Smoked French Onion Meatballs
These Smoked French Onion Meatballs are everything you want when the weather starts to cool down: juicy smoked beef meatballs, deeply caramelized onions, rich French onion gravy and bubbling melted cheese, all finished together in a cast-iron skillet on the BBQ.
Made with Motley Que Steak Fixx, Double Butter Grilling Oil and Motley Mustard, this easy fall BBQ recipe is rich, savoury and ridiculously good served over mashed potatoes or with a loaf of crusty bread for cleaning out the skillet.
Smoked French Onion Meatballs Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45–55 minutes
Serves: 4–6
Makes: Approximately 20 meatballs
Ingredients
Smoked Meatballs
- 1½ lb ground beef
- 1 egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tbsp Motley Que Steak Fixx
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan
French Onion Gravy
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Motley Que Double Butter Grilling Oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Motley Que Motley Mustard
- ½ tsp Motley Que Steak Fixx
- 1 tsp fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère or provolone
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
How to Make Smoked French Onion Meatballs
1. Make the Meatballs
Preheat your BBQ or smoker to 375°F and set it up for indirect cooking.
Combine the panko breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl and let them sit for a couple of minutes.
Add the ground beef, egg, Steak Fixx, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and Parmesan. Gently mix until everything is just combined.
Roll the mixture into approximately 20 golf-ball-sized meatballs.
Place the meatballs on the BBQ over indirect heat and cook for 20–25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
Remove the meatballs from the grill and set aside.
2. Caramelize the Onions
While the meatballs are cooking, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat.
Add the Double Butter Grilling Oil and sliced onions.
Cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, golden brown and deeply caramelized.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
Don't rush the onions. They're what give French onion gravy that deep, rich flavour.
3. Make the French Onion Gravy
Sprinkle the flour over the caramelized onions and stir until well combined.
Slowly add the beef broth while stirring.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, Motley Mustard, Steak Fixx and thyme.
Simmer for 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the French onion gravy has thickened.
4. Finish the Meatballs on the BBQ
Nestle the smoked meatballs into the onion gravy and cover everything with shredded Gruyère or provolone.
Place the cast-iron skillet back on the BBQ for 5–10 minutes, or until the gravy is bubbling and the cheese is completely melted and beginning to brown.
Finish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.
What to Serve with French Onion Meatballs
These cast-iron meatballs are made for creamy mashed potatoes. Spoon the meatballs over top and make sure you get plenty of that caramelized onion gravy.
You can also serve them with toasted baguette, crusty bread, roasted potatoes or even buttered egg noodles.
Whatever you choose, you're going to want something capable of getting every last bit of gravy out of the skillet.
Can You Make French Onion Meatballs on a Smoker?
Absolutely. Cooking the meatballs on the smoker before adding them to the French onion gravy gives the beef an extra layer of wood-fired flavour.
You can make this recipe on a pellet grill, charcoal BBQ, gas grill or smoker. Just set your grill up for indirect cooking and maintain a temperature around 375°F.
The Perfect Fall BBQ Recipe
BBQ season doesn't end when the temperature drops.
Smoked meatballs, caramelized onions, bubbling cheese and a cast-iron skillet full of gravy might actually make a pretty convincing argument that fall is when BBQ gets really good.
Grab the mashed potatoes. You're going to need them.