Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs

Introduction

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs are a mouthwatering twist on a classic comfort dish, featuring juicy meatballs bathed in a savory, rich brown gravy. This recipe offers homestyle flavors with minimal effort, thanks to slow cooker convenience. It’s ideal for busy weeknights, dinner parties, or when you need a hearty, family pleasing meal that practically cooks itself.

Why You’ll Love Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs

The beauty of this recipe lies in its irresistible combination of tender, perfectly seasoned meatballs and a robust mushroom-onion gravy. By utilizing the slow cooker, you can achieve incredible depth of flavor and fork-tender results with minimal hands-on time. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles for a crowd-pleasing comfort feast that’s both easy and satisfying.

The Secret to Flavorful Meatballs

For the best texture and flavor, use a mix of lean and slightly fattier ground meat. Combining ground beef with breadcrumbs, egg, and just the right seasoning yields meatballs that are moist yet hold their shape. Browning the meatballs before transferring them to the slow cooker locks in flavor, but this step is optional if you’re short on time.

Mushroom Gravy, Slow Cooked to Perfection

The slow cooker gently simmers mushrooms, onions, and a luscious beef broth-based gravy, infusing the dish with rich, savory flavors. A touch of Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard rounds out the taste, while a cornstarch slurry at the end brings everything to a perfect, velvety consistency.

Serving Suggestions for Show Stopping Salisbury Steak Meatballs

Pair these meatballs with creamy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or fluffy rice. Add a side of roasted green beans or a simple tossed salad for a balanced meal. Sprinkle with fresh parsley right before serving to add a touch of color and freshness.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe makes about 5 to 6 hearty servings, with each serving (4-5 meatballs plus gravy) containing approximately 350 to 400 calories (nutrition may vary based on ingredients and serving size). It’s a satisfying meal the whole family will look forward to.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to automatically generate an organized shopping list with all ingredients sorted by store section—perfect for efficient grocery trips and streamlined weekly meal planning!

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together all meatball ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
2. Shape into 1½-inch meatballs (about 20-24 meatballs).
3. Optional: In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, working in batches, for extra flavor. (This step can be skipped for ease—meatballs will still cook fully in the slow cooker.)
4. Arrange sliced mushrooms and onions in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
5. In a bowl, whisk together beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and dried thyme. Pour over the mushrooms and onions.
6. Gently layer meatballs over the gravy mixture in the slow cooker.
7. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 2½-3 hours, until meatballs are cooked through and vegetables are tender.
8. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry. Gently stir the slurry into the slow cooker, cover again, and cook on high for 15-20 minutes until the gravy thickens.
9. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.

Weekly Meal Planning

This slow cooker favorite is perfect for prepping ahead and enjoying leftovers throughout the week. Save and schedule this recipe to automatically add it to your meal plan and create a smart shopping list that consolidates all your meal ingredients.

Planning Benefits:

• Automatically calculate total ingredient amounts for all planned meals
• Organize your shopping list by grocery store departments
• Reduce food waste by preventing duplicate purchases
• Streamline your weekly meal prep routine

Pro tip: When planning more than one meal, schedule your recipes to see ingredient overlaps (like eggs or breadcrumbs), making shopping easier and more budget-friendly.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5-6 hours (on low) or 2½-3 hours (on high)
Total Time: 5½ to 6½ hours (mostly hands off)

Enjoy the comforting flavors of classic Salisbury steak in a convenient, family-friendly format with these Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs. Perfect for anyone who loves easy, flavorful home-cooked meals!