Easy Slow Cooker Beef Meatballs (in Marinara)
These tender, juicy, melt-in-your mouth slow cooker meatballs could not be simpler to make! Requiring no pre-cooking or pre-browning, these ground beef meatballs simmer low and slow in a simple Italian marinara sauce for the ultimate meatball dinner. Bring on the spaghetti!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion ends removed and peeled
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup Italian breadcrumbs*
- ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds 90% lean ground beef
- 3 cups marinara sauce
Optional Serving Suggestions
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Chopped basil
Instructions
- Place a box grater into a large bowl. Using the largest holes, grate the onion into the bowl.
- Add the egg to the bowl, and whisk until combined. Add the garlic, breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt, pepper and mix well.
- Add the ground beef and gently mix until the breadcrumb-cheese mixture is well incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Gently form 24 meatballs (about 1 ½ ounces each).
- Pour half (1 ½ cups) marinara into a 6-quart slow cooker. Slowly drop the meatballs into the sauce so they are all in a single layer in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the remaining (1 ½ cups) marinara over the top. Do not mix or the meatballs could fall apart.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6-8 hours.
- Serve with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Use gluten free breadcrumbs for a gluten free diet.
- See blog post for ingredient substitutions, make ahead notes, storage, serving suggestions, and more.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 (of 6 -- about 4 meatballs with sauce) | Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 633mg | Potassium: 1156mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 882IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 6mg
