French Onion Venison Meatballs & Gnocchi

French onion soup is a classic cozy meal and I’ve taken everything you love about it and turned it into French Onion Venison Meatballs! They are tender, full of rich flavor and make the ultimate comfort meal.

Meatballs are one of my favorite go to’s to make with our ground wild game meat. They are easy and can take on so many different flavours. While I love all my meatball recipes, I think these French Onion Venison Meatballs officially take the cake for the best ones yet!!! Loaded with so much flavor, they are rich in flavor, and absolutely delicious.

This recipe is so great because it is very easy to make, but tastes and looks like an elevated dish. You start by getting your onions caramelizing in a pan. This needs to be done low and slow to develop the proper flavor. It typically takes about 45 minutes. Then, you make the meatballs and bake them in the oven just until cooked through. Once the onions are caramelized, you add in the rest of the ingredients to make a luxurious sauce, add the meatballs into that sauce and then top with tons of Swiss cheese. I like to serve it up over homemade gnocchi, but you can do any kind of pasta you like, rice or even mashed potatoes.

If you love French onion soup, then I promise this recipe will be life changing for you! Use any ground elk, deer, moose or bear that you have and get ready to enjoy the most incredible cozy Fall meal.

Tips for Making French Onion Venison Meatballs

1. Anytime you are making meatballs with wild game meat you NEED to have some fat mixed in with your ground meat. You can do pork or beef, and anywhere from 10-20% is great. This ensure the meatballs say juicy and do not dry out.
2. When caramelizing the onions, you want your heat nice and low. This is not a process you want to rush. It should take about 45 minutes to get that deep rich flavor and beautifully caramelized onions.

French Onion Venison Meatball Ingredients

Ground Venison– As mentioned above, you want ground meat that has 10-20% fat mixed into it.

Onions– Yellow onions or any sweet onions are great. I love using sweet walla walla onions.

Swiss Cheese– This is our preferred, but you can use Swiss or gruyere cheese.

Bread Crumbs– If you are gluten free just sub with gf bread crumbs.

Parmesan Cheese– A little bit of fresh parmesan adds delicious flavor to the meatballs.

Garlic– Fresh minced.

Beef Broth– Homemade or store bought.

Worcestershire Sauce– If you are gluten free make sure to use gf Worcestershire sauce.

White Wine– Just a touch adds a beautiful depth of flavor. You can sub with extra broth if you prefer.

Bay Leaf– Just one is all you need.

Dried Thyme- Measure carefully as it is really potent.

Butter– I like salted but unsalted is fine.

Egg- One egg helps bind the meatballs.

Gnocchi- Can be homemade or store bought, or can be subbed with rice, mashed potatoes or any pasta or your choice.

The Steps

Make the Meatballs & Caramelize the Onions

1. Start by boiling the potatoes in a pot of salted water until fork tender.
2. Strain the potatoes and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
3. Next, add the 1/4 cup butter to a large skillet over low heat.
4. Once melted, add in the sliced onions and continue to cook over low heat for about 45 minutes or until a nice rich caramel color. Stir occasionally, so that they don’t burn on the bottom.
5. While the onions cook, preheat your oven to 350F and mix together all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl until combined.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and scoop the meat mixture into meatballs, and place on the baking sheet.

1. Bake for 15 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 160F. Then remove from the oven.

Make the Gnocchi and French Onion Sauce

1. Next, mash the cooled potatoes in a bowl until nice and smooth, Add in the egg and flour and stir the mixture together until it starts to form a thick dough.
2. Dump the dough onto a floured surface, and knead just until smooth.
3. Cut the dough into 6 pieces, then take one piece at a time and roll it into a log about 1/2-3/4 inch thick, then using a bench scraper or sharp knife and cut the log into little gnocchis (about 1 inch in size).
4. Repeat this with all of the dough, then boil the gnocchi in a pot of salted water for about 3-5 minutes, or until they all float to the surface. Strain and set aside.
5. Once the onions have cooked for about 35 minutes, add in the minced garlic and bay leaf. Stir and continue to let them cook about 10-15 minutes.

1. Then, add in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any crispy bits off the bottom.
2. Stir in the flour and continue to cook over medium heat for about a minute.
3. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and broth, and stir.
4. Finally, place the cooked meatballs into the onion sauce, toss to coat, then sprinkle the shredded cheese over top.
5. Adjust the heat to medium low, place a lid on the pan and continue to cook just to let the cheese melt.
6. To serve, start with a bowl of the gnocchi, then spoon the meatballs and onion sauce over the gnocchi and enjoy! (can also serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or any pasta you like)

If you give this recipe a try, leave a comment or a recipe review below!

Looking for more delicious Fall meals to make with your wild game meat?

https://cmbarndominium.com/italian-sausage-venison-lasagna-roll-ups/

https://cmbarndominium.com/corn-green-chile-venison-enchiladas/

https://cmbarndominium.com/insanely-good-venison-chili/