion soup mix
1 cup beef stock
1 tsp cornstarch (plus 3 tbsp water)
fresh thyme (for garnish)

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, onion, 1 cup of grated gruyere cheese, bread crumbs, dried thyme, garlic powder, egg, 1 tablespoon onion soup mix, salt, and pepper.
Mix well until everything is evenly incorporated.
Using your hands, shape the meat mixture into evenly sized meatballs.
In the skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the meatballs and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally to brown them on all sides. Remove the meatballs and set them aside.
In the same skillet, add the rest of the onion soup package and beef stock. Stir and bring to a simmer. Mix the corn starch with a little water to form a slurry, then whisk it into the sauce. Let the sauce thicken for about 2-3 minutes.
Return the meatballs to the pan. Stir gently to coat the meatballs in the sauce.
Remove from heat sprinkle extra grated gruyere on top, let it rest until the cheese is melted.
Garnish with fresh thyme and serve the French onion meatballs hot.