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Slow Cooker Spicy Meatballs

Slow Cooker Spicy Meatballs

Published: April 27, 2015 Last Updated: March 18, 2019

This post may contain affiliate links.  For more information, read my disclosure policy here.   

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These Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce are one of the best crock pot recipes!

slow cooker italian meatballs in spicy tomato sauce HERO - It is a keeper

Hi! This is Clare from Happy-Eater.com, and I’ll be swinging by here about once a month to share some fantastic recipes with you! Today’s post is my husband’s favorite: Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce.

Throughout my cooking trials with meatballs, I’ve discovered that crowd favorites always involve a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage. And even though this is technically a slow cooker recipe, you could adapt it for the oven (400 for about 20 minutes). However, to get the most out of the combination of meat, vegetables, herbs, and spices, the slow cooker is the way to go!

slow cooker italian meatballs in spicy tomato sauce CONTENT - It is a keeper

This recipe is both grain and dairy free, and it is packed with veggies and herbs! For more dairy and grain free recipes, you can visit my Recipes page!

slow cooker italian meatballs in spicy tomato sauce CONTENT 2 -It is a keeper

You can serve the meatballs over pasta, or if you want to keep the whole recipe grain-free, serve over zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash!

 

If you’d like to see more recipes like this one, check out my Breakfast Meatball Scramble and Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Chicken Bites!

If like you this recipe, make sure you sign up for It Is a Keeper’s email newsletter!  You’ll receive a FREE Kitchen Cheat Sheet Printable as a thank you!

SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM FOR THE PRINTABLE RECIPE.

For more recipe inspiration, be sure to check out these pages on It is a Keeper:

  • Easy Dessert Recipes
  • 40+ Best Crock Pot Recipes
  • 100+ Quick Dinner Ideas

Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce

These Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce are one of the best crock pot recipes!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time7 hrs
Total Time7 hrs 20 mins
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: meatballs, slow cooker
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 705kcal
Author: Clare Gravolet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
3.5 from 2 votes

Ingredients

Meatballs:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb mild Italian sausage
  • 4 cloves garlic - finely diced
  • 1/2 red onion - finely diced
  • 1/2 carrot - shredded
  • 1 celery stalk - shredded (I use a food processor to shred.)
  • 2 eggs - beaten
  • 1/2 cup almond flour - almond meal
  • 3 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Spicy Tomato Sauce:

  • 1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil - chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • dash of salt and pepper
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Mix ground beef and sausage into a large mixing bowl. (When it comes to ground meat, using your hands is honestly the best way to mix well!)
  • In a separate small bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the eggs. Mix thoroughly.
  • Add contents of the small bowl into the large mixing bowl. Mix well.
  • Add eggs and continue to mix, and don't be afraid to use your hands.
  • Roll mixture into meatballs, about two tablespoons each, and place at the bottom of your slow cooker.
  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine all tomato sauce ingredients together and mix well.
  • Pour tomato sauce on top of meatballs in the slow cooker.
  • Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. (My slow cooker cooks a little too quickly, so if yours is like mine, then I'd cut the time down to 3.5 hours on high and 6-7 hours on low.
  • Serve over pasta, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or a salad!

Nutrition

Calories: 705kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 198mg | Sodium: 1440mg | Potassium: 971mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2305IU | Vitamin C: 14.4mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 6.1mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Show me on Instagram! Mention @itsakeeperblog or tag #itisakeeper! I'd love to see what you're up to in the kitchen!
Helpful Tips for All Recipes on It Is a Keeper
  • Want to scale a recipe up or down? Simply type in a new serving amount and the recipe will automatically adjust! 
  • When a recipe call for House Seasoning Blend, you can use this recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.  
  • I always use unsalted butter in my recipes.
  • I always use a meat thermometor to test for doneness when cooking meat.  This one is my favorite.  
  • When a recipe is made in the oven, it should be pre-heated to the temperature in the recipe, unless otherwise noted.
  • The nutritional information provided in this recipe is an estimate.  Learn more on how I calculate nutritional information for my recipes.

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Comments

  1. Brian says

    January 1, 2018 at 5:00 pm

    First off this is a great meatball. Made these for a party this New Years and they were a hit. They tasted great! I will defiantly make them again. My only criticism is the instructions and the ingredient list. In my opinion I would have put the total ingredient list together in one list to make shopping for everything easier. Next is the instructions. I made this twice, first time I completely screwed it up while reading the instructions the first time. Instruction 2 says mix all ingredients, which I did, all the other ingredients for meatballs and sauce except eggs. Not realizing 4 more instructions down is the sauce recipe instructions. Shame on me for not reading all instructions first then making the meatballs. It would be clearer if there were two sets of instructions split into Meatballs and then sauce to clearly define the ingredient mixture process. Like below.

    Meatball Instructions
    1. Mix ground beef and sausage into a large mixing bowl. (When it comes to ground meat, using your hands is honestly the best way to mix well!)
    2. In a separate small bowl, combine all the remaining Meatball ingredients EXCEPT for the eggs. Mix thoroughly.
    3. Add contents of the small bowl into the large mixing bowl. Mix well.
    4. Add eggs and continue to mix, and don’t be afraid to use your hands.
    5. Roll mixture into meatballs, about two tablespoons each, and place at the bottom of your slow cooker.

    Sauce Instructions
    1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine all tomato sauce ingredients together and mix well.
    2. Pour tomato sauce on top of meatballs in the slow cooker.
    3. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. (My slow cooker cooks a little too quickly, so if yours is like mine, then I’d cut the time down to 3.5 hours on high and 6-7 hours on low.
    4. Serve over pasta, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or a salad!

    Reply

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