Here’s a delicious, hands-off recipe for slow cooker meatballs 🍝🍴 — perfect for dinner, sandwiches, or appetizers.
🥩 Slow Cooker Meatballs
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef (or a mix of beef & pork)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper, to taste
For the sauce:
- 2 cups marinara or pasta sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, balances acidity)
Instructions
1️⃣ Make the Meatballs
- In a bowl, combine ground meat, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, Parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper.
- Mix gently until combined (don’t overmix — keeps meatballs tender).
- Roll into 1–1.5 inch balls.
2️⃣ Prepare the Slow Cooker
- Pour half of the sauce into the slow cooker.
- Place the meatballs on top of the sauce.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs.
3️⃣ Cook
- Low: 6–7 hours
- High: 3–4 hours
4️⃣ Serve
- Over pasta, rice, or in sub rolls for sandwiches.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and extra Parmesan.
💡 Tips
- For extra tenderness, brown the meatballs in a skillet before adding to the slow cooker (optional).
- Freezing option: Cooked meatballs can be frozen in sauce for easy future meals.
- Variations:
- Add crushed red pepper for spice.
- Use a combination of beef, pork, and veal for richer flavor.
- For Swedish-style meatballs, use a creamy gravy instead of tomato sauce.
If you want, I can give a quick 30-minute “speed” slow cooker version that makes meatballs super tender without browning and still keeps them flavorful.
Do you want me to do that?
