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These Crockpot Chicken Parmesan Meatballs are the ultimate slow cooker dinner! So easy to make with frozen chicken meatballs, seasoned marinara sauce, and two kinds of cheese. A delicious twist to classic chicken parmesan without all the prep time and steps. Serve chicken parmesan meatballs over pasta or as meatball subs.

For more delicious twists to traditional chicken parmesan, try this oven baked version of the classic – Crispy Baked Chicken Parmesan. Or these Chicken Parmesan Sloppy Joes are quick meal with those same classic flavors.

A serving spoon with a cheese pull underneath it of the parmesan chicken meatballs.

Amazing & Easy Chicken Parmesan Meatballs – with Frozen Chicken Meatballs

If you love chicken parmesan, you are going to love this easy crockpot recipe for chicken parmesan meatballs. All the delicious flavors of classic chicken parmesan are transformed into meatball form with tender, juicy chicken meatballs that slowly cook in flavorful marinara sauce and two kinds of melty cheese.

The best part? It is one of those simple recipes that you can always count on, and with only 3 main ingredients – frozen chicken meatballs, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese – plus dried seasonings and water – this recipe could not be easier to make. Only minutes of prep time and then the slow cooker does all the work. This easy crockpot dinner recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner.

Serve these chicken parmesan meatballs as is, over cooked pasta, or tucked into soft toasted hoagie rolls for the most amazing meatball sub if your life. My family loves these as meatballs subs – I toast up some hoagie rolls or sausage rolls, and then add some meatballs, sauce, and cheese inside – all the ingredients you need for an amazing meatballs sub are already in it! No need to add anything extra.

A white crockpot with the baked chicken parm meatballs inside of it.

Why Your Family Will Love Chicken Parm Meatballs For Dinner

🍽 Easy Slow Cooker Dinner : Let the crockpot do all the work! The low and slow cook time infuses the meatballs with the seasoned marinara sauce, so it’s ready to go.
🍽 Classic Chicken Parm Flavor : Everything you love about chicken parmesan without all the steps, prep time, and work. Chicken, marinara sauce, Italian seasonings, and two kinds of cheese.
🍽 Family-Friendly : Even picky eaters will love these cheesy chicken meatballs, it’s also a dinner that is guaranteed that the whole family will devour.
🍽 Versatile Serving Options : Serve them as an appetizer, as is, over pasta, or inside toasted hoagie rolls for meatball subs.
🍽 Great For Busy Nights : Prep the meatballs ahead of time and let them cook while you take care of the rest of your day. No need to stress over “what’s for dinner” with this easy recipe.

A serving plate of the chicken meatballs with a fork

Simple Ingredients Needed

Marinara Sauce : A 24 ounce jar of marinara sauce. I recommend using one that you love because the marinara sauce does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to the flavor of the meatballs. I love the Rao’s Homemade brand in either marinara or the four cheese.
Chicken Broth or Water : Just a little bit is all you need to help loosen the sauce and get all the remaining sauce from the jar. I prefer using chicken broth or chicken stock, but water works as well.
Garlic Powder, Italian Seasoning, Onion Powder, Black Pepper : The dried seasonings needed
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Frozen Chicken Meatballs : A 24 ounce bag of frozen chicken meatballs. I use a 20 ounce bag of the Real Good brand of Italian Style chicken meatballs, and my family loves those meatballs! Anything from 22 ounces to 26 ounces works just fine in this recipe; as all brands seem to make slightly different sized bags.
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

How To Make Crockpot Chicken Parmesan Meatballs (Printable Recipe Card)

Spray the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Dump the jar of marinara sauce into the crockpot, then add the water or chicken broth to the empty marinara jar, swirl it around to get all the extras, and then pour it into the crockpot.

Add the dried seasonings and grated parmesan cheese to the marinara sauce and stir everything together.

Dump the frozen chicken meatballs into the crockpot and gently stir until all the meatballs are covered in the marinara sauce.

Cover and cook on LOW heat for 3-4 hours or HIGH heat for 1½ to 2 hours. The meatballs should be hot all the way through with an internal temperature of 165°F, and the sauce should be bubbling around the edges.

When the cook time is done gently stir the meatballs, then sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan cheese over top of the meatballs inside the crockpot. Cover again with the lid and let it cook on LOW for 10 to 15 minutes, or just until the mozzarella is melted and gooey.

Serve the chicken parmesan meatballs warm, from the crockpot, and enjoy over cooked pasta of choice or as meatball subs (this is how I always serve this recipe, my kids love these as meatballs subs).

How To Store and Reheat Leftovers

Store any leftover chicken parmesan meatballs in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Let them cool first to room temperature, then refrigerate them with plenty of the sauce and cheese to keep the meatballs tender, saucey, and cheesy.

The meatball should not sit out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.

To reheat, warm leftovers in a covered large skillet over medium-low heat, in the microwave, or in the crockpot on LOW heat until hot. Add a splash of water, chicken broth, or marinara sauce if the sauce has thickened too much while refrigerating.

overhead pic of the crockpot with the chicken parm meatballs inside of it ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions For Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Serve the meatballs as is for a lower carb option
These meatballs make a really great appetizer – set out a jar of toothpicks next to the crockpot
Serve over cooked pasta and add a scoop of the meatballs, sauce, and cheese over top for a yummy pasta dinner
Make meatballs subs! This is how I always serve this recipe to my family. I toast up some hoagie rolls or sausage rolls, add a scoop of meatballs plus some sauce and cheese from the crockpot, and it literally makes the best meatball sub you’ll ever have.
Serve the meatballs with a side of garlic bread to soak up all the yummy sauce and cheese

A serving of the parmesan meatballs made with frozen chicken meatballs.

Pro Tips From The Test Kitchen

Don’t add the mozzarella cheese until the very end because we want it to melt and be gooey over the meatballs. Otherwise, the cheese will turn rubbery if cooked too long in the crockpot.
The grated parmesan cheese is the shelf-stable, cheaper option like Kraft. You can use fresh parmesan if wanted, but I actually prefer the finer texture of the grated parmesan cheese.
Use a marinara sauce that you already love the flavor of, because it does much of the heavy lifting when it comes to flavor here. I like using the Rao’s Homemade brand either in marinara or four cheese flavor.
I use the Real Good brand of frozen meatballs. I use the Italian style chicken meatballs an it’s a 22 ounce bag which works just fine in this recipe. Most brands are slightly different in size, so make sure you use something between 22 ounces and 26 ounces.
I prefer the flavor of the meatballs when I use chicken bone broth but other options include chicken broth, chicken stock, or just water. Water works just fine if you don’t want to open a pack of chicken broth for just a small amount.
My family loves these meatballs served as meatball subs – all the components are already there, no need to add anything extra. I get some hoagie rolls or sausage rolls, open them up and put them on a lined baking sheet, spray each side with cooking spray and then broil in the oven for a few minutes, until they’re lightly toasted brown. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up some meatballs and cheesy sauce, and place it inside the roll.

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan Meatballs (with Frozen Meatballs)