These are the best Italian homemade meatballs made easily in your slow cooker! Everybody needs a go-to meatballs recipe, and these crockpot meatballs can't be beat. They're incredibly tender and full of savory herbs and parmesan cheese. Paired with spaghetti, homemade meatballs make the best Sunday dinner!
Table Of Contents
We love homemade Italian beef meatballs, especially when they're cooked low and slow in the crockpot with no hands on work while they cook. They are great for making traditional spaghetti and meatballs, but also perfect for making meatball parmesan sandwiches, meatball toast, or pairing with fried spaghetti and buttered noodles. The spaghetti sauce they are cooked in is amazing too, and is wonderful for dipping homemade garlic bread or toasted white bread or Italian bread.
Why You'll Love Crockpot Meatballs
- Aside from rolling the meatballs and mixing the sauce ingredients, this recipe is totally hands-off while it cooks!
- Italian meatballs are so versatile and can be used for various dinners.
- Meatballs are easily frozen for use later on and meal prepping.
- The amount of meatballs can easily be doubled for larger (or hungrier!) families.
Ingredients
For the meatballs you need:
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg or the egg white of 2 eggs
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
For the spaghetti sauce you need:
- 1 ½ cup onions diced
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans tomato sauce (28 ounces each)
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes (28 ounces each)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 /2 tsp pepper
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Add all ingredients for the sauce to the slow cooker. Stir well. Set to low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Combine all ingredients for the meatballs and mix well. Roll meatballs into 1 to 2 inch balls, depending on size preference. Gently drop meatballs into the sauce halfway through cooking time.
- When cook time is up, check that the internal temperature of the meatballs has reached 165℉. If not, continue to cook in 30 minute increments. If it has, stop cooking and serve sauce and meatballs over spaghetti.
Chef's Tips
My favorite way to make breadcrumbs for meatballs is to grind seasoned croutons until they become fine breadcrumbs. They add so much flavor!
This recipe makes a lot of sauce so you can use it for pasta to go with your meatballs. You can cut the sauce in half too, or freeze the extra for use later on.
How To Store
Store meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Store extra spaghetti sauce separetly for the same duration of time.
Recipe FAQs
You may have used too many breadcrumbs or not enough binder (egg).
Yes, but you may overcook the beef.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
For the Sauce
- 1 ½ cup onions diced
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans tomato sauce 28 ounce each
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes 28 ounce each
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 /2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients for the sauce to the slow cooker. Stir well. Set to low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Combine all ingredients for the meatballs and mix well. Roll meatballs into 1 to 2 inch balls, depending on size preference. Gently drop meatballs into the sauce halfway through cooking time.
- When cook time is up, check that the internal temperature of the meatballs has reached 165℉. If not, continue to cook in 30 minute increments. If it has, stop cooking and serve sauce and meatballs over spaghetti.
Kristina Tipps
These meatballs have amazing flavor and turn out perfectly cooked and delicious after about 5ish hours in the sauce. I wouldn't cook them any other way.