Here’s a simple and flavorful way to make Meatballs in a Slow Cooker—perfect for a hands-off meal that’s tender and saucy.
🥩 Slow Cooker Meatballs
🧂 Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
For the meatballs:
- 500g ground beef (or mix beef & pork)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1–2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Optional: ½ tsp dried oregano or parsley
For the sauce:
- 2 cups tomato sauce or marinara
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1–2 tsp brown sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- Salt and pepper to taste
🔪 Instructions
1. Make the meatballs
- In a bowl, mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and herbs.
- Shape into 12–16 meatballs.
2. Prepare the slow cooker
- Pour tomato sauce into the slow cooker. Stir in Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and optional brown sugar.
3. Cook the meatballs
- Gently place meatballs into the sauce.
- Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours until meatballs are cooked through and tender.
4. Serve
- Serve over pasta, rice, or in sandwiches.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan if desired.
🌟 Tips
- Extra tender: Brown the meatballs in a skillet before slow cooking for deeper flavor (optional).
- Sauce variations: Use BBQ sauce for a sweet-savory twist or Swedish-style cream sauce for a creamy version.
- Make-ahead: Freeze uncooked meatballs and sauce separately, then combine in the slow cooker later.
If you want, I can also give a creamy Italian-style slow cooker meatball recipe with a rich tomato-cream sauce and fresh herbs—it’s perfect for weeknight dinners.
