DELISH French Onion Soup Meatballs

These French Onion Soup Meatballs are out of this world! This may be the best combination ever. The sauce is delicious and this one-pot dish is so flavorful and made with all gluten-free ingredients.

If you love French Onion Soup – you have got to try these meatballs! One of the best flavor combinations and these meatballs are too good. My husband was standing over the skillet devouring this when I first made them. These meatballs are full of flavor and they are also made with all gluten-free ingredients.

Rich, caramelized onions add such delicious flavor to any dish so it’s not to come as a surprise that these French Onion Soup Meatballs are incredibly flavorful. They take a bit of time and patience but not much actual effort in making.

Then you add in some meatballs, melted cheese and herbs and it’s the best combo on top of a toasted baguette. Or you can also do pasta if you prefer or if you want to do these as a finger food, add some toothpicks and enjoy them as is.

I am really impressed with how this dish turned out and I have a feeling you will love these meatballs too. Especially if you are gluten-free and can’t do French Onion Soup anymore – you will love and appreciate these even more.

These meatballs can be enjoyed as is, with bread, on a roll or with some veggies if you want too. Plus if your kids love cheese too, they will love these. Anything covered in cheese is a hot commodity in my house.

What ingredients you need to make gluten-free French Onion Soup Meatballs:

• Olive oil or avocado oil – really either cooking oil can work in this recipe
• Sweet white onions – I have only tried white onions in this recipe, I don’t recommend red onion but any white onion should work well
• Garlic – use fresh garlic cloves here
• Bay leaves – I use dried bay leaves here 
• Thyme leaves – I like to use fresh but I usually only have dried – either works
• Dry white wine – I used leftover Chardonnay in the fridge
• Unsalted butter – or use salted butter if you prefer. Can also use ghee
• Grass-fed beef – I haven’t used another ground meat but I do think turkey would work well in this recipe too
• Egg – I haven’t tried flax egg but if you usually use an egg replacement in meatballs, try it here
• Almond flour – or gf breadcrumbs)
• Gluten-free flour – or sub regular flour if not gluten-free)
• Chicken broth – you can also use veggie broth or beef broth too
• Dijon mustard – love to add this for flavor 
• Gruyere cheese – this is *the* French Onion Soup cheese so no sub recommended!

How to make French Onion Soup Meatballs:

To cook the onions:

1. In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are deeply golden (about 45 minutes)
2. Add the thyme and black pepper and cook until the herbs are fragrant, about 1 minute
3. Add the white wine and butter, scraping up the bottom of the pan to loosen any dark bits
4. Remove onions from skillet and discard the bay leaves and allow the onions to cool slightly
5. Rinse and wipe out the skillet and set aside

Make the meatballs:

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, flour or breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper
2. Once the onions are cool enough to handle, roughly chop 1/3 of the onions and add them to the meatball mixture
3. Use your clean hands or meat handling gloves to mix everything together until combined
4. Divide the mixture up into 12 roughly 1 1/2-inch balls and set aside
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the reserved skillet over medium-high heat
6. Add the meatballs, making sure to space them evenly, and cook until browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes

To combine the dish and finish up:

1. Sprinkle flour over the meatballs and toss gently until the flour is cooked, about 1 minutes
2. Add the chicken broth, remaining reserved onions, mustard, and Worcestershire
3. Stir well, and let simmer until the sauce has thickened and grown slightly darker in color, about 10 minutes
4. Preheat the broiler on low
5. Sprinkle the Gruyere over the meatballs and sauce and broil until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes
6. Serve with toasted baguette slices or as is. Garnish with more thyme if desired

How to make French Onion Soup Meatballs:

• Can I use another ground meat in this recipe? I have only tried beef for these but you can also try turkey if you want.
• Do these meatballs freeze well? They do! Add to freezer-safe container for up to 2 months in the freezer.
• How long do these last in the fridge? For about 5 days in an airtight container.
• How do I reheat these? I usually use microwave to reheat them.
• If you have time, I find the meatballs stick together better if you add to the fridge once you form them. If you don’t have time, don’t worry about it – I rarely do! Just roll them into balls well and if they aren’t staying in ball form, add more flour/breadcrumbs.

A few other delicious one-pot or one-pan recipes to try:

Creamy Zuppa Toscana (dairy-free)

20-minute Creamy Tuscan Chicken

15-minute Beef and Broccoli Skillet

One Pot Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Rice

Print