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French Onion Meatball Skillet

French onion meatball skillet with deeply caramelized onions, tender browned meatballs, and a blanket of melted Gruyère. Simmered in a rich wine-and-broth sauce, then broiled until golden and bubbly over the entire surface.
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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 to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
For French onion base
  • 3 onions large, thinly sliced
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 clove 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
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make and brown the meatballs
  1. In a bowl, mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until just combined. Roll into meatballs and set aside while you caramelize the onions.
  2. Heat butter in an oven-safe cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then brown the meatballs until golden on all sides. Remove meatballs to a plate.
Build the French onion base
  1. Reduce heat to medium-low and add sliced onions to the same skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-35 minutes until deeply caramelized, then add minced garlic and fresh thyme.
  2. Pour in dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Simmer 2-3 minutes, then add beef broth and Worcestershire.
Simmer and melt the Gruyère
  1. Nestle the browned meatballs into the caramelized onion sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes until the meatballs are heated through.
  2. Scatter Gruyere over everything in an even layer. Broil for 3-5 minutes until golden and bubbly, then serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: caramelize the onions slowly (medium-low) so they turn jammy and sweet rather than browned too quickly. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium-low until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the Gruyère can separate after thawing. For a gluten-free swap, use gluten-free breadcrumbs for the meatballs.