Crock Pot Italian Meatballs (Gluten-Free)

Gluten-Free Crock Pot Italian Meatballs are easy to prepare and result in the most tender, flavorful, amazing, best meatballs, perfect for sharing with friends and family. Serve these slow cooker meatballs as is for a low-carb appetizer, or with pasta or rice for a complete meal.

Ready for the easiest, best meatball recipe that you’ll want to make over and over again?

This simple recipe is bursting with flavor and the meatballs turn out with the perfect texture.

Ideal for serving at any gathering or making a part of your weekly meal prep, this easy Italian meatballs recipe is simple enough to whip up at a moment’s notice, and delicious enough to prepare time and again.

Serve them as is for a perfect appetizer for game day, or over egg noodles or noodles of choice for the most amazing meatball pasta!

The best part is there’s no need to brown the meatballs in a skillet, saving time and energy.

With just a few easy steps, we simply mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs in a mixing bowl, form meatballs, and stick them in a crock pot with the sauce ingredients.

Set it up in the morning, leave for work, then come home to an incredible smelling home with the most inviting dinner already ready. Simply serve it with your favorite side dishes or over noodles for an amazing meal!

Let’s discuss the ingredients for homemade meatballs.

I use gluten-free flour or gluten-free Italian bread crumbs and lean ground beef, but you can go with regular bread crumbs and any type of ground beef or even ground turkey.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Meatballs:

Ground Beef Meatballs: Ground beef, gluten-free all-purpose flour (or gluten-free bread crumbs or regular Panko bread crumbs if you aren’t gluten-free), onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, egg, and salt. Toss in some fresh grated parmesan cheese if you do dairy.

I like using garlic powder and onion powder for the meatballs because it ensures the flavor is uniform throughout without changing the texture, and it saves the chopping time. If you prefer using fresh yellow onion and garlic cloves, feel free to make the switch.

The ingredients list for the meatballs is comprised of traditional main ingredients in the sense that the best meatballs typically include varying amounts of these ingredients.

If you eat a grain-free diet, you can replace the bread crumbs with almond flour or skip them altogether.

For a dairy-free option, simply skip the parmesan cheese. The meatballs will still be delicious!

Meatball Sauce: Homemade or store-bought pasta sauce (I recommend marinara or tomato basil sauce but any type of tomato sauce or spaghetti sauces will work), garlic, diced tomatoes, fresh parsley, fresh basil

This combination of meatball sauce ingredients results in that perfectly tangy, herby sauce that drives our taste buds wild. The whole family will love it! I like serving the meatballs over gluten-free noodles but you can pick your favorite noodles or your favorite side dishes.

It’s such a big hit, I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes one of those easy dinner recipes you make time and again.

This easy meatball recipe is an easy way of enjoying one of your favorite recipes after a long day.

Recipe Adaptations:

• If you’re in a rush, you can buy pre-made frozen meatballs from the grocery store along with two jars of your favorite pasta sauce and simply dump it all in the slow cooker.
• Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or a little bit of fresh garlic or chopped onion to the meatball mixture if you’d like.
• For a little heat, add 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the meatball mixture.
• Employ this method and cooking times for any of your favorite meatball recipes, such as crock pot Swedish meatballs, meatballs with bbq sauce, Hawaiian meatballs, honey garlic meatballs, etc., using fresh meatballs or frozen meatballs.
• Use leftovers for meatball subs!
• Now that we’ve covered the simple ingredients for these Italian style crock pot meatballs, let’s make them!

How to Make Crock Pot Italian Meatballs:

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. it’s fine if the meatballs overlap. They don’t need to be in a single layer.

Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce together in a large mixing bowl, then pour it into the slow cooker over the meatballs. 

Cook on HIGH heat for 4-5 hours or LOW heat for 6 to 8 hours.

Serve meatballs over gluten-free pasta (or pasta or rice of choice) with fresh grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

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.

If you love meatballs, also try my Mediterranean Baked Turkey Meatballs, Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs, and Paleo Swedish Meatballs.

And that’s it! The easiest meatball recipe that will receive high praise from all who try it.

If you love hearty crock pot recipes, also try my Creamy Crock Pot Pork Chops with Potatoes and Mushrooms and my Crock Pot Creamy Kale and Sausage Soup.

More Healthy Italian Recipes:

• Chicken Marsala (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Easy Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
• Gluten-Free Chicken Piccata
• Baked Feta Pasta
• Chicken Cacciatore

Enjoy this healthy meatball recipe!

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