Crockpot Meatballs

Here’s a lazy weeknight recipe that the whole family will love: Crockpot Meatballs. A few minutes of prep time in the morning is all you need, then come dinner time a delicious meal is ready to enjoy.

I’ve been a big slow cooker fan for many years. When I was a kid, one of my favorites was my mom’s Crockpot Islander Pork. Now I cook everything in my trusty crock from good old Baby Back Ribs to international flavors like Barbacoa Beef.

Now with today’s recipe, I’m combining two of my favorites: slow cooking and meatballs!

Key Ingredients

• Ground beef – I use 80/20 beef for my meatballs. It results in more tender and juicy meatballs than leaner ground beef. Sometimes I use a mix of ground beef and ground pork, but today I’m keeping it simple.
• Eggs – Yes, I know they’re getting very expensive right now, but they are a key binding agent.
• Breadcrumbs – The other main binder. I use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs to keep with the flavor theme. If I don’t have any on hand, I have also made these meatballs with plain breadcrumbs and panko, and simply increase the amount of Italian seasoning to 1.5 tablespoons.
• Milk – Just a bit, it helps keep the meatballs moist and tender.
• Garlic – Freshly minced, always.
• Italian seasoning – If you don’t have any, use a mix of dried oregano, basil and parsley.
• Fresh parsley – For a little fresh herb element.
• Salt and pepper – To taste.
• Marinara sauce – For best results, you would want to use homemade sauce. I’m going to be honest though, I have never cooked this recipe with anything other than jarred sauce. The whole point is to make life easy. Go with your favorite brand. Mine is Botticelli.

How to Make Slow Cooker Meatballs

First, I combine all meatball ingredients, then roll into spheres, about 1½ inches in diameter. This makes about 12 meatballs. Then, I place the meatballs in my slow cooker and pour marinara sauce all over them.

I put the lid on the slow cooker, then cook on low for 7-8 hours, or high for 3-3.5 hours, or until meatballs measure 165°F with an instant read thermometer. That’s it!

Jason’s Tips and Notes

• Make sure the meat mixture is well combined, but don’t over work it. This can make the meatballs tough.
• Not sure how much salt to use? It’s a personal preference, that’s why I say “to taste,” but you don’t want to taste raw meatball mixture. Start with ½ teaspoon if you tend towards less salty food, or 1 teaspoon if you lean on the saltier side, then pan fry a small patty (about two bites worth) and taste it once it’s cooked. If you need more salt, add it.
• If I’m not that pressed for time, I like to quickly brown the meatballs up in a skillet with a little olive oil. It does add a nice touch of flavor, but is totally optional.
• I recommend cooking on the low setting, as I find the meatballs come out a bit more tender. That being said, I have cooked them on high when I got off to a late start and they are still mighty good.
• Leftovers refrigerate well in an air tight container for 3-4 days. Reheat over medium heat on stovetop, or in the microwave. You can also freeze them in a sealed freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Just thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

Spaghetti and Meatballs, obviously. Or with any of your other favorite pasta shapes. They also go great with risotto or mashed potatoes.

And let’s not forget a meatball sub. It may be messy, but it’s so worth it.

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Crockpot Meatballs, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

More great meatball recipes:
Swedish Meatballs
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Mexican Meatball Soup
Spanish Meatballs
Greek Soutzoukakia
Hearty Meatball Stew
Moroccan Meatballs

Crockpot Meatballs (Italian Style)

Yield: 6 servings (12 meatballs)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

These Italian style Crockpot Meatballs are so easy. Just prep them in the morning, add some marinara, and let your slow cooker do the work.

Print

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds ground beef (I use 80/20)
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp whole milk
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 48oz marinara sauce

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients except marinara sauce in a large bowl. Roll into spheres, about 1½ inches in diameter. This will make about 12 meatballs.
2. Place meatballs in slow cooker, then pour marinara sauce all over them.
3. Put the lid on the slow cooker, then cook on low for 7-8 hours, or high for 3-3.5 hours, or until meatballs measure 165°F with an instant read thermometer.
4. Serve immediately over pasta, with risotto or mashed potatoes, or on a sub.

Notes

1. Make sure the meat mixture is well combined, but don’t over work it. This can make the meatballs tough.
2. Not sure how much salt to use? It’s a personal preference, that’s why I say “to taste,” but you don’t want to taste raw meatball mixture. Start with ½ teaspoon if you tend towards less salty food, or 1 teaspoon if you lean on the saltier side, then pan fry a small patty (about two bites worth) and taste it once it’s cooked. If you need more salt, add it.
3. If I’m not that pressed for time, I like to quickly brown the meatballs up in a skillet with a little olive oil. It does add a nice touch of flavor, but is totally optional.
4. I recommend cooking on the low setting, as I find the meatballs come out a bit more tender. That being said, I have cooked them on high when I got off to a late start and they are still mighty good.
5. Leftovers refrigerate well in an air tight container for 3-4 days. Reheat over medium heat on stovetop, or in the microwave. You can also freeze them in a sealed freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Just thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 508Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 169mgSodium 1738mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 6gSugar 14gProtein 38g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.