French Onion Soup Mix Is The Single Ingredient You Need For Unbeatable Meatballs

Umami-rich French onion soup has been a popular classic for over a century for good reason. The rich, beefy flavor of the broth is complemented by a tangle of deeply caramelized onions that add to the mouthwatering, savory blend. But those onions can take a long time to brown when done properly, and that's exactly why French onion soup mix has become our favorite time saver. A packet instantly transforms a few scoops of soft ricotta into an irresistible dip with all those toasty onion and beef hints. Using that convenient mix is also the best way to pack a huge amount of flavor into your favorite meatball recipe for an unbeatable result.

French onion soup mix is a natural fit for beef meatballs because of the concentrated beef broth it contains, but don't let that stop you from adding it to other ground meats. French onion chicken meatballs could benefit from the flavor layering addition, and even herby Moroccan-inspired lamb meatballs would be richer still with the addition of earthy onions.

A standard 1-ounce pack of French onion soup mix will perfectly season 2 pounds of ground meat. If you're using a recipe with other seasonings, you'd be wise to cut back on salt especially until you taste test a bit of the mixture. To do that, just pinch off a bit of your meat mixture and zap it in the microwave for a minute so you can check the finished flavor. When you love the result, roll the mixture into meatballs and cook as per the recipe. No additional liquid is necessary; the juice of the meat will hydrate the onions during the cooking time.

Onion-laced meatballs are a flexible protein source that can be served simply with cocktail picks as a tasty appetizer or as part of a stunningly diverse set of menu items. A casual French onion-flavored meatball sub sandwich with a swipe of miso mayonnaise would be a great lunchbox treat. Alternatively, wrap the oniony meatballs in fresh pita bread with slices of cucumber and sprinkle with feta cheese. The umami-rich meatballs are the perfect addition to ramen noodles or as a topping for a grain bowl, too.