Description
This French Onion Meatball Skillet recipe combines tender ground chicken meatballs with a rich, caramelized onion and Gruyère cheese sauce, creating a comforting and flavorful one-pan meal perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground chicken, or turkey
- ½ onion, minced
- ½ cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup bread crumbs
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the French Onion Soup Sauce
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry sherry, or white wine (optional)
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
- black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups Gruyère cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You may need to cook the meatballs in two batches.
- Make Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, minced onion, shredded Gruyère and mozzarella cheeses, bread crumbs, minced garlic, beaten eggs, chopped fresh thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper until fully mixed.
- Shape Meatballs: Form approximately 32 meatballs from the mixture and arrange them evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake Meatballs: Bake meatballs for about 20 minutes or until they turn golden and reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Start Sauce: While meatballs bake, heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions and coat them well in the oil, cooking for 5-10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Caramelize Onions: Add kosher salt and butter to the skillet, continuing to cook the onions, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until they are very soft and golden-brown, about 30 to 45 minutes for best flavor.
- Add Garlic and Deglaze: Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in dry sherry or white wine if using, scraping the bottom to loosen browned bits. Let alcohol reduce by half.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Stir in beef broth, minced fresh thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until sauce slightly thickens, approximately 5 minutes.
- Combine Meatballs and Sauce: Add the baked meatballs to the skillet, sprinkle the shredded Gruyère cheese over the top, cover with a lid, and cook on low until meatballs are heated through and cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with fresh thyme if desired and serve warm, ideally with fresh bread or creamy mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Caramelizing onions requires time but adds incredible flavor; allow at least 30 minutes, ideally 45 minutes over medium to medium-low heat.
- Extra meatballs can be frozen for later use.
- Optional: After adding cheese and covering skillet, broil in oven for 1-2 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden for a gratin effect. Make sure skillet is oven-safe.
- You can substitute dry sherry or white wine with additional beef broth if preferred.
- Ground turkey, beef, pork, or lamb can be used instead of chicken for different flavors.
- Cheese alternatives that work well include Swiss, Asiago, or white cheddar.
- Use gluten-free bread crumbs to make this recipe gluten free.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
