Description
These French Onion Chicken Meatballs combine tender ground chicken with savory Gruyère cheese and a rich caramelized onion sauce, making a comforting and elegant main dish perfect for dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, for baking sheet
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sauce
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tsp. freshly chopped thyme, plus more for garnish
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a large baking sheet with foil and rub the surface with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Make Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, shredded Gruyère, bread crumbs, chopped parsley, beaten egg, and minced garlic. Season the mixture with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Form the mixture into 16 evenly sized meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Prepare Sauce: While the meatballs bake, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook them slowly, stirring often, until they are very soft and golden, which will take about 25 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the low-sodium beef broth and add the chopped thyme. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
- Combine and Melt Cheese: Add the baked meatballs into the skillet with the sauce. Sprinkle shredded Gruyère over the meatballs. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, allowing the meatballs to warm through fully and the cheese to melt.
- Serve: Dish out the meatballs and sauce warm, garnished with additional fresh thyme for a burst of flavor and presentation.
Notes
- For a lighter version, substitute Gruyère with reduced-fat cheese or omit the cheese in the meatballs.
- If you don't have beef broth, use chicken broth or vegetable broth as a substitute.
- To save time, caramelize the onions a day ahead and refrigerate; reheat before adding broth.
- Use fresh thyme for best flavor, but dried thyme can be used if necessary (use one-third the amount).
- Make sure the meatballs are uniform in size to ensure even cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
