Description
Delicious French Onion Chicken Meatballs feature tender ground chicken combined with Gruyère and herbs, baked to perfection and served with a rich, caramelized onion and thyme sauce topped with melted Gruyère cheese for a comforting and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the 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
For the 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 your oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with foil and rub it with the extra-virgin 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 for 25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
- Prepare Sauce: While the meatballs are baking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until the onions are very soft and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant for 1 more minute. Pour in the low-sodium beef broth and add chopped thyme. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Combine and Finish: Add the baked meatballs into the skillet with the onion sauce. Sprinkle the shredded Gruyère evenly over the meatballs. Cover the skillet and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the meatballs are warmed through and the cheese has melted. Garnish with additional fresh thyme and serve warm.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the bread crumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed gluten-free crackers.
- If ground chicken is not available, ground turkey or lean ground pork can be substituted.
- Use low-sodium beef broth to control salt levels but adjust seasoning as needed.
- Gruyère can be swapped with Swiss cheese if unavailable, though it will slightly change the flavor.
- To save time, caramelize onions the day before and refrigerate; reheat when ready to make the sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
