The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
These Italian-style meatballs require NO browning! This is an easy dump and go recipe that’s a great way to feed a crowd or store in the freezer for future pasta dinners, subs, and appetizers! You’ve just found your new favorite meatball recipe!
Slow Cooker Meatballs
Welcome to the easiest way to make a meatball!
When I made these for the first time, I was skeptical about them actually holding their shape in the Slow Cooker without browning them first. Turns out, this method works like a charm!
The Slow Cooker is the easiest way to make a big batch of tender Italian meatballs for a crowd, your family, or during weekday meal prep.
You can easily double this recipe and can even prepare it all a day ahead of time.
It also makes a great freezer food!
Have I convinced you yet?
Ingredients
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full written instructions.
- 80% Ground Beef- See below for different meat options and combinations.
- Egg
- Parmesan Cheese
- Garlic- Fresh garlic minced at home, a garlic twister makes it easy!
- Italian Breadcrumbs– I recommend my homemade breadcrumb recipe.
- Onions
- Salt/Pepper
- Fresh Parsley
- Marinara Sauce– Try my homemade marinara!
Additional Meat Options
- An equal combination of ground beef, sausage, and veal is also very tasty!
- Ground turkey or ground chicken may also be incorporated
How to Make them
Combine the meatball ingredients gently with your hands. Roll into 1.5 inch balls.
Place in them in a lightly greased Slow Cooker.
Top with marinara sauce, no need to stir. Heat on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7.
Stir, serve, and enjoy!
Doubling this Recipe
- This recipe is easy to double.
- Place the first batch of meatballs in the Slow Cooker and top with some of the sauce. Then add the remaining meatballs and sauce on top of that.
- Allow the Crock Pot an additional 20 minutes or so to get up to temperature.
- The meatballs are done when the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
Make Ahead Method
- Mix the meat a day ahead of time.
- Form into balls and place on a baking sheet.
- Cover with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate overnight.
- Place in the Slow Cooker, add the sauce, and add an additional 20 minutes of cooking time for them to come to temperature.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What to Serve This With
- Garlic Bread with Cheese
- Salad with homemade Italian or Caesar Dressing
- Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls & Butter
- Homemade Marinara Sauce
Try These Next!
-
- Crock Pot Chicken Wings
-
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
-
- Meatballs and Gravy
-
- Baked Potato Soup
-
- Baked Spaghetti
-
- Tortellini Alfredo
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Slow Cooker Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb. ground beef, preferably 80% lean
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, Italian or Plain
- ½ cup minced onion
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup Parsley
Sauce
- 56 oz. marinara sauce
Instructions
- Gently combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl, don't overwork the meat, we want tender meatballs.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop up the meat and roll them into balls, about 1.5 inches around.
- Lightly grease the bottom of the Slow Cooker. And place the meatballs inside, it’s okay if you need to stack them.
- Add the marinara sauce. No need to stir.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7.
- Stir it gently a few times prior to serving.
Notes
This recipe is easy to double and it’s okay to stack additional meatballs on top of each other. Just note that it might take a little bit of time to come up to temperature.
The meatballs are sufficiently cooked when the internal temperature is 160 degrees.
Nutritional Info is for one meatball with sauce. This recipe makes 29 meatballs.
If feeding a large crowd, this recipe will satisfy two pounds of cooked pasta.
Hi! I’ve used many of your recipes and loved them! I’m excited to try this but I need a new slow cooker. Do you have one that you recommend by any chance?
Thanks!
Hi Rosie! This is the one I have, it’s great! 🙂
This sounds great. I was going to try it with a lb of ground beef & lb of sausage. Do you have any suggestions of if I would increase the other ingredients and if so how much?
Hi Shanna! If you hover over the number of servings (top of the recipe card in the middle), and slide it up to 39 meatballs, the other ingredients will adjust, including the meat, which will bring it up to 2.02 lbs. The numbers aren’t all even but it’ll help give you an idea of how much to use! 🙂 Enjoy!!
Oh,oh, ooooooohhh I am stuffed!!!
It’s so good!! Even my husband loves it . Thank you!!!
lol, This is one of those dishes where you say “Just one more meatball” and you end up being stuffed lol, I’ve been there! I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed the meatballs, thanks so much for the great review Janna!💖
Would it work using pork rinds instead of breadcrumbs?
I believe so, yes!
These are definitely my favorite meatballs! So good!
Yayyy! Thanks so much Carol!❤️
When you freeze meatballs is it cooked with sauce or uncooked
Hi Laurissa, you can do it either way. It depends on if you’re freezing leftovers, (in which case you would freeze them with the sauce and could then just reheat and eat anytime), or if you’re looking to just make them for a future meal, you can freeze them uncooked, and then let them thaw and follow the cooking instructions as outlined.
These are the best meatballs ever!! I make them all the time, and love freezing them for easy pasta dinners during the week. Thanks for this easy recipe!
Hey Amanda! I’m so happy that you love these meatballs, we do too, and freeze them just like you do! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review! -Stephanie
These are so delicious! Easy to prepare as well. Thank you!
Hi Dee! That’s great to hear, thank you so much! I love that you don’t have to do anything except drop them into the Slow Cooker! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a rating! -Stephanie
These were delicious, we had our Son make these( he is not a cook) and they came out fantastic! The directions were easy to follow and he truly enjoyed being labeled Top Chef for the week. Thank you.
Hey Candy! Thank you so so much for taking the time to come over here and leave a review! You are the BEST, and I am SO happy that your son made these successfully! Always nice to nail a recipe- hopefully he keeps the recipes coming! 😉 Take care! -Stephanie
Love this recipe I want to load it on my site and any video you might have of course I will link it back to you ok with you? you got some nice content here, going to try your meatballs tonight. I enjoy sharing and not stealing, you get the credit and I get more Nice images
Hey there! You may include an image of the recipe on your site but not the recipe, you can link to my site for the full recipe. Thank you for asking, much appreciated.
I think you have the hours for cooking mixed up in the main blog…… OH, I see you changed them in the recipe. 🙂
Oh man Ronda, I owe you one! Do you know this is NOT the first time I’ve interchanged those?! What is going on? Hahaha! Thank you SO much, at least one of us is thinking! 🙂 You’re the best!
🙂 Glad to help!