These meatballs and gravy make a delicious and comforting meal. In this recipe, meatballs are browned and cooked in rich and creamy gravy. The best part, is that it’s really easy to make and doesn’t take very long at all. Once the meatballs are formed, you’re basically home free!
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef (we used ground round) don’t use anything too lean; we want some fat for flavor
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Egg, slightly beaten
- ¼ cup Bread Crumbs, plain
- Canola Oil, for frying – enough to cover the bottom of a large, deep skillet with ¼ - ½ inch of oil (about 1½ cups)
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 3 tablespoons Flour
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- ½ cup Half & Half
How to make meatballs and gravy
- To get all of the ingredients evenly combined it’s best to use your hands. They’re going to get messy forming the meatballs anyway, so just get in there!
- Don’t overwork the meat. Mix just enough to get the ingredients combined.
- The same advice goes when rolling the meatballs, don’t over-handle them. Work with them just enough to form the ball.
- Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, egg and the bread crumbs. Mix the ground beef with your hands until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Form the ground beef into rounds, just a little smaller than a golf ball.
- Makes approximately 20 meatballs
Brown the meatballs
Add enough oil to a large, deep skillet to cover the bottom by about ¼ - ½ inch (about 1½ cups). We use a non-stick skillet to make sure the meatballs don’t stick and tear.
Heat the oil over medium-high. When the oil is hot, carefully place the meatballs in the oil. Fry them, turning a couple of times to brown on all sides.
The meatballs will take about 5-6 minutes to brown. When they're browned, remove the skillet from the heat and remove the meatballs. Use a slotted spoon and set them on a plate or pan.
Cover the plate loosely with a piece of aluminum foil and/or place the plate in the microwave or oven. The meatballs will stay warm away from drafts.
Don’t worry that the meatballs are not cooked all the way through. They will finish cooking in the gravy.
Make the gravy
Drain all the oil from the skillet but do not wash or wipe. If there are bits on the bottom of the pan, leave them in there. They will flavor the gravy beautifully.
Place the skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted and foamy add the flour. Cook the flour, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.
Slowly add the beef broth and stir until combined and bring the sauce to a simmer. Once the sauce is simmering, add the meatballs and lower the heat to medium-low.
Cover the skillet and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The gravy will not start to thicken until it simmers. This will take about 3-4 minutes. Be patient, it will happen. Don’t crank up the heat!
Add the half and half and stir well. Lower the heat to low, cover and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes heat through.
Taste the gravy and add salt if needed. As a reference we didn’t add any extra to ours. Serve and enjoy.
Frequently asked questions
Serve with mashed potatoes, egg noodles (like we did), or a piece of bread for dipping in the gravy.
We want to use ground beef that contains a little fat. If the beef is too lean, the meatball will be dry with little flavor. Try for ground beef with with 15-20 % fat content. Go with ground chuck or ground round are both good options.
If the gravy is not thickening, uncover the pan and allow it to simmer for a few minutes until the desired consistency is reached. Keep in mind that gravy thickens as it cools, you don’t want to take it too far. Also, as the gravy simmers and reduces, it also concentrates. Be careful with the salt. Always taste before you add extra.
If your gravy is too thick, add more beef broth. That’s an easy fix! Add a little bit of broth at a time while stirring until the gravy reaches the desired consistency and heat through.
If you’re looking for more delicious recipes featuring meatballs, try these Italian sausage meatballs or these amazing Cuban style meatballs. Want more gravy in your life? Try this easy and delicious chicken and mushrooms and this steak and mushrooms recipe.
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📖 Recipe
Meatballs and Gravy
Ingredients
To make the meatballs you will need
- 1 pound Ground Beef (we used ground round don’t use anything too lean; we want some fat for flavor)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Egg slightly beaten
- ¼ cup Bread Crumbs plain
- Canola Oil for frying – enough to cover the bottom of a large, deep skillet with ¼ - ½ inch of oil (about 1½ cups)
To make the gravy you will need
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 3 tablespoons Flour
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- ½ cup Half & Half
Instructions
Make the meatballs
- Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, egg and the bread crumbs. Mix the ground beef with your hands until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Form the ground beef into rounds, just a little smaller than a golf ball. Makes approximately 20 meatballs
Brown the meatballs
- Add enough oil to a large, deep skillet to cover the bottom by about ¼ - ½ inch (about 1½ cups).
- Heat the oil over medium-high. When the oil is hot, carefully place the meatballs in the oil. Fry them, turning a couple of times to brown on all sides, about 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and remove the meatballs. Set them on a plate or pan. Keep them warm by covering the plate loosely with a piece of aluminum foil and/or place the plate in the microwave or oven.
Make the gravy
- Drain all the oil from the skillet but do not wash or wipe. If there are bits on the bottom of the pan, leave them in there. They will flavor the gravy.
- Place the skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted and foamy add the flour. Cook the flour, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.
- Slowly add the beef broth and stir until combined and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Add the meatballs to the gravy and lower the heat to medium-low.
- Cover the skillet and cook the meatballs for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the Half and Half and stir well.
- Lower the heat to low, cover and continue to cook for 3-5minutes to let the flavors combine and heat through.
- Taste the gravy and add a little salt if needed. As a reference we didn’t add any extra salt to our meatballs and gravy.
- Serve with the meatballs and gravy over egg noodles, mashed potatoes or on their own.
Notes
If your gravy is too thin, uncover the pan and allow it to simmer for a few minutes until the desired consistency is reached. If your gravy is too thick, add more beef broth a little bit at a time while stirring until the gravy reaches the desired consistency and heat through.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Steve
Could I use coconut milk instead of half and half
Elizabeth
Hi Steve,
I haven't done it so I cannot speak to the results. I have however, added coconut milk to soup and it worked just fine. Thanks for stopping by.
brittney
Have you tried with baking the meatballs?
Elizabeth
Hi Brittney,
I have not because the gravy is made in the drippings left behind when the meatballs are fried. The grease is drained but the skillet will still have a layer of oil and meatball bits that will flavor the gravy. Thanks for stopping by.
Anna
These meatballs in the gravy was absolutely delicious. Had it with mash potatoes. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Elizabeth
Thank you Anna, so happy you enjoyed them.
Heather C Brown
So good! All 3 kids loved this recipe!
Elizabeth
Thank you Heather. It's always a win when the kids are happy!
SANDRA HAGLER
What if I use frozen meatballs. I think it would save a little time. Otherwise, a great recipe.
Elizabeth
Hi Sandra. Never tried it with frozen meatballs so I can't say. Thanks for stopping by!