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These baked French onion meatballs are loaded with so many flavors, gooey cheese and aromatic herbs. Serve with a crusty cheesy bread, it’s the perfect dinner!
How could meatballs possibly get any better? Well, the French have some pretty good ideas when it comes to onions… why not try French onion meatballs!
Chicken Meatballs
These cheesy, flavor-packed chicken meatballs combine the savory-sweet taste of French onion soup with juicy, herby goodness. Perfect as dinner or appetizers, they’re moist, melty, and anything but boring!
What is French Onion Soup?
Perhaps the most famous (or at least the most widely consumed) example of French peasant cuisine is French onion soup. It was initially popularized before the French revolution, when French peasants had to eat whatever was in the garden, including frogs, snails, and, of course, onions. Onion soup variants – although none as decadent as ours today – have been widely consumed in Europe since the days of the Roman Empire.
Today, French onion soup is one of the gold standards of French cuisine, a flavorful, tasty treat that’s perfect for all occasions. Typically, you base a soup around meat stock and plenty of onions, and serve it with crusty toasted bread or croutons on top.
Ingredients
To make these baked chicken meatballs you will need: olive oil, yellow, white or red onions, egg, balsamic vinegar, ground chicken or turkey, mozzarella or gruyere cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, beef (or chicken) stock, fresh herbs salt and pepper.
How to Make French Onion Chicken Meatballs
- Caramelize the onions.
- Shape the meatballs and bake.
- Make the sauce.
- Finish in the oven.
What Onions to Use for French Onion Soup?
Not sure which onions to use? White and yellow onions are your best bet—they’re sweet with a little sharpness, just like Julia Child recommended. Red onions are more bitter, and shallots have a bold, fresh flavor if you want something a little different.
What Else To Use In French Onion Chicken Meatballs
You can use any ground meat you like—beef, pork, veal, or a mix. Even lean beef works here because the dish stays nice and moist. For cheese, Gruyere is the classic choice, but feel free to use melty cheeses like mozzarella, Emmental, or Jarlsberg. Just pick one that melts well and you’ll be set!
How To Get the Most Out Of Your Onions
Onions are the star of onion soup, so take your time caramelizing them. Cook them low and slow for at least 30 minutes until they’re deeply browned and sweet. The longer you cook them, the better the flavor—perfect for a cozy day when you can give them your full attention.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh breadcrumbs if you know how to make them to really make this recipe stand out. You can do this very easily with some bread (or better yet, toast) and a food processor. Process the bread, place the crumbs on a tray and bake at 300 F for 10 minutes to get that golden brown finish we all love so much.
- If your meatball mix seems a little dry, cube up some bread very small. Soak these little bits of bread in milk. Incorporate these into your meatballs to add moisture and texture without dominating the palate. This is how Italians traditionally soften up their meatballs, and it’s a trick that works wonders.
Storage
Store meatballs in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container—great for cheesy sandwiches later! To freeze, chill them on a baking sheet first, then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Freeze the sauce separately in its own container.
French Onion Meatballs in Crockpot
You can make these meatballs in a crock pot! Just mix the ingredients, roll into balls, and place them raw in the slow cooker. Pour onion soup over the top and cook. No need to brown them first—the meatballs add great flavor to the soup as they cook.
More Delicious Meatballs Recipe You Might Like
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Chicken Piccata Meatballs
- Swedish Meatballs Crockpot
- Pesto Meatballs
- Bobby Flay Meatball Recipe
- Classic Swedish Meatballs
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French Onion Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large white, yellow or red onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 pound 500 grams ground chicken
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella or gruyere cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cooking oil spray for spraying meatballs before baking
- 1 3/4 cups beef or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon corn flour
- 3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions and generously season with salt. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the onions are caramelized and jammy, stirring occasionally. Pour in balsamic vinegar to add some additional flavors and add 2 thyme sprigs, cook for a minute. Transfer to a plate. Allow to cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 410° F (210° C).
- Take half of the cooled caramelized onion and chop.
- In a large bowl combine the ground chicken, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (or gruyere cheese), bread crumbs, egg, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Add in the chopped caramelized onions. Mix just until combined. Do not over mix!
- Shape into meatballs (I made 14 meatballs about 2-inches in diameter). It is easy to form the mixture into meatballs if your hands are wet. Place the meatballs into the same skillet ( the one you used to cook onions). Spray the meatballs with cooking oil spray generously and bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the oven. Whisk together the beef broth ( or chicken broth) with corn flour in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the skillet with the meatballs, add in the remaining caramelized onions and top with the remaining mozzarella ( gruyere ) cheese and thyme sprigs.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through. The internal temperature will be 165 degrees F ( 74 C).
- Serve immediately with crusty bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi! I want to make these and I see in the description it says you can crockpot the meatballs, but it doesn’t say for how long. How long would you put them in the crockpot for?
Thanks in advance!
Hey Sydney! To make French onion meatballs in a Crockpot, start by caramelizing thinly sliced onions with salt and a touch of balsamic vinegar in a skillet for about 30 minutes until they’re rich and jammy.
Take half of the caramelized onions and finely chop them. Shape the mixture into 2-inch diameter meatballs (wet hands help).
Place the meatballs in the Crockpot and pour over a mixture of beef or chicken stock . Cover the Crockpot and cook for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high, ensuring the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Add a cornstarch slurry during the last hour of slow cooking time.
When it’s time to serve the meatballs, sprinkle the cheese on top of the meatballs, put the lid back on the Crockpot, and let it melt within.
Awesome, made with ground pork instead, not a big fan of ground chicken. The ending sauce is luxurious!
Hi! That’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed it with ground pork! And thanks for sharing your adaptation!
What can I use in place of the corn flour? I couldn’t find it.
Hi Amber! If you can’t find corn flour, you can substitute it with cornstarch, which will still help thicken the sauce and give it the right texture. Another option is all-purpose flour, though it may give a slightly different consistency. Both should work well in the recipe!
If you double or triple the recipe, should you use something other than a Dutch oven or still use a Dutch oven and pile it in?
Hi Krista! Great question! If you’re doubling or tripling the recipe, you can still use a Dutch oven—as long as everything fits in a single, even layer to cook evenly. If it feels too crowded, I’d recommend using a large roasting pan or dividing the meatballs between two baking dishes to avoid steaming instead of browning.