Meatballs and Gravy

5 from 8 votes

Tender, juicy beef meatballs smothered in a rich, velvety onion gravy. A homemade family favorite that uses simple pantry staples and a clever baking method to save time and effort!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Medium

Servings: servings

Calories: 555kcal

Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

Meatballs

⅔ cup plain breadcrumbs
¼ cup milk
2 pounds ground beef OR 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground pork
½ medium onion grated
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
ground black pepper to taste

Gravy

3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion very finely chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
3 packed tablespoons flour
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch optional

Instructions

Prep: 
Heat your oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with baking parchment.
Make meatballs: 
Add the breadcrumbs and milk to a large mixing bowl and let sit for 2 minutes. Then, add the remaining meatball ingredients and mix just until combined - do not overmix, or the meatballs will be tough.
Shape the meat mixture into meatballs (about 1-½ inches in diameter (golf ball), ~2 tablespoons meat mixture per meatball - you should get ~26-28 meatballs.)
⅔ cup plain breadcrumbs, ¼ cup milk, 2 pounds ground beef, ½ medium onion, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ground black pepper
Bake meatballs:
 Place the meatballs on the prepared sheet pan and bake at 400°F for around 15 minutes, or until browned and releasing juices (it’s fine if they are not fully cooked yet, they will simmer in the gravy.)
Sauté onion: 
While the meatballs are in the oven, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the butter to melt. Add the onion and sauté over medium to medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, until fully softened and starting to get golden and caramelize.
3 tablespoons butter, 1 large onion
Make gravy base: 
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. It will look like a paste. You don’t want the flour to burn, but you can let it roast a little and get a little color.
3 packed tablespoons flour
Make gravy: 
Pour half of the beef broth into the skillet and stir until fully smooth (use a whisk if needed (silicone coated if you’re using a pan that scratches easily), we don’t want any lumps in our gravy.)
Once smooth, stir in the remaining broth, soy sauce, garlic powder, Worcestershire and salt/pepper to taste. Let come to a simmer and simmer for 5-8 minutes, until the color gets deeper and the gravy starts to thicken.
3 cups low-sodium beef broth, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, salt & pepper
Finish: 
For a thicker gravy, add a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water to the skillet. Add the baked meatballs (plus all the juices from the baking sheet) to the gravy. Stir to coat and allow to simmer for another 5-8 minutes, until the meatballs are fully cooked and the gravy is rich and glossy. Serve immediately.
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Nutrition