French Onion Stew and Meatballs (or Ragoût de boulettes à l’oignons) – a delicious and easy dinner recipe with lots of onions, scrumptious meatballs and homemade potato puree on the side.
We are making a delicious French-style onion stew with meatballs and potato puree on the side. In fact, this dish is enjoyed all across Europe, with of course it’s regional variations – the types of spices, onions or cookware. Pair this French stew with the fluffiest Potato Puree recipe possible (again French). You wouldn’t regret it.
FUN FACTS: In France, the dish has its roots in peasant cuisine, where meatballs made from affordable cuts of meat were cooked slowly in a savory onion sauce. This type of hearty stew was designed to stretch ingredients and provide nourishment for large families. Onions, a staple in French cooking, played a key role in adding depth of flavor to the dish. Over time, the ragoût became popular across different social classes, with regional variations emerging. Its rustic, comforting qualities have ensured its place in traditional French home cooking, particularly in colder months.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Old onions, peeled and cut – yellow onions or white onions work best. Shallots are also perfect as they give the dish a distinctive sweet feel
- Ground meat, beef, pork or other – a mix of whatever minced meat you have on hand
- Medium egg
- Butter, or more as needed – duck fat, lard or tallow can be used
- Thyme – or Herbs de Provence mix
- Sweet paprika
- All purpose flour – or gluten-free alternative
- Tomato paste
- Minced fresh parsley
- Water, or broth for the stew
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
How to cook French Meatballs & Onion Stew?
1st: Prepare and sauté onions on low heat until golden and translucent. Add a tbsp. of water if needed to prevent onion from sticking to pan/burning.
2nd: Shape meatballs and roll in some flour (optional), add seasoning, flour to the onions and some water. Bring to a boil and add in meatballs. Let simmer until cooked, season as needed.
What to serve with French Meatballs & Onion Stew?
There are a few pairing suggestions from my kitchen:
French Onion Stew and Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 cutting board and knife
- 1 cooking pot with lid
Ingredients
- 1 kg old onions, peeled and cut
- 500 g ground meat, beef, pork or other
- 1 medium egg
- 6 tbsp. butter, or more as needed
- 2 tbsp. thyme
- 1 tbsp. sweet paprika
- 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste, heaping
- 3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
- 400 ml water, or broth for stew
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the meatballs: In a large mixing bowl combine ground meat, 1 tbsp. of thyme and egg. sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Next, shape small meatballs, arrange in a flat dish and sprinkle with flour. Roll around to cover meatballs with a thin layer of flour. Set aside in the fridge.
- Sauté onions: In the meantime, mince onions and sauté in butter until brown-ish. Stir frequently to prevent burned onions. Add a few tbsp. of water as needed.
- Then, add paprika and tomato paste and mix well with the sautéed onions. Add water and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add meatballs: Add meatballs directly the the boiling stew and let cook completely on low heat.
- Combine and Season: 5 minutes before removing from stove top add minced parsley, season with salt, remaining thyme and black pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
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Lovely!