Italian Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy

This post may contain affiliate links. As Amazon Associates and through other affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a link – at no extra cost to you. We only promote products we actually use and truly love!

These Italian slow cooker meatballs and gravy are a quick and easy take on a classic recipe that easily feeds a crowd. Serve them with spaghetti or in a sub for a delicious meal!

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. There are my Nana’s classic Italian meatballs she learned to make from her mother, and then there are my mom’s meatballs that she learned to make from my Nana.

As most hand-me-down recipes go, there are some slight differences between the two, but both are equally delicious. Having grown up on the family recipe, I couldn’t wait for my day to finally learn how to make them. But I faced one problem: there isn’t really a family recipe.

Neither my Nana or my mom actually measure what goes into their meatballs. They’ve both been making their recipes for so long that it’s just second nature and comes out perfect every time. So one day, I tried eyeballing my mom’s measurements as she made her meatballs so that I could eventually try to make them myself.

After many failed attempts (I can’t even count how many), I decided to throw in the towel on the family recipe and do some research. If I could never make meatballs as good as my mom’s or my Nana’s, I’d just have to make my own. And they would be different, and that would be okay.

Finally, after some trial and error using what I’d learned from meatball recipes online and the knowledge of what ingredients my mom cooked with, I found success. And that’s how these Italian slow cooker meatballs and gravy came to be!

Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy Ingredients

There are two components to this slow cooker recipe – the meatballs and the gravy.

Here’s what you’ll need to make the meatballs:

• Ground beef
• Egg
• Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• Onion
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Dried basil
• Dried oregano
• Dried parsley
• Minced garlic
• Salt and pepper

For the gravy, you’ll need:

• Crushed tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Water
• Onion
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Minced garlic
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Dried parsley
• Dried basil
• Dried oregano
• Crushed red pepper flakes

Since there is some overlap between these ingredients, you really won’t need too many different things to make this recipe. With a well-stocked pantry full of oil, canned goods, and seasonings, you really don’t even need to buy too many ingredients!

How To Make Gravy and Meatballs in the Slow Cooker

It’s so easy to make these slow cooker meatballs and gravy. A simple no-cook sauce comes together quickly in a blender, and it takes just a few minutes to mix together and shape the meatballs! Here’s how to do it:

1. First, lightly grease the inside of a 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. Next, form the meatballs. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands until it’s moist yet firm, and malleable enough to shape into balls.
3. Then, split the meat into 16 equal size rounds, squeezing a bit between your palms as you shape them to make sure they are packed tight. As you finish rolling each meatball, place them in the slow cooker in as much of a single layer as possible.
4. Once the meatballs are done, it’s time to make the sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.
5. Finally, add the sauce to the slow cooker, then cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. The meatballs will be tender and infused with the gravy when they are done.

To make shaping the meatballs even easier, you can use a cookie scoop like this one. It helps to lightly grease it with cooking spray first, so the meat doesn’t stick to it.

Depending on the shape of your slow cooker, you might have 2 or 3 meatballs that need to sit on top of the others – this is okay! Just make sure the meatballs are fully submerged in the sauce before turning on the slow cooker.

Italian Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy Serving Suggestions

This recipe is a quick and easy way to make delicious meatballs for a crowd. Whether you’re serving them in sub rolls for a hearty lunch or over spaghetti for dinner, they’ll probably be gone before you know it!

You can serve these meatballs and gravy in a few different ways:

• Make a classic spaghetti and meatballs for dinner by pairing this recipe with boiled spaghetti
• Make saucy meatball subs, and use any leftover sauce for pasta or pizza
• Serve them as a party appetizer right in the slow cooker so they stay warm
• Make meatball sliders for a fun dinner or game day appetizer

Try our Italian slow cooker meatballs and gravy recipe below and let us know what you think in the comments!