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My crockpot Meatballs and Gravy recipe is truly the definition of comfort food. Since the weather is going to be cold over the next few months, I am certain you’ll need a few warm and comforting recipes, and that’s exactly what this one is! Also, feel free to use frozen store-bought meatballs if you don’t feel like making your own!
These homemade meatballs are slow cooked in a rich and flavourful gravy, with caramelized onions and fresh herbs, making this one of my families favourite weeknight dinners. If you love something warm and hearty during the colder months such as: Crockpot Beef Stew, Potato Leek Soup, Easy French Onion Soup, Homemade Chicken Broth or Dill Pickle Soup, then I am certain you are going to love my Meatballs and Gravy recipe. Alright, lets get into it!
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Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest! Also, if you do make this recipe (or any recipe of mine for that matter) be sure to tag #sammymontgoms so I can see your re-creations!
Crockpot Meatballs at a glance
Taste: So comforting and delicious! A fall and winter must make!
Time: Low and slow all day! Alternatively, if you don’t have 6-8 hours to cook this on low, you can cook it on high in the crockpot for 4-5 hours.
Effort: Low effort here! And we loooooove that!
Difficulty: Anybody can make my Meatballs and Gravy recipe! The hardest part in this recipe will be making your meatballs, and they aren’t overly difficult, they just require a bit of time, but I promise its worth it.
Substitutions & FAQ’s
- Can I use store-bought frozen meatballs in this recipe instead of making my own?
You sure can! I recommend purchasing something such as Swedish or homestyle meatballs over any italian version, as they don’t taste as good in this particular recipe. If using frozen meatballs, I would recommend about a 20 ounce bag. - If I am using store-bought frozen meatballs, do I still need to brown them before adding them to the crockpot?
Nope! I don’t recommend doing this step if you are using frozen meatballs. - Can I replace the beef stock with a vegetable stock?
You sure can, but keep in mind it will change the flavour of the dish, although it still tastes great! - What tastes best with Meatballs and Gravy?
Mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, polenta, or any green veggies such as broccoli or green beans.
My tips before getting started
Begin by adding all of your meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. I always recommend taking a small piece of mixture, pan frying it quickly and seeing how the flavour tastes. Add more salt, pepper or anything else you think the meatballs may need before frying all of them!
Pan fry the meatballs for 1-2 minutes per side to really amp up the flavour of this dish. Is this necessary? No, you don’t have to but for the extra 5-10 minutes it takes, I say its worth it!
I recommend caramelizing your onions with the brown sugar for at least 15 minutes! This is going to add a delicious richness and flavour boost to your dish.
During the last 30 to 40 minutes of cook time, be sure to add your roux mixture. This is going to create that rich and thick gravy consistency.
Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, or polenta. Alternatively, you can serve on the side of any green veggies such as broccoli, or green beans.
Watch the recipe video
Watch the recipe video on Instagram
Storing & reheating
This Meatballs and Gravy recipe will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, simply add your leftover stew to a small pot, re-heat and serve. Alternately, you can add your leftovers to a bowl and re-heat in the microwave for 35-55 seconds.
This recipe also freezes well for up to 3 months. Be sure to the let the meatballs and gravy come to room temperature before adding to a freezer bag or Tupperware container.
Crockpot Meatballs & Gravy
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying the meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp worcestershire
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
Other Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp butter, for the onions
- 1/3 cup butter, for the roux
- 1/3 cup flour, for the roux
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly sliced
- 3.5 cups beef stock,
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- handful fresh thyme
- bay leaf
- fresh parsley, topping, optional
Instructions
- Begin by adding all of your meatball ingredients to a large bowl (except the oil, as this will be used to fry your meatballs), and mix well. Squeeze the meatballs in your hands to hold shape, and roll into 1/2 inch balls.
- To a large frying pan, set to medium/high heat, add your oil. Add your meatballs, working in batches if you need to avoid crowding the pan, and fry on each side until golden brown. About 1-2 minutes per side.*Tip: Don't worry about fully cooking the meatballs, this is just to add additional flavour to the dish, as the meatballs will finish cooking in the crockpot.
- Once you have finished pan frying the meatballs, add them to a large baking sheet and pop in your freezer while you prepare everything else. *Tip: Adding the meatballs to the freezer will allow them to harden slightly to hold their shape, avoiding them from breaking/falling part when adding them to the crockpot.
- To the same pan you used to fry your meatballs, add your butter (1 tbsp), sliced onions and brown sugar. Sauté for about 15 minutes on low/medium heat, stirring often.*Tip: You want the onions slightly caramelized and rich in color, as this is going to add a ton of flavour to the dish.
- To your crockpot add your caramelized onions, meatballs, beef stock, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes of cooking, prepare your roux by adding your butter and flour to a small saucepan set to low heat. Whisk continuously until the butter and flour have been combined and you have a buttery and smooth consistency. This should take about 3 minutes to achieve. *Tip: watch my video linked above to see how your roux should look.
- Add your roux to the crockpot, mix to combine and cook for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until sauce becomes slightly thickened.
- Remove the lid from the crockpot, turn off the heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes to allow the gravy to thicken a bit more.
- Dish up over mashed potatoes, rice, noodles, or polenta and sprinkle on fresh parsley if using.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Roughly how many meatballs does this recipe make?
I would say 14-18 depending on the size 🙂
I knew this was going to be so dreamy when I mixed the beef, herbs and spices for the meatballs. It smelled so good! The aroma in the house was amazing while cooking. Served over super smooth and creamy mashed potatoes. What a hit. Will be making this on repeat.
Made this tonight and it was amazing! Such great flavours and easy recipe to follow. Thank you!
Hi Niki! Thanks for trying my recipe. I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Ohhhhh man 😋 Drooling over those meatballs on my way home from work. Scratch tonight’s original plan. Gonna give these a whirl in instapot given the crunch time. Stay tuned 🙌🏻
If I could give this a 12/10, I would. So flavourful! This is definitely going into my rotation.
We LOVED this. Just wanted to share- I added mushrooms and made the meatballs out of venison and it was also amazing! 🙂
Hi Amanda! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! So happy you enjoyed it.