Crock Pot French Onion Meatballs Recipe
This Crock Pot French Onion Meatballs recipe combines savory frozen meatballs with a rich, flavorful French onion sauce slow-cooked to perfection. Topped with melted Gruyere cheese and fresh herbs, these meatballs make a comforting appetizer or main dish when served over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 to 5 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes to 5 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 36 ounces frozen meatballs
Vegetables
- 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced into half moons
- 3–5 garlic cloves, minced
Sauce
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 10.5 oz can condensed French onion soup
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Toppings
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- Fresh thyme or parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Crockpot: Place the frozen meatballs evenly in the bottom of the crockpot to form the base of the dish.
- Add Aromatics: Top the meatballs with the thinly sliced sweet onions and the minced garlic to infuse flavor as it cooks.
- Make Sauce: In a mixing bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the low sodium beef broth, condensed French onion soup, balsamic vinegar, fresh minced thyme, black pepper, and cornstarch until smooth and fully combined.
- Combine and Cook: Pour the prepared sauce mixture evenly over the meatballs, onions, and garlic in the crockpot. Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 3 to 5 hours, stirring halfway through to ensure even cooking and prevent the sauce from burning on the bottom.
- Finish with Cheese: About 5 to 10 minutes before serving, sprinkle the shredded Gruyere cheese over the hot meatballs. Cover again and continue cooking until the cheese is completely melted and gooey.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or thyme if desired. Serve these delicious French onion meatballs as an appetizer or paired with mashed potatoes or egg noodles for a hearty main course. Enjoy!
Notes
- Stir the meatballs halfway through cooking to ensure even heating and prevent sticking.
- Use low sodium beef broth to better control the saltiness of the dish.
- For a thicker sauce, you can add a little more cornstarch slurry to the crockpot in the last hour of cooking.
- Gruyere cheese adds a rich, nutty flavor, but you can substitute with Swiss cheese if preferred.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop or in the crockpot on low.
Keywords: crock pot meatballs, French onion meatballs, slow cooker recipes, comfort food, Gruyere cheese meatballs
