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    Home > Recipes > Main Dishes

    Easy Crockpot Italian Meatballs

    ↓ Jump to Recipe · By: Julia Foerster · Posted: 10/25/16 · Updated: 10/08/20 · This post may contain affiliate links

    Easy Crockpot Italian Meatballs smothered in a homemade marinara sauce made with Italian herbs and balsamic vinegar. This recipe comes together in minutes and will have everybody begging for seconds!

    Easy Crockpot Italian Meatballs smothered in a homemade marinara sauce made with Italian herbs and balsamic vinegar. This recipe comes together in minutes and will have everybody begging for seconds!

    Crockpot Meatballs are always a good idea! This easy recipe with a simple tomato sauce delivers big on flavor and makes a perfect comfort food served with your favorite pasta.

    Easy Crockpot Italian Meatballs smothered in a homemade marinara sauce made with Italian herbs and balsamic vinegar. This recipe comes together in minutes and will have everybody begging for seconds!

    Before I started to make meatballs in my slow cooker, making them was a real hassle! My kitchen was sprinkled with tomato sauce and oil from frying the meatballs. Often the meatballs weren’t cooked through and I ended up with many meatball-halves because I had to check several times if they are not longer pink inside.

    But making them in the crockpot makes my life so much easier without compromising on taste! There’s no need to fry the meatballs before adding them to the sauce, just make the meatballs and drop them into the crockpot.

    This recipe is also great to serve a crowd. Double or even triple the recipe and use a bigger slow cooker. I promise your guests will be begging for seconds!

    Easy Crockpot Italian Meatballs smothered in a homemade marinara sauce made with Italian herbs and balsamic vinegar. This recipe comes together in minutes and will have everybody begging for seconds!

    Pasta is probably my all time favorite food! No matter if it’s Lasagna or Spaghetti alla Carbonara, I love everything with pasta. The best pasta shape to serve with these Crockpot Italian Meatballs are spaghetti. But every pasta shape will do the job just fine! (I my pasta brand of choice is Barilla or De Cecco because they taste the best in my opinion!)

    Sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top and enjoy a delicious stress-free meal which pleases everyone around your dinner table! The meatballs are soft, juicy, and full of flavor because they’re cooked in the marinara sauce. Make them as big or as small as you like and don’t leave out the balsamic vinegar in the marinara sauce which gives it depth and complexity.

    You see making Italian Meatballs from scratch is really easy and you don’t need to renovate your kitchen after making them!

    Easy Crockpot Italian Meatballs smothered in a homemade marinara sauce made with Italian herbs and balsamic vinegar. This recipe comes together in minutes and will have everybody begging for seconds!

    A grey plate with spaghetti and Italian Meatballs with tomato sauce on a white dishtowel. There's a bronze fork next to it and a glass of water, some tomatoes on the vine and a wooden cutting board with a black bowl of grate Parmiggiano in the background.
    Servings: 4

    Easy Crockpot Italian Meatballs

    Easy Crockpot Italian Meatballs smothered in a homemade marinara sauce. This recipe comes together in minutes and will have everybody begging for seconds!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 6 hours
    Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Calories: 423kcal
    Author: Julia Foerster
    5 from 1 vote
    Print PIN RECIPE Rate

    Ingredients

    Cups - Metric

    For the Marinara Sauce:

    • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
    • 1/2 white onion, finely diced
    • 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
    • 1/4 tsp chili powder
    • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tsp olive oil
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

    For the Italian Meatballs:

    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or panko crumbs
    • 1 egg, large
    • 2 tsp dijon mustard
    • 1 tbsp dried oregano
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
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    Instructions

    • Make the marinara sauce: Combine the crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic, chili powder, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in the bowl of the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
    • Prepare the meatballs: Combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, dijon mustard, oregano, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Use your fingers to work the meatball mixture together. Work only until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
    • To shape the meatballs, pinch off a few tablespoons of meatball mixture and shape into balls with your hands. Place them in the tomato sauce. Scoop a little sauce over the top of the meatballs so that they're coated and submerged.
    • Cook for 4 to 6 hours on low. The meatballs are done when they're no longer pink in the middle. Serve over spaghetti with freshly grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1022mg | Potassium: 953mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 19.7mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 5.9mg
    Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Share it on Instagram and tag @platedcravings or #platedcravings!

    Easy Crockpot Italian Meatballs smothered in a homemade marinara sauce made with Italian herbs and balsamic vinegar. This recipe comes together in minutes and will have everybody begging for seconds!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Guinevere says

      April 16, 2021 at 11:08 pm

      Hi Julia,

      Instead of a crockpot, could I cook these in a pressure cooker? Like after 1 or 2 whistles, do I keep it on simmer for like an hour or so?
      Really wanna make this on my son’s 3rd birthday!!
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        April 17, 2021 at 2:54 pm

        Sorry, Guinevere, I have never made this recipe in a pressure cooker so I can’t really help.

        Reply
    2. Judy Jiles says

      June 11, 2018 at 1:47 pm

      Omg! FINALLY! !!!! A recipe that’s NOT SWEET! ! Almost all of the recipes I found have grape jelly or lots of brown sugar! !!! Can’t wait to make these! !!!!! Sounds delicious! !!! THANK YOU! ! !

      Reply
    3. Keith @ How's it Lookin? says

      November 09, 2016 at 2:43 am

      They look so good. Italian food is my favorite, thanks a lot

      Reply

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    Welcome!

    Julia Foerster from Plated Cravings

    Hi, I'm Julia! Born in Germany, I call Canada now my home and love to share my favorite dishes with you! Here you'll find hundreds of recipes, all made from scratch with lots of tips and detailed step-by-step instructions. ➝ Visit my about page and ➝ subscribe to never miss a new recipe!

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