Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs

Name: Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs
Total time: 5 h
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef; 1 lb ground pork; 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup whole milk; 2 large eggs; 3/4 cup grated parmesan; 4 garlic cloves, minced and divided; 1/3 cup chopped parsley; 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes; 1 tsp dried oregano; 2 tbsp olive oil; Kosher salt and black pepper

Slow Cooker Freezer Friendly Ground Beef

Tender beef and pork meatballs that finish cooking directly in a garlicky tomato sauce, seasoning it as they simmer. Browning them first keeps their shape and adds the roasted flavor that separates a proper Sunday sauce from something that merely came out of a slow cooker.

Course: Slow Cooker
Time: 5 hr
Servings: 8

Cooking Notes

Mix the meatball mixture gently and stop as soon as the ingredients are combined. Overmixing compresses the meat and creates a firmer texture after hours in sauce.
Browning the meatballs before slow cooking is optional for tenderness but valuable for flavor and structure. A browned exterior helps them hold together while they simmer in sauce.
Keep the slow cooker at a gentle setting and avoid repeated stirring. Once the meatballs are cooked through, excessive agitation can break them apart and muddy the sauce.

Recipe Card

Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs

By Gabriella

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Category: Slow Cooker
Total Time: 5 hr
Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup grated parmesan
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/3 cup chopped parsley
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

1
Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for five minutes, then mix them gently with the beef, pork, eggs, parmesan, half the garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
2
Shape the mixture into golf-ball-size meatballs without packing them tightly and brown them in batches in olive oil until they have a deep crust on two sides.
3
Stir the crushed tomatoes, remaining garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker, then nestle the browned meatballs into the sauce in one snug layer.
4
Cook on low for four to five hours, until the centers are cooked through and the sauce has taken on the flavor of the meat.
5
Skim any fat from the top, taste the sauce, and serve the meatballs over pasta, tucked into toasted rolls, or spooned into shallow bowls with parmesan.