Description
A comforting Meatballs and Gravy recipe featuring tender beef meatballs cooked to perfection in a savory onion gravy, ideal for serving over mashed potatoes for a hearty family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatball Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 ½ lbs. Ground Beef, 85% lean
- ½ Yellow Onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup Breadcrumbs, Plain or Italian
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 large Egg
- 1 Tablespoon Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Yellow Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped
Gravy Ingredients
- 1 medium Yellow Onion, sliced into ½ inch strings
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 1 Beef Bouillon Cube, or 1 tsp Better than Bouillon
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2–3 drops Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce, optional
- ¼ cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons Corn Starch
Instructions
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, gently combine ground beef, finely diced yellow onion, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, egg, ketchup, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Mix until just combined to avoid toughness, then roll into 1 ½ inch meatballs. Refrigerate meatballs for 15 minutes to help them hold together during cooking.
- Brown the Meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brown 5-6 meatballs at a time, cooking about 2 minutes on each side without overcrowding, ensuring even browning. Remove meatballs and set aside. Repeat until all are browned.
- Cook Onions: Reduce heat to medium and melt unsalted butter in the same skillet. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes until they soften and begin to caramelize.
- Prepare Gravy Base: Add chicken broth, beef broth, beef bouillon cube, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet with the onions. Stir well to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the skillet bottom with a silicone spatula. Optionally, add 2-3 drops of Kitchen Bouquet sauce for deeper color.
- Make Cornstarch Slurry: In a small container with a lid, combine cold water and cornstarch. Shake well to form a smooth slurry.
- Thicken Gravy: Bring gravy to a boil over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry, stirring continuously until the gravy reaches the desired thickness. Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk to ensure smooth consistency.
- Finish Cooking Meatballs in Gravy: Return the browned meatballs to the skillet with the gravy. Spoon sauce over meatballs and simmer for about 10 minutes to ensure meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve: Garnish with additional fresh parsley and serve meatballs and gravy over mashed potatoes for a satisfying meal.
Notes
- Refrigerate the meatballs for 15 minutes after forming to help them hold together during cooking.
- Do not overmix the meatball ingredients to keep meatballs tender.
- Use Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce to deepen gravy color optionally without altering flavor significantly.
- This recipe yields 6 servings; adjust ingredient quantities accordingly for larger or smaller groups.
- Serving the meatballs over creamy mashed potatoes complements the rich gravy perfectly.
