Slow cooker meatballs is an simple recipe that comes together easily and can be served any day of the week. Using a mixture of ground beef & sausage & almond flour, this meatball recipe is gluten-free, low-carb, paleo, and Whole30 compatible. Free up your stove-top and make these healthy, fuss-free meatballs in your Crock-Pot or Instant Pot!
Ingredients For Crock-Pot Meatballs
- Ground Meat
- Egg
- Almond Flour
- Seasonings
- Marinara or Pasta Sauce
How To Make Slow Cooker Meatballs
Prepare The Meatballs
- In a medium-size bowl, mix together all the meatball ingredients until well blended. Shape into evenly round meatballs, approximately 3 tablespoons of meat each.
- Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Add the prepared meatballs.
- Pour the marinara/pasta sauce on top.
- Cover & cook for 3-4 hours on HIGH or 6-8 hours on LOW.
- Set Instant Pot to the high saute setting. Once hot, add oil.
- Add meatballs and brown on each side, 3-5 minutes. You might have to brown them in batches. Remove meatballs from the Instant Pot.
- Pour in the water. If needed, deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon. Add the meatballs back into the pressure cooker. Pour the marinara/pasta sauce on top.
- Close and seal vent. Select manual setting and set time for high pressure for 7 minutes. When cooking time is complete, quick-release the pressure.
Healthy Meatball Recipe
It was important to me that this crockpot meatball recipe be Whole30 compatible. That means I used a compliant sauce, ground meat, and almond flour. Almond flour is used in place of breadcrumbs. Using almond flour also means that this recipe is low-carb and paleo friendly.
What Type Of Ground Meat To Use
I like to use a combination of ground beef and ground sausage to make my meatballs. Like most of my recipes, I encourage you to use ingredients that you have or like. Other suggestions include all ground beef or even ground turkey.
Meatball Recipes
-
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
-
Meatballs & Zoodles
-
Air Fryer Herb Meatballs
-
Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs
-
Cheesy Ravioli Meatball Casserole
Freezing & Storing Leftovers
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftover meatballs. Allow the cooked meatballs to cool then arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze the meatballs until solid then the meatballs to your preferred freezing container like freezer bags. The frozen meatballs will keep for up to 3 months.
FAQs & Tips
- Make the meatballs as large or as small as you like but try to form them into the same size. This made approximately 15 meatballs for me.
- Use your preferred marinara or pasta sauce. Or make your own.
- Double this recipe to feed a larger crowd.
- Substitute breadcrumbs for the almond flour if you are not concerned about this meatball recipe being compliant.
- I used a 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.
Slow Cooker Meatballs
Slow cooker meatballs is an simple recipe that comes together easily and can be served any day of the week. Using a mixture of ground beef & sausage & almond flour, this meatball recipe is gluten-free, low-carb, paleo, and Whole30 compatible. Free up your stove-top and make these healthy, fuss-free meatballs in your Crock-Pot or Instant Pot!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 24 ounces marinara or pasta sauce of your choice
- 1 cup water for the Instant Pot only
- 1 tablespoon oil for the Instant Pot only
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground sausage
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons almond flour
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (or another dried herb)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Prepare The Meatballs
- In a medium-size bowl, mix together all the meatball ingredients until well blended. Shape into evenly round meatballs, approximately 3 tablespoons of meat each.
- Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Add the prepared meatballs.
- Pour the marinara/pasta sauce on top.
- Cover & cook for 3-4 hours on HIGH or 6-8 hours on LOW.
- Set Instant Pot to the high saute setting. Once hot, add oil.
- Add meatballs and brown on each side, 3-5 minutes. You might have to brown them in batches. Remove meatballs from the Instant Pot.
- Pour in the water. If needed, deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon. Add the meatballs back into the pressure cooker. Pour the marinara/pasta sauce on top.
- Close and seal vent. Select manual setting and set time for high pressure for 7 minutes. When cooking time is complete, quick-release the pressure.
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