French onion soup-inspired meatballs are a ground meat recipe with a delightful twist to satisfy your cravings for a heartwarming and comforting dish. Crafted with a blend of our ground bison meat and ground boar meat, these meatballs soak up the essence of the iconic soup. The rich sauce, reminiscent of classic French onion flavors of caramelized onions, thyme and a savory broth envelops the tender meatballs, creating a satisfying culinary experience.
French Onion Bison and Boar Meatballs
French Onion Bison and Boar Meatballs
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Bison
Cuisine
French American
Author:
Courtney Johnston
Servings
6-8
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 5 minutes
These meatballs not only boast a luscious sauce but also feature a generous infusion of sweet and savory onion goodness within the meatballs themselves. Whether it's a cold winter's day, a rainy evening or any time of the year for that matter, these flavorful French onion meatballs are a treat for your taste buds. Serve them as a crowd-pleasing party snack with toasted baguette slices, or elevate the experience by adding a healthy shower of cheese and pairing them with buttered egg noodles. This transforms the dish into a satisfying and wholesome meal, perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients
For the Onions
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5-6 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-3 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the Meatballs
-
1 LB Ground Boar AND 1 LB Ground Bison
- 2 large egg, beaten
- 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2-4 tbsp olive oil
For the Sauce
-
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth- use up to 4 if you want lots of sauce
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard- seedy mustard adds some nice texture to the sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-
1 ½ -2 Cups of grated Guryeer cheese.
-
NOTE: Guryeer is the classic choice, but a mixture of whatever you have is fine. We used Old Cheddar, Havarti and parmesan
- 1 package of cooked and buttered egg noodles
- Toasted baguette slices, for serving
-
Optional sliced green onions for garnish
Directions
For the Onions:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are starting to get golden. About 20 min.
- Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme and salt, stir and continue to cook until the onions have reduced significantly in volume, about 25 more minutes. You can add a splash or two of water to the pan if it becomes dry (this tends to happen around the 30-minute mark).
- Add the black pepper, white wine and butter, scraping up the bottom of the pan to loosen any dark bits. Remove and discard the bay leaves and transfer the onions to a plate to let cool slightly while you make the meatballs. Set aside the skillet.
For the Meatballs
Combine the ground bison, ground boar, egg, panko, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Once the onions are cool enough to handle, roughly chop half the onions and add them to the meatball mixture.
- Use your clean hands to mix everything until combined.
- Divide the mixture up into 24 roughly 1 1/2-inch balls. A foolproof way to make even balls is to use a cookie scoop. Roll the balls lightly in your hands, you want to form a ball, but not so hard you make them dense.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the reserved skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, space them evenly, and cook until browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over the meatballs and toss gently until the flour is cooked - about 1 minute.
- Add the beef broth, remaining reserved onions, mustard, and Worcestershire. Stir well, and let simmer until the sauce has thickened and become slightly darker in color, about 10 minutes.
Preheat the broiler on low. Sprinkle the cheese over the meatballs and sauce and broil until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.
To Serve
Serve with buttered egg noodles and toasted baguette slices. Leftover meatballs and sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
ENJOY!