Slow Cooker Party Meatballs

Meatballs are classic party food and they're always a welcome addition to the menu. These made-from-scratch Slow Cooker Party Meatballs are cooked entirely in a slow cooker. Simmered on low in a sweet and spicy sauce they're ideal for game day snacks, parties and potluck gatherings.

Easy Slow Cooker Party Meatballs Recipe

When time is a factor, I think it's perfectly fine to utilize quality frozen meatballs. I've done so myself from time to time for a timesaver. This Slow Cooker Party Meatballs recipe is for those moments you want to go the extra mile and make them yourself. As we all know, homemade is best. When making meatballs from scratch, you can control the amount of salt and seasonings and personalize the flavor to your taste. It's also a perk that you can use ingredients that you already have on hand and stocked in your pantry.

How to Make the Best Slow Cooker Party Meatballs

• Ingredients you'll need to make homemade Slow Cooker Party Meatballs: Ground beef, Italian sausage, panko breadcrumbs, buttermilk, diced onion, large eggs, Italian parsley, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt and garlic.
• For the sauce you'll need: Barbecue sauce, chili sauce (i.e. Heinz) pineapple preserves (apricot or orange preserves would also work), Dijon mustard or whole grain mustard, garlic salt, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, chili powder and tomato paste for thickening the sauce at the end of cooking.
• If you're unable to find pineapple preserves, apricot or orange preserves work well in the sauce for these meatballs.
• When starting this, or any recipe with uncooked meatballs, it's important to use lean ground beef and high quality sausage to decrease the amount of fat that cooks into the sauce. Fat adds flavor, but once the meatballs are cooked it needs to be removed.
• How do you skin the fat from the meatballs? It's simple to use a large spoon to skim the fat from the top at the end of cooking before thickening the sauce with tomato paste.
• You can use as little or as much tomato paste as you like. One tablespoon is a good starting point simply repeat adding more until you're pleased with the thickness.
• Store cooked Party Meatballs chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop in a saucepan over medium heat just until heated through.

More Easy Slow Cooker Meatball Recipes to Make

Meatballs are classic party fare and other recipes you may like to try are my Jamaican Jerk Meatballs and Slow Cooked Asian Meatballs with an Orange Chili Sauce. A couple of other tasty meatball recipes to look at are these holiday Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs from Real Housemoms.

Easy Appetizers Recipes

Appetizers aren't just for special occasions but they are an  important part of entertaining year round whether it's the holidays, graduation parties, backyard picnics and beyond. More easy appetizer recipes you may also like to make:

• Five minute Restaurant Style Salsa.
• Delicious Crab Rangoon will rival any you can buy at at restaurant.
• Supreme Pizza Pull Apart Bread is ideal for casual entertaining.
• Homemade Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Bites.
• Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are delicious dipped in bleu cheese or ranch dip.
• Air Fryer Shrimp are perfectly seasoned and ready to devour.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• 6 Quart Oval Crock-Pot
• Stainless Meatballer
• Food Chopper
• Bamboo Forks

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5 from 6 votes

Slow Cooker Party Meatballs

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time6 hrs

Total Time6 hrs 10 mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: slow-cooker-party-meatballs

Servings: 50 servings

Calories: 81kcal

Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

• 2 lb extra lean ground beef
• 1 lb mild Italian Sausage
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• ½ cup buttermilk or whole milk
• 1 medium sweet onion finely diced
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 4 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 18 oz bottle honey barbecue sauce
• 1 12 oz bottle chili sauce i.e. Heinz
• ⅔ cup pineapple preserves
• 1 tablespoon Dijon or whole grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes adjust to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle or dark chili powder
• tomato paste as needed for thickening

Instructions

• Spray the inside of a 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Set aside. 
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the beef, sausage, breadcrumbs, buttermilk, onion, eggs, parsley, worcestershire, seasoned salt and garlic. Mix until ingredients are evenly distributed. 
• Roll into 1-inch balls.. Arrange in the slow cooker.
• In a small bowl whisk together the barbecue, chili sauce, pineapple preserves, Dijon, garlic salt, onion powder, pepper flakes, cumin and chipotle powder. Mix well, then pour evenly over meatballs.
• Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until meatballs are cooked through and no pink remains. Use a large spoon to skim any fat from the top at the end of cooking.
• Use tomato paste to thicken sauce, if desired. Gently stir meatballs to coat with sauce. Keep warm until serving. 

Notes

• May use the same amount of frozen meatballs for a timesaver. 
• Apricot or peach preserves may be used in place of pineapple preserves, if desired. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 292mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 52IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

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