Meatballs and Gravy with Onions
This One-Pan Meatballs and Gravy with Onions is a simple yet satisfying weeknight dinner recipe for the whole family. Easy Swedish-style meatballs smothered with a Sweet Vidalia Onion Gravy served over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
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Table of Contents
Pan-Fried Meatballs Cooked In Thick Onion Gravy
This meatball dinner is a hearty meal that comes together with minimal effort. It may not be a 15 minute – dump everything in a pan type of recipe, but for a scratch made dinner it is on the easier side. And it is a one pan meal so less dishes to wash.
The meatballs are a basic ground beef mixture that are pan fried. Then just saute onions, build a gravy and let the meatballs finish cooking in a rich, flavorful sauce. This will be a new go-to meal that the entire family will love!
Vidalia Onions are a mild, sweet onion grown in a specific area within Southern Georgia. I’m originally from Georgia so I may be a tad bit biased when I say these onions are the best. But no, they really are The Best!
These onions are so mild they don’t even cause tears. I can attest to this because standard onion have me bawling and Vidalia Onions don’t even cause one tear. The quality and flavor of Vidalia Onions are unbeatable!
How Long Does It Take To Cook Meatballs In Sauce
These meatballs are first pan fried so they don’t require a long cooking time in the sauce. About 10-15 minutes should do the trick.
Can You Use Store-Bought Meatballs
You sure can. . . whatever makes life a little easier, right? The cooking time on the meatballs may need to be adjusted according to the package instructions.
Ingredients Needed For Meatballs and Onion Gravy (screenshot for grocery list)
1 Lb Ground Beef
¼ Cup Breadcrumbs
1 Large Egg
2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Dried Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Pepper
4 Vidalia Onions – peeled, sliced
2 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Flour
1 Cup Beef Broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Cup+ Water
Salt/Pepper
How To Make Meatballs In Gravy
- Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, worcestershire sauce, seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix until just combined, do not over-mix. Roll into 15 meatballs.
- Drizzle oil into a large pan (preferably a pan with high sides) over medium/high heat. Place meatballs into pan ensuring not to overcrowd. Brown all sides and transfer to a plate, set aside.
- Add sliced Vidalia Onions to the pan with remaining meatball grease. Saute 5-10 minutes or until onions are tender.
- Add butter to pan then begin sprinkling flour one tablespoon at a time, stirring between each addition.
Slowly pour in broth, worcestershire sauce and water while stirring. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to medium/low. - Return meatballs to pan and cook until gravy is thick and meatballs are cooked through (10-15 minutes) Add more water if needed during this time.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with fresh parsley over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
What Can You Eat With Meatballs
Potatoes, vegetables, rice or noodles all go great with this dish. Here are a few side dish recipe ideas:
Mashed Potatoes + Spinach – Mushroom Cauliflower Rice – Oven Roasted Potatoes – Easy Rice Pilaf – Air Fryer Baked Potatoes – Buttered Egg Noodles
In the mood for meatballs? Here are a few more recipes to try:
Taco Cheese Stuffed Meatballs – Baked Spaghetti + Meatballs – Garlic Rosemary Whole30 Meatballs
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Meatballs and Gravy with Onions
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Ground Beef
- ¼ Cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dried Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 4 Vidalia Onions – peeled sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 4 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 Cup Beef Broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Cup+ Water
- Salt/Pepper
Instructions
- Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, worcestershire sauce, seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix until just combined, do not over-mix. Roll into 15 meatballs.
Drizzle oil into a large pan (preferably a pan with high sides) over medium/high heat. Place meatballs into pan ensuring not to overcrowd. Brown all sides and transfer to a plate, set aside.
Add sliced Vidalia Onions to the pan with remaining meatball grease. Saute 5-10 minutes or until onions are tender.
Add butter to pan then begin sprinkling flour one tablespoon at a time, stirring between each addition.
Slowly pour in broth, worcestershire sauce and water while stirring. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to medium/low.
Return meatballs to pan and cook until gravy is thick and meatballs are cooked through (10-15 minutes) Add more water if needed during this time.
Salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with fresh parsley over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
Nutrition
Welcome!
Nicole Harris is the recipe creator behind WonkyWonderful, sharing fast, budget-friendly meals for busy families. Since 2012 she’s been developing 30-minute dinners, kid-approved favorites, and holiday dishes with flair - all with real ingredients and no fuss. She grew up stretching simple pantry staples into something delicious, and that shows up in every recipe: easy, affordable, and full of flavor. Read more...
Can you put the print button up near the top of the recipe, you have to scroll all the way almost to the bottom to get to print it. I love your recipes, but it is a pain to go all the way down to get to print it.
This took me over an hour and a half to cook. I think you need to put an accurate time frame in your post.
Strange, that is quite a difference from my cook time. Did you pan fry the meatballs until brown before cooking in gravy?
Can this be frozen?
I have not attempted to freeze this. But I imagine it will freeze just fine.
This is a good basic recipe, but the flour is defiantly out of proportion. Revise recipe, you always want to thicken by reducing. Not with quarter cup of flour but the recipe is defiantly solid.
Loved it! Had to add more liquid to simmer with the meatballs.
Awwww. Scrolling that HARD. you get FREE recipe so what’s up.
‘definitely’
I added a little cream with the gravy to help loosen the mix. My fussy eater husband liked it so this recipe is now on the rotation.
Made this today but due to working at home I did my meatballs in the oven, made the sauce stovetop and when meatballs came out of the oven I added them to this delicious sauce to soften the rice I always use in my meat mixture, cooked the noodles separate, drained and added into sauce with meatballs. Amazing flavors abound! Had I browned my meatballs stove a definite 30 minute meal! 😊😊
I made this today. I had some frozen meatballs but I wanted something different. Now I don’t know how mushroom soup got in your recipe but between deciding to read your recipe and going to the freezer I grabbed a can of cream of mushroom soup. So I browned my meatballs that are frozen. Then browned my onions. I got to the scary part of blending my flour into the onions (something I was never taught cause my Mom couldn’t do it. I then slowly poured in my beef broth and my mushroom soup. When I realized that it did not call for mushroom soup. I skipped the cup of water and finished up with the meatballs and salt and pepper. I absolutely love it. Now that you taught me how to make onion gravy. I can make bangers and mash without the mushroom soup lol! Thanks for the recipe totally enjoyed it. Took longer because I forgot to put the potatoe wedges in to bake. Lol !
this was really good.
I def didnt put as much flour as it called for. I let my ancestors guide my judgment on that!!!
I made this for dinner tonight and I really enjoyed it. I doubled the recipe for 5 of us. I only used about half the flour, bc I can’t math. It was plenty thick enough. I realized I didn’t have beef broth after I started cooking so I subbed French Onion soup. It took longer than I expected, but I thought it was a keeper. Thanks for the recipe. ❤️
I always click “jump to recipe,” which is at the top of most recipes, so I don’t have to scroll. 🙂
Patti –
February 5, 2024
I was cleaning out my freezer and found some frozen meatballs as well as some beef bone broth. I used your recipe for the onion gravy and added some red bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots and mixed frozen vegetables, along with the frozen meatballs. Also added a half cup of sour cream. Served this over jasmine rice. It was so good! Husband LOVED it! Will definitely add this to our dinner rotation!