Slow Cooker Chicken Meatballs
- PREP 30min
- COOK 7hrs
- TOTAL 7hrs 30min
We love these crock pot chicken meatballs. We cook them in our simple slow cooker marinara sauce, which you will make first, then drop the meatballs into later an hour before you plan to serve them. Serve these meatballs with pasta, spiralized noodles, vegetables, bread, or as an appetizer.
You Will Need
Tomato Basil Sauce
2 (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium onion, cut in half
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 small bunch fresh basil
Salt, to taste
Chicken Meatballs
1 pound (450g) ground chicken
1/2 cup (50g) panko breadcrumbs or homemade breadcrumbs
1/2 cup (118ml) milk
1 large egg
6 tablespoons (1.5oz) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Make Slow Cooker Marinara
Remove the leaves from the basil sprig and save them for later. You will add the basil sprig to the sauce to infuse it with basil flavor, then serve it with the leaves later.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, halved onion, garlic, olive oil, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and basil sprig to a slow cooker. Stir, then add salt to taste—we use between 1/2 teaspoon and 1 teaspoon of salt, depending on the tomatoes. It will be cold, but you will get a good idea of whether or not the sauce is well-seasoned.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours. Remove the onion, bay leaf, and basil sprig. Taste, then add additional salt as needed.
Prepare Chicken Meatballs
The meatballs can be shaped and kept refrigerated for up to a day ahead. Arrange them on a baking sheet, cover them, and then refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Combine the panko breadcrumbs and the milk in a large bowl. Wait 3 to 5 minutes until the breadcrumbs have absorbed most of the milk, then whisk in the egg. Whisk in the parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Add the ground chicken and use a fork or your hands to blend the chicken and the egg mixture. The meatball mixture will be pretty moist. Shape into one-inch meatballs, pressing no more than necessary. This recipe makes approximately 18 meatballs.
Once the marinara sauce has finished cooking, add the chicken meatballs. To add them, gently lower them into the sauce with a spoon or two forks. Cover the tops of the meatballs by gently pushing sauce over each meatball. Cook on HIGH for 1 hour or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Make-ahead sauce: The sauce can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for 2 to 3 days and 3 to 4 months in the freezer.
- Freezing uncooked meatballs: Shape and arrange meatballs on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Freeze until solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag, and freeze for up to 1 month. Add the frozen meatballs to the simmering sauce and expect them to take longer to cook through (1 ½ to 2 hours).
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.