Italian Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy
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. Serve them with pasta or sub rolls for a delicious and easy meal.
Equipment
- Cookie scoop optional
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup onion minced
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 6 ounces canned tomato paste
- 1½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands until it’s moist yet firm and malleable enough to shape into balls.
- 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.
- Gently place the meatballs inside it. I usually start with a single layer to cover the bottom, then stack as needed.
- Next, combine all sauce ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until smooth.
- Pour the sauce into the slow cooker, covering the meatballs completely. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. The meatballs will be tender and infused with gravy when they’re done.
- Stir well, then serve hot as an appetizer, over spaghetti, or in meatball sandwiches!
Notes
Mixing the meatballs: We find it easiest to mix the meat by hand. Pro tip: lightly grease your hands with cooking spray before mixing (or wear some disposable gloves - you'll want to spray these too).
Shaping the meatballs: We use this handy cookie scoop for making perfectly shaped, equally sized meatballs. Lightly grease it with some cooking spray before scooping so the meatballs come right out!
Blending the sauce: You don’t have to blend the sauce; we just prefer a smooth gravy. If you’re okay with it being a little more chunky, simply whisk the sauce well in a mixing bowl to combine and then pour it into the crockpot. Just make sure to use minced or finely diced onion so you don’t end up with any large onion pieces.
Scaling: You can easily double the amount of meatballs in this recipe without necessarily doubling the sauce. This still fits well in our 4-quart slow cooker, and it makes the perfect ratio of sauce and meatballs for sandwiches or sliders! If you plan to make spaghetti and meatballs, you'll want to double the sauce too.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 379mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 329IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg
