Crockpot Meatballs are an effortless way to prepare tender and delicious meatballs!
No need to brown or pre-cook these meatballs, they cook perfectly tender and juicy right in the slow cooker and are sauced up with a rich and chunky tomato sauce.
Simple prep you’ll come home to a classic Italian style meal, easy as pie!
Crockpot Meatballs
Crockpot Meatballs are really easy to make, simply mix the meatballs and let the slow cooker do all of the work. While I often make homemade meatballs or All Purpose Turkey Meatballs, I love putting them into the slow cooker and coming home to a meal ready to serve!
Ingredients
Use lean beef in this recipe, you’ll want a little bit of fat for moisture and texture. These are not cooked first so you want to make sure you don’t have too much fat but a little bit of fat adds a rich flavor to the sauce.
Just like our oven meatball recipe these use simple ingredients like Italian breadcrumbs and seasonings, onion and parmesan cheese, they’re meatballs are packed with flavor.
These cook right in a simple tomato sauce which has great flavor! It’s a simple sauce with pasta sauce, diced and crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce), garlic, and Italian seasoning.
Once sauced up, crock pot meatballs cook low and slow in the crockpot keeping all the juices and flavors tucked inside every savory little meatball.
How to Make Meatballs in a Crockpot?
Once you try this crockpot meatballs recipe it will become your go-to! They’re so easy to make and no frying or baking (which means no extra dishes to wash).
- Combine the ground beef, seasonings, breadcrumbs, and egg together per the recipe below.
- Roll into meatballs and place raw meatballs in the bottom of the crockpot.
- Top with sauce. Cover and let the slow cooker do the work!
Do You Have to Cook Meatballs Before Putting Them in a Crockpot?
No, you do not have to cook meatballs before they go into the Crockpot!
If I am using ground beef in the slow cooker (when I’m making Crock Pot Chili or Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese) I often brown the ground beef. This recipe is specifically designed to skip the pre-cooking. Just mix, form into balls, and place in the bottom of the crockpot.
I use lean beef in this slow cooker Italian meatball recipe, the juices from the meatballs add amazing flavor to the sauce!
No browning required! If you’d like you can brown the outside of the meatballs in a frying pan but we don’t. The real beauty of this recipe is how quick and easy it is.
What to Serve with Crockpot Meatballs
Crockpot meatballs can be served as an appetizer or made into a whole meal!
- Serve it over your favorite pasta like spaghetti or penne.
- Turn it into a meatball sub by serving it over a toasted hoagie roll, top it with mozzarella cheese and broil!
- Mashed potatoes go with anything, why not meatballs!
- Create a meatball casserole by adding fusilli, cover with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake at 375˚F for 20 min!
While this homemade crockpot meatball recipe calls for a tomato-based sauce, you can always change it up! Try it with BBQ sauce, sweet and sour sauce, mushroom sauce or a honey garlic sauce! The meatball recipe itself is just so versatile and is delicious with any sauce!
The meatballs can be prepared the night before and refrigerated. In the morning, simply add to the slow cooker, pour the sauce on and let the crockpot do the work! I’m pretty sure that once you prepare meatballs using this crockpot method, you will never go back!
Other Ground Beef Recipes You’ll Love
- The Best Meatloaf Recipe
- Easy Meat Sauce
- Stuffed Peppers
- Beef Taco Pasta Skillet
- Taco Soup
- Porcupine Meatballs – Kids will love these!
Crockpot Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- ⅓ cup Italian bread crumbs
- ¼ cup onion finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup parsley fresh, chopped
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
Sauce
- 24 ounces pasta sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes canned
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes canned, undrained
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl. Using a tablespoon, form 24 meatballs. Place uncooked meatballs in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Pour over meatballs and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
- Serve over pasta.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course, Slow Cooker
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Recipe adapted from The ShortCut Kitchen.
These are fantastic!! I made them with ground turkey and they came out perfect. My 15 month old devoured his, too, so that’s always an extra win! We used them for meatball subs this time, and I’m sure we’ll be using this recipe a ton!
can I make these without sauce?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Stephi. Without sauce the meatballs may become a little dry. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Yum, just made with ground turkey, and it came out delicious! Did meatball subs :)
I am in the process of making these and noticed the garlic is not chopped? Is it just two whole garlic cloves? Would appreciate a response. Thank you!
Sorry for the confusion, the garlic should be minced. Enjoy!
Planning to double this recipe for a birthday party. Any suggestions for crockpot size to use with the doubled recipe or other tips? Thanks!
I haven’t tried doubling this recipe but other readers have with great success Amy. Your standard size Crock Pot should be okay as long as it’s at a maximum 3/4 full. Another reader layered half the meatballs, sauce, then the rest of the meatballs and sauce with great success! They may take slightly longer to come up to temperature and to cook so you want to ensure your meatballs reach 165°F. Enjoy!
Is that 56 ounce of sauce. Or do you mean use either OR one of the tomatoes?
Hi Mary, this recipe uses 24 ounces pasta sauce, 14 ounces crushed tomatoes canned, and 28 ounces diced tomatoes canned, undrained. I hope this helps!
How do you prevent these from being greasy since you can’t drain the fat from the meat? I would love to try the recipe but my concern is the grease. Thanks
I use lean beef in this slow cooker meatball recipe. The juices from the meatballs add amazing flavor to the sauce and are not drained. If you find a little extra fat floating on top, you can mix it in, or remove it with a spoon or paper towel. Enjoy the meatballs Erika!
Easy and great tasting. Instead of parsley, I used one half of a finely diced bell pepper.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, this recipe can be doubled Kara. It may take slightly longer to come up to temperature and to cook so you want to ensure your meatballs reach 165°F. Enjoy!
can I sub for ground turkey?
Turkey should work just fine in this recipe Vee!
I’ve been trying find a good meatball recipe for years and this is it!
The only change I made was to use 1 lb of ground beef and 1/2 lb of Italian sausage. I will probably blend up the tomatoes since we like our sauce a little thicker. This will make great meatball subs!
Do you think I could sub gluten free bread crumbs? My daughter is now GF but meatballs are a favorite in our home.
That would work just fine in this recipe Terri!
How does barbecue sauce Apricot jelly and apple sauce all mixed together in the crockpot sound. I haven’t tried this yet but I’m pretty sure I read this recently some where . I already baked the meatballs for 25 Minutes at 350 Degrees
We have a play on that recipe with this sweet and sour meatball recipe!
We love your Greek meatballs and I want to try these. Do you need a jar of pasta sauce along with the other ingredients or could I use your marinara sauce recipe instead of jarred sauce?
Marinara sauce would work great in this recipe Peg! You could add some extra seasonings or spices if you’d like.
The reviews sound great. Sign me up !
Fabulous recipe! I used one pound extra lean ground beef and one pound of 99% fat free ground turkey breast, so I increased it slightly, but kept everything else the same. I usually bake meatballs or brown them in a skillet, but this was so much easier and less clean up. We made meatball subs with these and added some homemade pasta salad. I’ll definitely make these again. I come here often for recipes. Thank you!
I’ve used this recipe several times. I’m finally getting around to printing it. The meatballs are tender & delicious! There was another crockpot meatball recipe I found somewhere & that one was loaded with so much garlic & onion& spices that it was overwhelming. (& I like a lot of that stuff) This one is perfect!
Thanks, Jenna. So glad you enjoyed it.
is it possible to use your oven meatball recipe in the crockpot? i have pork and beef and was curious if it will turn out them same.
Hi Nick, it should work with your own meatball recipe as well.
Hi Holly
My crockpot only works on low setting now.
Can I still use the Crockpot Meatballs recipe?
I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for so long.
Will they cook ok putting the mince in raw?
Thanks
Marion
Hi Marion, they can be cooked on low. I would suggest about 6-7 hours, you’ll want to ensure they reach 165°F.
Love your Crockpot meatball recipe along with most of all your other rcipes. They are my go too each day
Thanks Holly for making my cooking easier.
So glad we can help, Lorraine!
Hello what if I only have 73% lean and 27% fat ground beef at the moment? Can I use this?
Or what would you recommend using this type of beef for? Because it would be too greasy right ?
Thanks!
Hi Audrey, for that ground beef, I’d suggest trying baked meatballs or air fryer meatballs so that the fat will drip off. Enjoy!
How do you remove all of the grease when cooked?
I use lean beef in this slow cooker meatball recipe. The juices from the meatballs add amazing flavor to the sauce and are not drained. If you find a little extra fat floating on top, you can mix it in, or remove it with a spoon or paper towel. Enjoy the meatballs Kathy!