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French Onion Meatball Skillet

French Onion Meatball Skillet with caramelized onions and tender baked-in-the-skillet meatballs, finished with broiled Gruyère for a golden, bubbly top. The stovetop onion broth simmers until rich, then meatballs nestle in for deep flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For meatballs
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 0.25 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.25 salt
  • 0.125 pepper
For French onion base
  • 3 onions thinly sliced
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic minced
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 1.5 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 2 cup Gruyere shredded
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.125 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Mix and brown the meatballs
  1. In a bowl, mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until evenly combined, then roll into meatballs. Brown the meatballs in butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until golden on all sides, then remove to a plate.
Caramelize the onions and build the sauce
  1. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the sliced onions to the same skillet. Cook for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized, then stir in garlic and fresh thyme for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  2. Deglaze the skillet with dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add beef broth and Worcestershire, bring to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes.
Simmer, melt, and finish
  1. Nestle the browned meatballs back into the caramelized onion sauce, turning to coat. Simmer for 10 minutes at a steady simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are cooked through.
  2. Scatter Gruyere over everything in an even layer. Broil for 3-5 minutes until golden and bubbly, then rest 2 minutes before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: give the onions enough time on medium-low—deep caramelization is what makes the broth taste “slow-cooked.” Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months (best thawed overnight in the fridge and reheated gently). Dietary swap: use gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed to make the meatballs gluten-free.