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Angle shot of Italian meatballs in a crock pot, sprinkled with fresh parsley.
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5 from 1 vote

Crock Pot Italian Meatballs

These easy gluten-free slow cooker meatballs are so tender, flavorful, AND easy to make! Make them as an impressive appetizer or main dish any time the craving for meatballs strikes!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 311kcal
Author: Julia

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

  • 2 lbs ground beef I use 80/20
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup gluten-free flour or bread crumbs*
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese optional

Meatball Sauce:**

Instructions

  • Lightly spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray (this helps for easy cleanup).
  • Mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs together in a mixing bowl until well-combined. Form 24 meatballs out of the mixture and place them on the bottom of the slow cooker.
    Raw meatballs at the bottom of a slow cooker, ready to be cooked.
  • Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce together in a large mixing bowl, then pour it into the slow cooker over the meatballs. 
    Pouring tomato sauce into the crock pot with the meatballs.
  • Cook on HIGH heat for 4-5 hours or LOW heat for 6 to 8 hours.
  • Serve meatballs over gluten-free pasta with fresh grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
    Horizontal photo of a white bowl full of pasta and meatballs with red sauce.
  • Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze meatballs for up to 3 months.

Notes

*You can also use regular Italian bread crumbs or gluten-free bread crumbs
**Use two (28-oz) jars of your favorite tomato based pasta sauce instead of making your own if you’d like.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving (of 8) | Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 755mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g