Description
A delicious and hearty Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs recipe combining ground beef, Italian sausage, and flavorful spices, browned under the broiler and slow-cooked in marinara sauce for tender, juicy meatballs perfect for pasta, sandwiches, or as an appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- ½ cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 12 ounces mild Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed
- 1 ¼ cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Sauce
- 6 cups marinara pasta sauce (2, 24-ounce jars or homemade)
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs until well combined. Add ground beef, Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix with a wooden spoon or your fingers until all ingredients are thoroughly blended.
- Preheat Broiler and Prepare Baking Sheets: Set the broiler to high and place an oven rack about 4 to 5 inches from the heat source. Lightly grease two baking sheets with cooking spray or oil.
- Shape and Broil Meatballs: Using your hands, form about 40 meatballs, each 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Arrange them evenly on the prepared baking sheets. Broil the meatballs for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through until nicely browned on all sides.
- Transfer to Slow Cooker: Move the browned meatballs carefully into a 6-quart slow cooker, arranging them in a single layer or as evenly as possible.
- Add Sauce and Cook: Pour the marinara sauce evenly over the meatballs in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on the low setting for 4 to 5 hours, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit and are cooked through.
- Serve: Serve the meatballs hot over pasta, in split hoagie rolls with melted cheese for meatball subs, alongside buttery mashed potatoes, or as a tasty appetizer on their own.
- Freeze for Later: Let the cooked meatballs and sauce cool completely. Place them in a resealable plastic bag in a single layer or in an airtight container. Freeze and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating thoroughly.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 40 meatballs; halve the recipe if you don’t intend to freeze leftovers.
- Use mild Italian sausage for a balanced flavor, or substitute with spicy sausage for a kick.
- Check internal temperature of meatballs during slow cooking to ensure food safety (160°F minimum).
- Leftover meatballs freeze well and can be reheated gently on the stovetop or in a microwave.
- For gluten-free version, substitute Italian seasoned breadcrumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball with sauce
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
