These Beefy Onion Crockpot Meatballs are a hearty dinner idea, or easy party appetizer, that’s low on prep time and full on flavor! Meatballs are cooked low and slow in a thick, savory, and beefy onion gravy until they’re melt-in-your-mouth tender. All you need are a few pantry staples and 10 minutes of effort!
Easy Beefy Onion Crockpot Meatballs
Juicy meatballs simmered in a super flavorful broth, that only takes 10 minutes to prep? Yes, please! This recipe for beefy onion crockpot meatballs is true comfort food. They are delicious for dinner with a side of mashed potatoes or rice, or you can serve them as a hearty party appetizer.
This is a budget-friendly dish as well, always a bonus. Plus, you make it directly in the crockpot so you won’t have a sink full of dirty dishes when you’re done. We use simple pantry staples to create a savory onion beefy gravy that is the perfect complement to the beefy meatballs.
One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can use frozen meatballs with no need to defrost them. In fact, you may have all the ingredients you need to make this tonight. So let’s go!
Why You’ll Love It
So many things to love in this recipe, including as mentioned its utter ease of preparation.
- Crock pot and done! Yes we love the crock pot! (Check out all of our crock pot recipes here.) And using frozen meatballs seriously makes prep a breeze. Just pop them in the crock pot and forget about it for a few hours. Then, savory juicy goodness is ready when you are!
- Budget Friendly. I’ve listed the simple ingredients you’ll need below, but know that there are only 6 ingredients that you possibly have on hand already, plus the crockpot! That’s the kind of recipe we like.
- Appetizer Or Dinner. You can serve these meatballs as an appetizer or add some sides and it becomes a hearty dinner.
- Travels Easy: If you wanted to make these for a party, they travel great! You can cook them at home and then leave them covered and bring them to a party. Plug the crockpot back in and let it heat up a few minutes and they are ready to go!
What You’ll Need
Check your cupboard first, as you may already have everything you need to make this. Be sure to read the full ingredient amounts needed on the recipe card below.
- Frozen Meatballs: Choose whatever meatballs you enjoy the most – turkey, chicken or beef. You can also use Italian-style frozen meatballs for extra herb-y flavor.
- Beef Stock: Or beef broth.
- Garlic Powder: You could substitute fresh minced garlic.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Onion Soup Mix: We like the Lipton Onion Soup Mix. You want to use the dry mix added directly to the crockpot.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the gravy.
How to Make Beefy Onion Crockpot Meatballs
Here are all the steps you’ll need to make beefy onion crockpot meatballs:
Combine ingredients. Add all ingredients except cornstarch to the crockpot. Stir to combine. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 3-6 hours.
Thicken sauce. Remove some of the broth from the crockpot and whisk in the cornstarch until smooth.
Finish cooking. Pour mixture back into crockpot. Stir, cover, and cook on high 10 to 15 minutes, until sauce thickens.
Recipe Variations
While these beefy onion meatballs are perfect as is, we have a few variations that you might enjoy:
- Add mushrooms and garlic. If you want to dress these up a little bit, you could throw in some diced onions, minced garlic, and sliced mushrooms when you add the meatballs. The already savory sauce will have even more depth of flavor as the vegetables cook down.
- Make more gravy. If you like a lot of gravy (we do), add 2 cups of beef stock rather than the 1 ½ cups suggested. You’ll also need to up the amount of cornstarch to 2 ½ tablespoons. This will also allow you to have leftover gravy to store with any leftover meatballs.
- French Onion Meatballs. Add a layer of cheese (like swiss, gruyere or even provolone) on top of your meatballs and let it melt before serving.
- Cook lower and slower. You can cook this recipe on high and have it turn out amazing in 2 hours. But if you want to cook it on lower heat for a longer amount of time, you can cook it up to 6 hours on low heat for even more meaty, caramelized flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some great ways to serve these meatballs.
- On top of mashed potatoes or rice: Try serving meatballs on top of my Best Mashed Potatoes recipe for a filling meal.
- Alongside other vegetables: Green vegetables are really nice with meatballs. Try our Air Fryer Green Beans or Roasted Broccoli recipes. They would also be great with our Easy Cucumber Tomato Salad for a lighter option.
- On a sandwich: Try making a meatball sandwich with these meatballs – it is divine. If you have leftovers, this is a good option for what to do with them. We always add a couple of slices of cheese and toast the sandwich to melt the cheese.
Storage and Reheating Options
Store leftover meatballs and gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to reheat, place the meatballs in a pot and add a little extra broth. This will keep the gravy from drying out. Then heat the meatballs over low heat until warmed through.
Can I Freeze Cooked Meatballs?
These meatballs freeze really well after they’ve been cooked! Place the cooled meatballs and leftover gravy in a freezer-safe bag or container and store them in the fridge for 3 months.
When you’re ready to reheat, defrost the meatballs in the fridge overnight. Then place in a pot, add some extra broth to keep the gravy from drying out, and heat over low heat until warmed through.
More Crockpot Beef Recipes
- Crockpot Chili
- Crockpot Shredded Beef
- Crockpot Sloppy Joes
- Crockpot Beef Stew
- Crockpot Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Crockpot Beef Tips
Beefy Onion Crockpot Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 32 oz frozen Italian meatballs
- 1 ½ cups beef stock or broth
- 1 tablespoon dried garlic powder, or fresh garlic
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 oz envelope Lipton onion soup mix
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, expect cornstarch, to the crockpot. Stir to combine. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 3-6 hours.
- To thicken the sauce, remove 2 tablespoons of broth from the crockpot and whisk in the cornstarch until smooth. Pour mixture back into crockpot and stir, cover, and cook on high 10 to 15 minutes, until sauce thickens.
- Serve as an appetizer, with mashed potatoes, rice, or your favorite vegetables.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When reheating add a little broth to keep the gravy from drying out.
- This is a super easy dump and go recipe! No pre-work is needed, just add it all to the crockpot and let it go.
- These meatballs are so savory and delicious, they taste like homemade meatloaf but in bite size. They would be delicious as a party appetizer, hearty dish for a potluck, or make them a full meal like we did by serving them over some rice or mashed potatoes.
- I kept this very simple and budget friendly by using pantry stables. However, you could easily dress them up by adding some diced onions and fresh minced garlic. Sliced mushrooms would also be very tasty.
- If you like a lot of gravy add 2 cups of beef broth. Using 1 ½ cups of broth made a light sauce/gravy that clings to the meatballs. I did have enough gravy to add a little bit to the mashed potatoes but not much gravy was leftover after the meatballs were covered. So if you want extra gravy, use 2 cups of broth and 2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch to thicken it.
I left a comment before but because I was honest and thought these meatballs were very bland my comment was never posted. Have a feeling this one wont be posted either.
Hi Danny, we didn’t get your previous comment, you must have not submitted the comment. Sorry you found them to be bland, you could always double up and use two Lipton soup packets.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Mine didn’t thicken up much but I don’t mind it being on the brothy side. Otherwise they cooked up perfectly!
Absolutely loved it ! I used Lipton Beefy onion mix. This dish was a hit for my work event ! Thank you !
I made these for a party and made a double batch. We had NO leftovers! Everyone was asking for the recipe! I just served them with toothpicks on the side for grabbing them out of the slow cooker.
I plan to try this with Lipton beefy onion soup mix and serve over fettuccini or egg noodles 😋