Mouthwatering Crockpot Italian Meatballs

I didn’t grow up in a house where meatballs came from a crockpot. My mom stood at the stove, frying them in batches while sauce splattered everywhere. It took forever, and by the time dinner was ready, she looked exhausted.

Then one day, a friend told me she just threw her meatballs in the slow cooker with sauce and walked away. I thought she was crazy. But here’s the thing—she was right. Crockpot meatballs cook themselves while you go about your day, and they come out tender and soaked with flavor. No standing over a hot stove, no grease everywhere. Just mix, roll, and let the crockpot do its thing.

What Kind of Meat Should I Use?

For this recipe, you’ll want to use ground beef with a fat content around 80/20 or 85/15 – this gives you enough fat to keep the meatballs moist without making them greasy. As for the Italian sausage, you can go with either mild or hot depending on your preference, and both links and bulk sausage work perfectly fine. If you’re using links, just remove the casings before mixing everything together. The combination of beef and sausage is what really makes these meatballs special, as the sausage adds extra seasoning and flavor that plain beef alone can’t quite achieve.

Options for Substitutions

This meatball recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Italian sausage: If you can’t find Italian sausage, use regular ground pork and add 1 teaspoon each of fennel seeds, dried basil, and oregano to get that Italian flavor. You can also use all beef instead of splitting it with sausage.
• Breadcrumbs: Regular breadcrumbs can be swapped with panko for a lighter texture, or use crushed crackers or oats if that’s what you have. In a pinch, torn white bread soaked in a bit of milk works great too.
• Parmesan: Pecorino Romano makes a good substitute and adds a slightly sharper flavor. You can also use a mix of whatever hard Italian cheeses you have on hand.
• Marinara sauce: Store-bought is convenient, but you can use any tomato-based pasta sauce you prefer. Crushed tomatoes with Italian seasoning added will work in a pinch, though you may want to add a bit of sugar to balance the acidity.
• Eggs: If you’re out of eggs, try using 3 tablespoons of milk per egg as a binder. The meatballs might be slightly less firm but will still hold together fine.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making crockpot meatballs is skipping the broiling step and adding raw meatballs directly to the slow cooker, which results in pale, mushy meatballs swimming in greasy sauce – those 8 minutes under the broiler create a flavorful crust and help seal in the juices.

Overmixing your meat mixture is another common error that leads to dense, tough meatballs, so mix just until the ingredients are combined and handle the meat gently when rolling.

Make sure your meatballs are roughly the same size (about 1.5 inches) so they cook evenly, and if your sauce seems too thick after hours in the crockpot, simply add a splash of water or beef broth to loosen it up.

One final tip: resist the urge to open the lid and stir during cooking, as this releases heat and can add an extra hour to your cooking time.

What to Serve With Crockpot Italian Meatballs?

These meatballs are perfect served over a big bowl of spaghetti or your favorite pasta like penne or rigatoni. I love piling them into a toasted sub roll with extra marinara and melted mozzarella for incredible meatball subs that everyone goes crazy for. A simple side salad with Italian dressing and some garlic bread on the side makes this a complete meal. You can also serve these meatballs over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes if you want to switch things up from the usual pasta routine.

Storage Instructions

Store: These meatballs taste even better the next day after all those flavors have had time to hang out together. Keep them in an airtight container with the sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days. They make great leftovers for quick weeknight dinners or meatball subs.

Freeze: Meatballs are one of my favorite things to freeze because they’re so handy to have around. Let them cool completely, then freeze them with the sauce in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. You can also freeze them without sauce if you prefer.

Reheat: Thaw frozen meatballs in the fridge overnight, then warm them up in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat until heated through. You can also reheat them in the microwave, just stir them every minute or so to make sure they heat evenly.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3400-3700
• Protein: 190-210 g
• Fat: 210-230 g
• Carbohydrates: 130-150 g

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1.25 cup breadcrumbs
• 1.25 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt
• black pepper

For the sauce:

• 2 jars marinara sauce (I prefer Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce)

Step 1: Prepare the Meatball Mixture

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1.25 cup breadcrumbs
• 1.25 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt
• black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, Italian sausage, minced garlic, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and a generous pinch each of salt and black pepper.

Mix gently with your hands until just combined—don’t overwork the mixture, as this will make the meatballs tough and dense.

The key is to blend everything evenly without compressing the meat too much, which keeps them tender and light.

Step 2: Shape and Broil the Meatballs

• meatball mixture from Step 1

Roll the meatball mixture into 1.5 to 2-inch balls using lightly dampened hands to prevent sticking—I find this makes the process much cleaner and faster.

Arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer.

Broil at 500°F for about 8 minutes, until the outsides are browned and set.

This step isn’t about cooking them through, but rather developing a flavorful crust that will keep them intact when they simmer in sauce.

Step 3: Transfer to Slow Cooker and Add Sauce

• broiled meatballs from Step 2
• 2 jars marinara sauce

Carefully transfer the broiled meatballs to a 6-quart slow cooker.

Pour both jars of marinara sauce over them, gently stirring to coat evenly.

Make sure the meatballs are mostly submerged or at least well-coated with sauce to prevent them from drying out during cooking.

Step 4: Simmer Until Tender

• slow cooker contents from Step 3

Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

I prefer the low and slow method when time allows—it allows the flavors to meld beautifully and keeps the meatballs incredibly tender without any risk of them becoming tough.

Check occasionally and gently stir to ensure even cooking, though this isn’t strictly necessary.

Mouthwatering Crockpot Italian Meatballs

Delicious Mouthwatering Crockpot Italian Meatballs recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Total Time 6 hours hrs 17 minutes mins

Servings 7 servings

Calories 3550 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the meatballs::

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1.25 cup breadcrumbs
• 1.25 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt
• black pepper

For the sauce::

• 2 jars marinara sauce (I prefer Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce)

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, Italian sausage, minced garlic, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and a generous pinch each of salt and black pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined—don't overwork the mixture, as this will make the meatballs tough and dense. The key is to blend everything evenly without compressing the meat too much, which keeps them tender and light.
• Roll the meatball mixture into 1.5 to 2-inch balls using lightly dampened hands to prevent sticking—I find this makes the process much cleaner and faster. Arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Broil at 500°F for about 8 minutes, until the outsides are browned and set. This step isn't about cooking them through, but rather developing a flavorful crust that will keep them intact when they simmer in sauce.
• Carefully transfer the broiled meatballs to a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour both jars of marinara sauce over them, gently stirring to coat evenly. Make sure the meatballs are mostly submerged or at least well-coated with sauce to prevent them from drying out during cooking.
• Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. I prefer the low and slow method when time allows—it allows the flavors to meld beautifully and keeps the meatballs incredibly tender without any risk of them becoming tough. Check occasionally and gently stir to ensure even cooking, though this isn't strictly necessary.