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These sheet pan french onion meatballs turn the flavors of French onion soup into an easy weeknight dinner. Jammy caramelized onions, tender meatballs, and a bubbly blanket of gruyere all prepared in one pan!
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What makes this dish special
When I was a student at the Culinary Institute of America, one of the first dishes we learned to make was french onion soup. The backbone of the soup is caramelized onions, which I realized I wasn't properly preparing before. We would take our time breaking down the onions, adding minimal liquid. Needless to say, it taught me the importance of patience.
Most of the time, I still follow the guidelines I was taught, but sometimes, I admit, I'll choose convenience. These sheet pan french onion meatballs keep the soul of the traditional dish but skip the fuss. The onions roast in the oven, allowing me to rest my feet, while the meatballs cook in the same pan. Now this is a dinner that I could pull together on a school night without a sink full of dishes. One pan, one bowl for mixing, and dinner is done. Plus, the meatballs are incredibly delicious, which is what really matters, right?
Recipe
Sheet Pan French Onion Meatballs
Ingredients
Caramelized onions
- 3 large yellow onions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Meatballs
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- ⅓ cup grated onion
- 1 large egg
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 ½ cups shredded Gruyère
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Toss the sliced onions on a sheet pan with the melted butter, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Spread in an even layer and cover with aluminum foil. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove foil. Stir onions and roast for another 25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Meanwhile, make meatballs. Combine panko and milk in a large bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Add ground beef, parmesan, grated onion, egg, garlic, thyme, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined. Roll into about 16 meatballs.
- Whisk together dijon mustard with beef broth.
- Remove onions from the oven and push them aside. Nestle the meatballs in and pour the broth mixture over the top. Add thyme sprigs and roast for 18-20 minutes, or until the meatballs reach 160°F.
- Switch the oven to broil. Remove the pan from the oven and top with Gruyère and mozzarella. Broil for 3-4 minutes, until bubbly and browned.
- Remove pan from the oven and serve french onion meatball balls over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or with crusty bread, spooning the onions and pan juices over the top.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Caramelize onions
Caramelizing onions is usually a labor of love. It takes time and a watchful eye on the stove. Luckily, with these sheet pan french onion meatballs, we're letting the oven do most of the work.
Slice three large yellow onions into thin half moons. Toss them right on the sheet pan with melted butter, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a spoonful of balsamic vinegar.
Recipe tip
Use yellow onions here, not sweet onions like Vidalia. I know sweet onions feel like the obvious pick for something called French onion. They let you down in the oven, though. They carry too much water and turn mushy and overly sugary once roasted. Yellow onions hold their shape and give you that deep, classic French onion flavor. They are also usually the cheapest onions at the store, which never hurts.
The balsamic deepens the color and coaxes out that sweet, jammy flavor faster.
Spread the onions in a single layer and cover with aluminum foil to help soften the onions. Pop the sheet pan in the oven and roast at 400°F for 20 minutes.
Then, remove the cover and give them a stir. Pop the sheet pan back into the oven and continue roasting for another 25 minutes, stirring the onions halfway through.
The onions won't look caramelized yet, but we're going to cook them for another 20 minutes with the meatballs.
Step 2: Prepare meatballs
While the onions roast, make the meatballs. This is where the French onion flavor gets built right into the beef.
Start by soaking the panko in milk. This little step is the secret to a tender meatball. The soaked crumbs hold moisture and keep everything soft as it cooks.
Add the ground beef, soaked panko, an egg, grated Parmesan, garlic, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Then, mix with your hands until it just comes together.
Try not to overwork the meat because overmixing is the fastest way to a tough, dense meatball.
Roll the mixture into about 16 meatballs, roughly the size of a golf ball. Try to keep them all about the same size so they cook evenly.
Step 3: Cook meatballs
Pull the onions out of the oven and push them to one side to make room. Nestle the meatballs in among the onions and add beef broth mixed with dijon mustard. This becomes the rich, brothy base that tastes like the bottom of a French onion soup bowl.
Tuck in a few sprigs of fresh thyme for good measure and roast for 18 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and reach 160°F.
Then, switch the oven to broil and blanket everything with shredded Gruyère and a handful of mozzarella. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and browns in spots. Keep a close eye on it, because the broiler moves fast.
Spoon the meatballs, onions, and pan juices over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or with crusty bread and dig in!
It's pretty amazing how much flavor is built into these sheet pan french onion meatballs. Every bite starts sweet from the roasted onions and builds with the savory, herby beef coming through. And of course, the gruyere adds a nutty, salty element that completes the dish. It's everything you love about the classic, just turned into a fork and knife dinner the whole family will reach for.
For more delicious one pan dinners, check out this creamy Tuscan lemon artichoke soup, braised butter beans with sausage, and one pot lemongrass chicken and rice!
Make-ahead and storage tips
- Make-ahead: You can caramelize the onions up to 2 days in advance and shape the meatballs the day before.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More comfort food recipes
Looking for more comfort dishes with beef? Try these:
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All images shot and styled by Christine Ma. Available for food photography, styling, and recipe development.
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