My Italian Meatballs in a slow cooker are savory, tender homemade meatballs and a simple made-from-scratch sauce that you can make any night of the week. They taste just like meatballs you might find at an authentic Italian restaurant but are made with simple ingredients from your pantry. Save this recipe to Pinterest now so you can always find it.

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Making Italian Meatballs in a slow cooker is honestly one of my favorite ways to make them. Whether I am needing a delicious, easy meal for the weeknight or a busy weekend – or even entertaining friends – it is just so convenient to be able to make them in a very hands off way. We just made these for friends we had over on Sunday and they were a hit with the kids and the adults. I love to eat them by themselves but you can also serve them with pasta or as a meatball sandwich too.

Why make meatballs in a slow cooker?

As someone who is mostly Italian, meatballs are kind of part of my DNA. I have several meatball recipes but I really do love making meatballs in a slow cooker. The slow cooking process also allows to be moist, tender and so delicious. I use a simple, homemade sauce that comes together in the most lovely way during the slow cooking process too. Overall, slow cooking these allows for a deeper flavor in the sauce and the meatballs themselves.

Making the meatballs

My meatballs in a slow cooker use simple ingredients. I love to use fresh herbs as much as possible, but in this recipe I really rely on dried herbs to make everything come to life. I first made the meatballs in a slow cooker during the winter one year and fresh herbs were hard to come by. So I just decided to stick with the dry herbs when giving you this recipe too. It is really as simple as can be. The meatballs themselves are a combination of beef and pork. The include dried oregano, dried thyme, dried basil, garlic salt, garlic powder, a bit of onion powder, an egg, Panko breadcrumbs and some coarse sea salt and pepper.

Shaping & pre browning the meatballs

Once the meat is combined well with all the seasoning ingredients, I use a spoon and hand hands to portion out and shape the meatballs. I like when they are 1 1/2 to 2 inches. It is a nice size to serve up whether you are eating them alone, with pasta or as meatball sandwiches.

Once the meatballs are made I place them on a baking sheet. You can either use tin foil to line it, or spray the cooking sheet with a cooking spray. I’ve done both and they both work. Then they are baked for 10 minutes at 350 degrees while you start the sauce.

Makings the sauce

For the meatballs in a slow cooker, I make all of my sauce in the slow cooker as well. I have a slow cooker that allows me to sauté in the slow cooker. I add in the fresh garlic and onion and saute those with a little extra virgin olive oil until they are soft. if you do not have a slow cooker that allows you to do that then you can soften them in a pan on the stove.

Then I add in all the other sauce ingredients, which include tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and dried herbs and spices. Again, because I was making this in the winter the first time I made it, I used very minimal fresh ingredients. I just opted to add a lot of fresh basil at the end. However, you can add some fresh oregano and thyme if you want. and I’ve added the to the recipe below.

Cooking time and amounts

Once the meatballs are done in the oven, they are added to the sauce and covered to begin the cooking process. When it comes to cook time for the meatballs in the slow cooker, I like these best cooked on low for 3-4 hours. You literally do not have to do anything while they cook. Just let them be. I doubled the recipe below when we had our friends over this weekend and I cooked them on low for 4 hours. They were tender, perfect and still moist.

Tips for making my meatballs in a slow cooker

Make sure the meatballs are completely covered with the sauce while they cook. That will cook them in a way that allows them to flavor the sauce as well as stay tender through the cooking process.
The sauce may look watery at the end but that will be okay. Usually cooking in the slow cooker with the lid on really keeps all the liquid in the pot and can tend to do this. If it is too watery for you, cook the last 10 minutes with the lid off. This should help evaporate some of the water.
Make sure that the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste are all plain. Nothing should be added to them or it will throw off the taste of the sauce.
I usually add a little heavy cream to my sauce to cut the acid in the tomatoes but that is optional in the recipe below. I do not recommend adding any other dairy product like whole milk, half and half or a milk substitute. Regular milk or half and half could curdle. The fat content in the heavy cream is what keeps it from curdling. Not to mention, the slow and low cooking temperature. I have never used a milk substitute in these so I cannot advise on how those will cook.

Storing the meatballs and sauce

When making Italian meatballs in a slow cooker, you can keep them in the slow cooker on warm for up to 8 hours. To store leftovers, remove them from the slow cooker and place the meatballs and the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. We usually have enough that I eat these for lunch for several days after. They will keep in the refrigerator for about 7-10 days. You can also freeze them.

Reheating the meatballs and sauce

To reheat the Italian meatballs and sauce, you can place them in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until they are warm. You can also place them in a baking dish and bake the leftovers at 350 degrees until they are warmed and the sauce is slightly bubbling. If you froze the leftovers, let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating them.

Looking for more slow cooker recipes?

If you love slow cooker recipes like my Italian Meatballs in a slow cooker, try these too.

Creamy French Mustard Chicken {HERE}
Apple Cider Pot Roast in a Slow Cooker {HERE}
Slow cooker Pot Roast Sandwiches {HERE}
Slow Cooker Sun dried Tomato Chicken with Polenta {HERE}
Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe {HERE}
Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken with Couscous {HERE}
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup {HERE}

Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope that you love my Italian Meatballs in a slow cooker. You can find the full, printable recipe below. Happy eating.