10 Cheap Crockpot Meatball Recipes You’ll Make on Repeat

There’s a particular kind of relief that comes from opening the freezer, pulling out a bag of meatballs, and knowing dinner is basically handled. No browning, no chopping, no standing over a pan just a few pantry staples, a slow cooker, and a few hours to go do something else with your evening. That’s the whole appeal of crockpot meatballs, and it’s why they’ve quietly become one of the most-searched slow cooker recipes there is.

They’re also about as budget-friendly as dinner gets. A bag of frozen meatballs runs somewhere around $7–9, and every sauce on this list is built from two or three pantry staples jarred, jellied, or bottled things you likely already have a version of in the cupboard. Most of these come out to $2 a serving or less. Stretch it over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes, and one bag of meatballs comfortably feeds a family or fills a party table.

Below are ten ways to make them, from the sweet-and-tangy classic everyone’s grandmother made for holiday parties to a few newer, more dinner-table-friendly versions. Pick one for tonight, or make it a slow cooker meatball night and let everyone build their own plate.

A few notes before you start

• Frozen or homemade, both work. Frozen fully-cooked meatballs (beef, turkey, or a blend) are the budget-friendly, zero-prep choice and what all of these recipes are built around. If you’d rather make your own, just don’t overwork the mixture the sauce does the flavor lifting here.
• No need to thaw first. Frozen meatballs can go straight into the crockpot from frozen; just add 30–60 minutes to the low-heat cooking time and check that they’ve reached 165°F before serving.
• Low and slow is best. Most of these are happiest on low for 4–6 hours. High heat works in a pinch (2–3 hours) but tends to make the sauce a little thinner.
• This makes a great freezer meal, too. Let cooled meatballs and sauce cool completely, then freeze flat in a bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently in the crockpot or on the stove.

If you’re building out a rotation of cheap crockpot recipes, this is a good place to start.

Grape Jelly BBQ Meatballs

The two-ingredient classic, and there’s a reason it never goes out of style the sweetness of the jelly against the smoky tang of barbecue sauce is a genuinely good combination, not just a nostalgia trip.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bag frozen meatballs
• 1 jar (18 oz) grape jelly
• 1 bottle (18 oz) barbecue sauce

Instructions

1. Add the frozen meatballs to the crockpot.
2. In a bowl, whisk the grape jelly and barbecue sauce together until mostly smooth.
3. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and stir gently to coat.
4. Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours, stirring once halfway through, until the sauce has melted into a glossy glaze and the meatballs are heated through (165°F).

Approximate cost: $8.00 meatballs + $3.50 jelly + $3.00 BBQ sauce = 14.50 total, about $1.80 per serving (serves 8 as an appetizer)

Swedish Meatballs

Creamy, savory, and a little bit special-occasion without any of the effort this is the one to make when you want crockpot meatballs to feel like a proper dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bag frozen meatballs
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Add the frozen meatballs to the crockpot.
2. Whisk together the beef broth, cream of mushroom soup, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper.
3. Pour over the meatballs and stir to coat.
4. Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours, until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is bubbling gently.
5. About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the sour cream until the sauce turns pale and creamy. Don’t let it boil after this point, or it can separate.

Approximate cost: $8.00 meatballs + $1.50 broth + $1.50 soup + $2.00 sour cream + $0.25 Worcestershire/pepper = $13.25 total, about $2.20 per serving (serves 6 as a main)

BBQ Meatballs

The simplest recipe on this list, and one of the most searched for a reason sometimes you just want meatballs that taste like meatballs, dressed up in good barbecue sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bag frozen meatballs
• 1 bottle (18 oz) barbecue sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Add the meatballs and barbecue sauce to the crockpot and stir to coat.
2. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, stirring once partway through.
3. Stir in the brown sugar, if using, during the last 30 minutes for a deeper, stickier glaze.

Approximate cost: $8.00 meatballs + $3.00 BBQ sauce + $0.10 brown sugar = $11.10 total, about $1.40 per serving (serves 8 as an appetizer)

Cranberry Meatballs

Bright, tart, and a little bit festive this is the meatball recipe that quietly becomes a holiday-table regular once people taste it.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bag frozen meatballs
• 1 can (14 oz) whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce (such as Heinz)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

1. Whisk the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar together in a bowl (a few lumps of cranberry are fine they’ll cook down).
2. Pour over the meatballs in the crockpot and stir gently to combine.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours, stirring occasionally so the sauce coats evenly as the cranberry sauce loosens.

Approximate cost: $8.00 meatballs + $2.00 cranberry sauce + $3.00 chili sauce + $0.10 brown sugar = $13.10 total, about $1.65 per serving (serves 8 as an appetizer)

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Tangy, a little sticky, and genuinely kid-friendly this is the one to make when you want something more interesting than plain BBQ without extra effort.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bag frozen meatballs
• 1 jar (12 oz) sweet and sour sauce (or homemade: ¾ cup pineapple juice, ¼ cup vinegar, ⅓ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup ketchup, whisked together)
• 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained (optional)

Instructions

1. Add the meatballs and sweet and sour sauce to the crockpot and stir to coat.
2. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
3. Stir in the pineapple chunks, if using, during the last 30 minutes so they warm through without going mushy.

Approximate cost: $8.00 meatballs + $3.00 sauce + $1.50 pineapple = $12.50 total, about $2.10 per serving (serves 6 as a main)

Party Cocktail Meatballs

The other classic two-ingredient combination grape jelly and chili sauce instead of barbecue sauce and the one most likely to show up at a holiday party or potluck table.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bag frozen meatballs
• 1 jar (18 oz) grape jelly
• 1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce (such as Heinz not hot chili sauce)

Instructions

1. Whisk the grape jelly and chili sauce together until smooth.
2. Pour over the meatballs in the crockpot and stir to coat.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened into a glaze.
4. Switch to the warm setting for serving so the glaze stays glossy.

Approximate cost: $8.00 meatballs + $3.50 jelly + $3.00 chili sauce = $14.50 total, about $1.50 per serving (serves 10 as an appetizer)

Salisbury Meatballs

All the comfort of Salisbury steak, in meatball form and without a skillet to clean rich brown gravy, savory and homey, best eaten on a cold night.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bag frozen meatballs
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 packet brown gravy mix (or 2 cups jarred brown gravy)
• 1 small onion, sliced, and 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Add the meatballs to the crockpot, along with the sliced onion and mushrooms if using.
2. Whisk the beef broth, gravy mix, and Worcestershire sauce together and pour over the top.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours, until the gravy has thickened and the meatballs are tender.

Approximate cost: $8.00 meatballs + $1.50 broth + $1.00 gravy mix + $2.00 onion/mushrooms + $0.20 Worcestershire = $12.70 total, about $2.10 per serving (serves 6 as a main)

Hawaiian Meatballs

Sweet, tangy, and a little tropical pineapple and bell pepper give this one a fresher, brighter feel than the other sauces on this list.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bag frozen meatballs
• 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, juice reserved
• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch whisked with 2 tbsp water
• 1 bell pepper, chopped

Instructions

1. Whisk the reserved pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together.
2. Pour over the meatballs in the crockpot and stir to coat.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
4. In the last 30 minutes, stir in the pineapple chunks and chopped bell pepper, and whisk in the cornstarch slurry if you’d like the sauce thicker.

Approximate cost: $8.00 meatballs + $1.50 pineapple + $0.75 soy sauce/vinegar/sugar + $0.10 cornstarch + $1.00 bell pepper = $11.35 total, about $1.90 per serving (serves 6 as a main)

Teriyaki Meatballs

Simple, savory-sweet, and endlessly useful a good one to keep in rotation for busy weeknights since the sauce comes together with pantry staples most people already have.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bag frozen meatballs
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (or ½ tsp ground ginger)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch whisked with 2 tbsp water

Instructions

1. Whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger together.
2. Pour over the meatballs in the crockpot and stir to coat.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
4. Stir in the cornstarch slurry during the last 20–30 minutes to thicken the sauce to a glaze.

Approximate cost: $8.00 meatballs + $1.00 soy sauce/sugar/aromatics = $9.10 total, about $1.50 per serving (serves 6 as a main)

French Onion Meatballs

The newest addition to the crockpot meatball family, and a genuinely cozy one all the deep, savory flavor of French onion soup, poured right over meatballs.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bag frozen meatballs
• 1 packet (1 oz) French onion soup mix
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup shredded gruyère or mozzarella (optional)

Instructions

1. Add the meatballs to the crockpot.
2. Whisk the soup mix, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce together and pour over the top.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours, until the meatballs are heated through and the broth has reduced slightly.
4. If using cheese, sprinkle it over the top during the last 10–15 minutes with the lid on, until melted.

Approximate cost: $8.00 meatballs + $1.00 soup mix + $1.50 broth + $0.20 Worcestershire + $2.50 cheese (optional) = $13.20 total, about $2.20 per serving (serves 6 as a main)

FAQ

Can I use homemade meatballs instead of frozen? Yes, just brown them first if they’re raw, since raw meatballs release more liquid into the crockpot and can make the sauce thin. Fully-cooked homemade meatballs can go in straight, the same as frozen.

Do I need to thaw the meatballs first? No, frozen meatballs can go directly into the crockpot. Add about 30–60 minutes to the cooking time and make sure they reach 165°F before serving.

Can I make these ahead for a party? Yes, cook the full recipe the day before, refrigerate, then reheat gently in the crockpot on low for 1–2 hours before guests arrive, or keep it on the warm setting once reheated.

Can I double a recipe for a crowd? Most of these sauces double easily just make sure the meatballs are in a single layer or two at most so they cook evenly, and add 30–60 minutes to the cooking time for a fuller crockpot.