These French onion meatballs simmer in a rich caramelized onion sauce, then get topped with cheesy toasted baguette. It’s a comforting one-skillet dinner perfect for any night of the week.

Overhead view of French onion meatballs with caramelized onions, gravy and melted cheese toasts.

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French Onion Meatballs in One Skillet

French onion meatballs have all of the savory flavors of a classic French onion soup in the form of juicy, homemade meatballs. Cooked in a caramelized onion and beef broth sauce, they’re served with cheesy baguette slices right on top!

The whole dish comes together in under an hour using a single pan and is exactly the kind of cozy, hearty meal you want to enjoy with loved ones. Just like my saucy Swedish meatballs, it is bound to become a favorite!

Ingredients Notes

Ingredients for French onion meatballs including ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, beef broth, onion, garlic, cheese and baguette slices.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Ground beef: Lean ground beef keeps the French meatballs tender without too much excess grease. You’ll also need an egg and breadcrumbs to help bind everything together.
  • Onion and garlic: Used in both the meatballs and the sauce for layers of flavor. French onion needs onion!
  • Beef broth: The base of the French onion sauce. When combined with cornstarch, it thickens into a gravy-like consistency that coats the meatballs.
  • French baguette: I have a great recipe for an easy French baguette that I like to use with this recipe. Sliced, brushed with oil, toasted until golden, and topped with melty cheese, this is what makes the dish so fun and satisfying!
  • Cheese: Gruyere cheese is the classic choice, but you can also use Mozzarella cheese or Parmesan.
  • You’ll also need: Salt, pepper, cornstarch, egg, breadcrumbs (as mentioned above), and olive oil.

How to Make French Onion Meatballs

Combine meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix until just combined. Using a cookie scoop, portion mixture and roll into 1½-inch balls.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the meatballs for 7 to 10 minutes, flipping every few minutes, until cooked through. Remove then set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Don’t wipe out the skillet!

Ground beef mixed with egg, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper for homemade meatballs.
Browned beef meatballs cooking in a skillet for French onion meatballs.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onions for 5 minutes until golden. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Whisk the beef broth and cornstarch until smooth, pour into the skillet, and scrape up the browned bits for extra flavor.

Cook on high, stirring continuously, for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Return the meatballs to the skillet, spoon the sauce over the top, and let everything rest uncovered for 5 minutes.

Sliced onions and garlic sautéing until caramelized in a skillet for French onion meatball sauce.
French onion gravy with sliced onions and garlic simmering in a skillet.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F. Brush both sides of the baguette slices with olive oil and toast for 4 minutes until golden. Top each slice with shredded cheese and bake for another 2 minutes until melted.

Place two cheesy toasts on each plate before serving. You’ll love dipping them into the broth!

Cooked meatballs simmering in French onion gravy with a spoon basting the sauce over the top.
Skillet of French onion meatballs in beef gravy topped with melted cheese baguette slices.

Recipe Tips and Variations

  • Don’t overwork the meat mixture. Mix just until everything is combined; otherwise, the meatballs will be dense and tough instead of tender.
  • Make them ahead. The meatballs can be made and cooked up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge. Just reheat them in the sauce when you’re ready to serve.
  • Don’t skip the resting step. Letting the meatballs sit uncovered in the sauce for 5 minutes makes a noticeable difference. It gives the meatballs time to soak in all that onion flavor.
  • French onion chicken meatballs: Swap the ground beef for ground chicken using my easy chicken meatballs recipe as the base. The sauce and bread topping stay the same.

Serving Suggestions

These French onion soup meatballs are hearty enough to be a meal on their own or served as an appetizer, but we love them over creamy mashed potatoes or homemade egg noodles to soak up all that sauce! A simple side of green beans rounds out the plate perfectly.

Plate of French onion meatballs with green beans, onion gravy and cheesy baguette slices.

More meatball recipes to try include firecracker meatballs, honey garlic meatballs and Korean meatballs.

More Meatball Recipes

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Overhead view of French onion meatballs with caramelized onions, gravy and melted cheese toasts.

French Onion Meatballs

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4
These French onion meatballs simmer in caramelized onion sauce and get topped with cheesy toasted baguette for an easy one-skillet dinner.
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Ingredients 

Meatballs

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup onion , finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 – 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Sauce

  • ½ yellow onion , thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 ½ cups beef broth
  • 1 ½ teaspoons corn starch

Bread Topping

Instructions

  • Make meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the 1 pound ground beef, egg, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 2 teaspoons garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
  • Form meatballs: Heat 1 – 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Use a medium cookie scoop or spoon to scoop the meat mixture. Form into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on the hot skillet. 
  • Cook: Fry meatballs for 7 – 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Flip every few minutes to prevent burning. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.

Sauce

  • Sauté: In the same skillet, over medium high heat, add the sliced onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
  • Cook sauce: In a small bowl or cup, whisk together 2 cups beef broth and 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch until it's smooth. Pour in the skillet with the onions. Use a wooden spoon to stir and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stirring continuously, cook on high for 4-5 minutes, until thickened.
  • Add meatballs: Return the cooked meatballs to the skillet, spooning the sauce over the meatballs.
  • Let rest: Let the meatballs and sauce rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes so the sauce will thicken just a little more and the meatballs will heat back up.

Bread Topping

  • Preheat and prepare: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  • Cook bread: Lightly brush both sides of baguette slices with olive oil and toast in the oven for 4 minutes until lightly browned. Add shredded cheese on each piece of bread and cook another 2 minutes.
  • Serve: Place two pieces of toasted bread on each dish of before serving.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 1510mg, Potassium: 611mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 167IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 262mg, Iron: 6mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.