Homemade Italian meatballs in the slow cooker are an ideal set-it-and-forget-it Crock Pot dinner, and a great way to feed a crowd! Tender, ultra-flavorful meatballs simmer in a silky tomato sauce. They're delicious on noodles or subs.
I love a good Crock Pot meal, and am especially keen on anything beyond the usual slow cooker roasts (like this slow cooker tortilla soup or these overnight steel cut oats).
As it turns out, the Crock Pot is ideally suited for making the most delicious Italian meatballs + red sauce.
Slow cooking meatballs gives them the best texture. And want to know the secret to the sauce? The meatballs. They impart so much flavor as they simmer away, and give the sauce the perfect silky texture for coating spaghetti.
One of the best things about this recipe is that you can do all of the work ahead of time! The meatballs can be prepped for dinner the morning of - or even the night before - and left to slow cook the day away until dinner time. So all that's left to do for dinner is to cook some noodles. Makes for such a low-key meal and easy clean up!
WHAT'S IN ITALIAN MEATBALLS
- A combination of ground beef and ground pork: Using beef + pork gives meatballs great flavor and texture.
- Breadcrumbs: Helps meatballs hold together.
- Garlic + onion: So much flavor! Dice them finely so they're fully integrated into the meatball mixture.
- Eggs: Eggs are binders here, and get the job done really well!
- Parmesan: Lots of flavor comes from the parmesan for both the meatballs AND the sauce.
- Italian herbs: Fresh parsley, dried oregano + basil give these a distinct Italian flavor.
HOW TO MAKE MEATBALLS IN THE SLOW COOKER
These slow cooker meatballs will start off in the oven.
Once your homemade meatball mixture is made, you'll want to form into balls and bake for 10-15 minutes, just until the exterior begins to brown. This is a crucial step that will give the meatballs so much extra flavor, and ensure that they hold together during slow cooking.
(Important to note - The meatballs won't be fully cooked at this point - they'll finish off in the slow cooker.)
A simple tomato sauce.
While the meatballs bake, make the sauce. It's an easy combination of onion, garlic, dried parsley, and canned tomato sauce.
Combine + let the slow cooker finish the job.
Stir the sauce and baked meatballs together in the basin of a slow cooker. Make sure all the meatballs are submerged in the sauce, then cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6-8 hours.
MAKING AHEAD
The meatball mixture can be made up to 24 hours in advance, and balled up when ready.
You can also make the mixture, form the meatballs, and then refrigerate until ready to bake.
Since the meatballs should NOT be cooked through in the baking stage, hold off on that step until you're ready for them to be finished in the slow cooker.
The sauce can also be prepped ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
EAT THIS WITH:
- Spaghetti
- On sub buns with mozarella
- Your favorite side salad
- This make-ahead garlic bread for an ultra hands-off dinner
Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 3 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
Directions
For the Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Form into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until meatballs begin to brown.
For the Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the onion, garlic, and parsley and cook until onions begin to soften - about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce. Transfer to the slow cooker and stir in the baked meatballs to coat. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4. Serve on spaghetti topped with parmesan and fresh parsley.
Notes
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