Description
These tender beef meatballs are cooked in a rich onion gravy in a slow cooker, delivering pure comfort without the fuss.
Ingredients
Scale
- 900 g (2 lb) ground beef (80/20)
- 90 g (3/4 cup) plain breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg (50 g)
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) beef broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 45 g (3 tbsp) all-purpose flour or 30 g (3 tbsp) cornstarch for thickening
- 480 ml (2 cups) beef broth for the gravy base
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) tomato paste
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 30–45 ml (2–3 tbsp) neutral oil for browning onions (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the onions: Heat 15 ml (1 tbsp) oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook until golden and fragrant, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer onions to a plate.
- Mix the meatball base: In a large bowl combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire, Dijon, beef broth, salt, and pepper. Mix gently and form 12 meatballs.
- Optional: Sear the meatballs in batches for extra depth, then transfer to the slow cooker.
- Make the gravy: In the same skillet, whisk beef broth, tomato paste, and reserved onions until smooth, then pour over meatballs in the slow cooker.
- Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
- Thicken the gravy: Whisk cornstarch with hot gravy and stir back into the slow cooker, cooking on HIGH for an additional 10–15 minutes.
- Finish and rest: Turn off the slow cooker and let meatballs rest in the gravy for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Serve with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or steamed vegetables. Can be made ahead and frozen.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 240
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 25g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 175mg