This meatballs and gravy recipe is budget-friendly and belly satisfying!

Fresh or frozen meatballs that are simmered in a shortcut brown gravy with onions. Made in a slow cooker or Crockpot, these meatballs are easy to prepare in advance.

Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice for an easy meal.

top view of plated Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy

Slow Cooker Meatballs (& Gravy!)

We love crock pot recipes to make weeknights extra easy!

  • Let the Crockpot do all the work for these quick and easy meatballs and gravy!
  • Perfect for those chilly weeknights or as a make-and-take dish for any get-together!
  • Tender and juicy meatballs are slow-cooked in rich onion gravy. Just set it and forget it for an easy weeknight dinner.
  • Frozen meatballs make this dish even easier. It’s always a good idea to have extra meatballs in the freezer for easy-to-make dinners!
ingredients to make Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy

Ingredients for Meatballs & Gravy

Meatballs – Fresh for frozen work in this recipe. Frozen fully cooked meatballs make for extra quick prep.

If you’d prefer homemade meatballs, check the notes below. Beef, turkey, chicken, pork, or any combination can be used!

Gravy – Everything about this gravy is super easy and delicious! Just toss everything in at once! Heavy cream is used as it holds up well in the slow cooker (milk doesn’t hold up well). It can be substituted with evaporated milk if you’d like.

How to Make Meatballs & Gravy in the Slow Cooker

  1. If using fresh meatballs, brown in a skillet. Add onions and soften.
  2. Add the meatballs and onion with remaining ingredients to a slow cooker. Cover & cook per the recipe below.
  3. Discard the bay leaf, make corn starch slurry, add to meatballs and gravy, and cook until thickened.
taking Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy out of the slow cooker

What Goes with Meatballs and Gravy?

Serve hearty meatballs with gravy over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles with a tangy Caesar salad, and add some dinner rolls and sauteed mushrooms.

Storing Leftovers

Keep leftover meatballs & gravy covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Store in zippered bags in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. Thaw in the fridge overnight or gently thaw on low heat on the stovetop.

Slow Cooker Weekday Meals

Did your family enjoy these Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy? Leave us a comment below!

top view of plated Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy
4.94 from 60 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Slow Cooker Meatballs & Gravy

Juicy meatballs slow cooked in a rich and creamy onion gravy.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients  

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • 24 ounces frozen meatballs or homemade meatballs below*
  • 10 ½ ounces beef broth
  • 10 ½ ounces French onion soup condensed
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt & pepper to taste

To Thicken Gravy

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions 

  • If making homemade meatballs, combine the meat mixture and roll into 36 meatballs. Lightly brown in a skillet over medium high heat, cooking in batches if needed. They do not need to be cooked through. (Frozen meatballs do not need to be browned).
  • Remove the meatballs and place in the bottom of a 6qt slow cooker (frozen fully cooked meatballs can be added right from frozen).
  • Add the onions to the pan with butter and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes.
  • Place onions in the slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients except cornstarch and stir. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
  • Remove bay leaf and discard. Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Stir into the slow cooker and cover. Cook 15 minutes or until thickened.

Notes

To Make Homemade Meatballs:
Combine the following in a large bowl. Divide into 36 meatballs.
  • 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
  • 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon each onion and garlic powder
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • salt & pepper
Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Store in a freezer-friendly container in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on low heat on the stovetop. 
4.94 from 60 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 612 | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 681mg | Potassium: 1076mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 455IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Beef, Dinner, Slow Cooker
Cuisine American

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plated Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy with mashed potatoes and writing
Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy with mashed potatoes and a title
spoon full of Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy with a title
Slow Cooker Meatballs and Gravy in a bowl with potatoes and cooked in the slow cooker with writing

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About the author

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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Comments

  1. The recipe for this gravy is more of a cream gravy, not brown. Not sure how they got such a dark gravy in the Pic. The flavor is very good. I did have to add a little more cornstarch to get it to thicken. Served over mashed potatoes with veggie on the side. Wil make again. :)