Slow Cooker Meatballs and Italian Gravy

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Save yourself time and energy with these easy slow cooker meatballs and Italian gravy! They taste just like my Italian grandma’s meatballs, but with half the amount of time and effort: just 20 minutes of hands-on prep time required.

Coming from an Italian family, I’ve eaten my fair share of meatballs and gravy over the years. But of course, the best meatballs of all come from within the family!

These slow cooker meatballs are my personal touch on a “recipe” that’s been passed down from my Nana’s mother, who lived in Naples (and probably goes even further back than that). My mom learned how to make them from my Nana, and I learned how to make them from my mom.

Since there’s never been an actual written recipe, I could never quite get the same results as my Nana or my mom. So I came up with my own version that tastes just like how I remember them growing up. And to save myself the trouble of standing over the stove for hours watching a simmering pot, I made them in the slow cooker.

The result? Super nostalgic, melt-in-your-mouth meatballs and Italian gravy that basically cooks itself. Just a few minutes of prep time, then I can let them simmer all day without having to keep an eye on things.

Key Ingredients

This recipe looks like it has a ton of ingredients, but it’s fairly straightforward! Most of what you’ll need involves a well-stocked spice cabinet with dried Italian herbs, and there’s a lot of overlap between the ingredients that go into the meatballs and the gravy.

Meatballs: Key Ingredients

• Ground beef – These meatballs are 100% ground beef. Cheap, simple, and easy! We usually buy an 80/20 or 85/15 as you want a bit of fat in your meatballs for added flavor.
• Egg – You’ll need this to act as a binder for shaping the meatballs, along with the breadcrumbs.
• Italian breadcrumbs – In my family, we always used the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and added extra dried herbs to it. So that’s what I replicated here! If you can’t find Italian breadcrumbs, use plain ones and add extra herbs.
• Onion – Minced onion adds tons of flavor to these meatballs. You’ll also use a bit of fresh onion in the sauce to amp up the flavor, so this ingredient does double-duty.
• Grated parmesan – This is my secret ingredient for melt-in-your-mouth texture! I’m pretty sure my Nana’s recipe also used parmesan as it’s pretty traditional, but my mom hates cheese so she never used it in her meatballs. To each their own!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Gravy (Sauce): Key Ingredients

• Canned tomatoes – You’ll need crushed tomatoes and tomato paste for the sauce. I always buy the “no salt added” crushed tomatoes so that I can control the overall salt levels in the sauce and make sure the flavor is balanced.
• Crushed red pepper flakes – My family’s gravy has always had a little kick to it, so I use red pepper flakes for depth of flavor and some heat. The sauce is by no means spicy, but if you aren’t a fan of red pepper flakes you can omit these or pull back on the amount.
• Additional seasonings – To match the flavor profile of the gravy and meatballs I grew up eating, this recipe also needs dried basil, oregano, parsley, salt, black pepper, minced garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. If you do any Italian cooking, chances are these ingredients are already in your kitchen!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs And Gravy

I always start by making the meatballs first, then the sauce, since you’ll want to add the meatballs to the slow cooker first before pouring the sauce over them.

Making The Meatballs

Step 1: Combine the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, parmesan, garlic, and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands until it’s moist yet firm, and malleable enough to shape into balls.

Step 2: Split the meat into 16 equal size portions (about 1 ounce each) and roll each one into a sphere, squeezing gently between your palms to make sure they’re packed tight. Sometimes I end up with 14 or 15 if I’m not carefully sizing them, which is totally fine.

Step 3: Lightly grease the bottom of your slow cooker, then gently place the meatballs inside it. I usually start with a single layer to cover the bottom, then stack as needed.

Making The Sauce

Step 4: To make the sauce, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, onion, parmesan, olive oil, garlic, and seasonings to a blender. Blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until smooth.

Step 5: Pour the sauce into the slow cooker, covering the meatballs completely.

Step 6: Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. The meatballs will be tender and infused with gravy when they’re done.

Step 7: Stir well, then serve hot. We like to enjoy some fresh with pasta or for meatball subs, then freeze the rest in our 2-cup Souper Cubes tray for easy meals later on.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many delicious ways to enjoy Italian meatballs and sauce! Here are a few of our favorites:

• Spaghetti and meatballs – Easily make this classic dinner by pairing this recipe with cooked spaghetti.
• Meatball subs – Grab a sub roll and some mozzarella cheese to make a meatball parmesan sandwich for an easy lunch or dinner. We like to serve these with french fries or beer battered onion rings for a classic comfort food dinner.
• Sliders – Slow cooker meatball sliders make the best game day appetizer! Prepare the rolls with butter and Italian seasonings, then let guests build their own right out of the crockpot.
• Party appetizer – Serve meatballs right out of the slow cooker as an easy make-ahead party appetizer. Bonus: they’ll stay warm for hours!

Storing and Reheating

As with any big batch slow cooker recipe, we love to prep these on the weekend and then fill up our freezer with ready-made meals!

Storing Meatballs And Gravy In The Freezer

We use our 2-cup and 1-cup Souper Cubes trays to freeze portions of meatballs and sauce, whether we’re saving them for meatball subs or easy pasta dinners. If you don’t know what Souper Cubes are, they’re a genius solution for freezing literally anything – check out our review of them here to learn more.

You can also freeze portions in bags or other food storage containers. Or, freeze the entire batch in one big bag if you know you’re going to want to reheat it all at once (like if you’re hosting family for the holidays or throwing a party).

Storing Meatballs And Gravy In The Fridge

Meatballs and gravy will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store in an airtight container.

Reheating Meatballs And Gravy

• If frozen: Defrost frozen meatballs and sauce in the fridge overnight, or thaw in the microwave.
• Stovetop: Reheat meatballs and sauce in a saucepan with the lid on, over medium to medium-low heat, until warmed through.
• Microwave: Microwave smaller portions for about 30 seconds per meatball, stirring every minute or so. Cover with a paper towel to prevent splatter.
• Slow cooker: If you’re reheating the entire batch for a party, you can add the defrosted meatballs and sauce to a slow cooker and warm it on the LOW setting.