This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure policy.
Quick & easy Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs are an easy prep slow cooker dinner that starts with frozen meatballs. The best part is the rich brown gravy sauce that creates itself from packets of seasoning mix and beef broth. Serve over mashed potatoes for a delicious dinner idea tonight.
For a classic salisbury steak recipe be sure and try my recipe for Homemade Salisbury Steak Recipe With Mushroom Gravy.
Easy Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs (With Frozen Meatballs)
You won’t believe how easy these Salisbury steak meatballs are to make! This frozen meatball recipe is quick to prep thanks to store-bought frozen meatballs – perfect for busy weeknights because it’s a dump & go slow cooker meal that cooks itself during the day. Only a few minutes prep in the morning and dinner tonight is done.
All the classic flavors of traditional salisbury steak but in an easy meatball version with tender meatballs and a rich brown gravy sauce that creates itself from packets of seasoning mixes and beef broth. They’re the perfect comfort food that the whole family can enjoy.
I love recipes that begin with frozen meatballs – not only is the prep time so simple but the meatballs always come out so tender & flavorful. Be sure and add these other frozen meatballs recipes to your dinner rotation; Easy Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs, Crockpot Mississippi Meatballs, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Sweet and Sour Meatballs (serve over rice).
Ingredients Needed For Salisbury Meatballs
- Frozen Meatballs : Use your favorite frozen meatballs in this recipe. I love the frozen meatballs from Costco (Kirkland Signature brand) because they are a good size and they taste so good. Use Italian meatballs, homestyle meatballs, turkey meatballs, or whatever variation you prefer.
- Beef Broth : Because of the longer cook time I always recommend using full-salt broth in slow cooker recipes because the long cook time tends to dilute the flavors slightly.
- Brown Gravy Mix Packet
- Onion Soup Mix Packet
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Cornstarch + Cold Water : This creates the cornstarch slurry that helps to thicken the rich gravy sauce after the cook time.
How To Make Crockpot Salisbury Steak Meatballs Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
Spray the insert of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Dump the frozen meatballs into the slow cooker insert. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the beef broth, gravy gravy mix packet, onion soup mix packet, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. Pour this over the frozen meatballs and stir everything together.
Cover with the lid and cook on LOW heat for 5-6 hours.
When the cook time is done mix together the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl with a fork. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the crockpot and allow it cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the gravy has thickened.
Serve the Salisbury steak meatballs over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or even cooked white rice. Enjoy!
How To Store Leftover Salisbury Steak Meatballs?
Store any leftover meatballs inside an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 4 days. Reheat leftovers plus the extra gravy on the stove top in a saucepan or inside the microwave until heated through.
Serving Suggestions For Easy Salisbury Meatballs
My favorite way to serve these meatballs is over my Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes and a vegetable side dish. Another options is to serve them over cooked white rice or egg noodles. Chopped fresh parsley is a classic garnish for Salisbury steak.
Recipe FAQ’s
What Type of Frozen Meatballs Do I Use?
You can use your favorite type of frozen meatballs for this recipe. You want 26 ounces of meatballs, which is about 25-30 meatballs. I like the classic homestyle meatballs, but you can even change it up and use turkey, Italian, or whatever kind you want. I use the Costco frozen meatballs and count out about 30 of them from the package.
Do I Need To Thaw The Meatballs Before Cooking Them?
Nope, simply dump the frozen meatballs right into the crockpot. No need to thaw!
Can I Use Homemade Meatballs?
Yes you can. Prepare your favorite homemade meatball recipe instead of using frozen meatballs. The meatballs need to be about the same size/diameter as the store-bought ones and you will need about 30 of them.
What Is The Cornstarch Slurry For?
This is what thickens the gravy sauce after the cook time. If the cook time is done and you like the thinner consistency then omit the cornstarch slurry and just serve the meatballs with the sauce. If you want the thicker gravy sauce for serving then go ahead and mix the cornstarch + cold water which is what will thicken the gravy for serving.
More Meatball Recipes To Try
- Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
- Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
- Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
- Crockpot Jelly Meatballs
- Italian Meatball Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Homemade Italian Meatballs
- Hawaiian Roll Meatball Sliders
- 5 Ingredient Meatball Sub Casserole
Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Ingredients
Salisbury Steak Meatballs
- 1 bag (26 oz) frozen meatballs (about 30-35 meatballs)
- 2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth (see notes)
- 1 packet brown gravy mix
- 1 packet onion soup mix
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Cornstarch Slurry
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Spray the insert of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Dump the frozen meatballs into the slow cooker.1 bag (26 oz) frozen meatballs
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the beef broth, brown gravy mix packet, onion soup mix packet, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. Pour this over the frozen meatballs and stir everything together.2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth, 1 packet brown gravy mix, 1 packet onion soup mix, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Cover with the lid and cook on LOW heat for 5-6 hours.
- When the cook time is done mix together the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl with a fork. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the crockpot and allow it cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the gravy has thickened.2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons cold water
- Serve the Salisbury steak meatballs over egg noodles or mashed potatoes (recommended), and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love to see it! You can share it with me on @togetherasfamilyblog and follow on Pinterest @together-as-family-blog-recipes or Facebook @togetherasfamilyblog for more!
I made this, but I didn’t have the onion soup pkt. I used Lipton’s Onion Mushroom pkt. This was so easy and delicious.Great on my mashed potatoes, with dinner rolls and side of corn. TY
Added sliced fresh mushrooms and used beefy onion soup mix. Very simple delicious meal
I wish I could give this 10 stars. It couldn’t be easier to prepare and follow up with mashed potatoes, bread & butter and a side salad. This is a keeper you WILL NOT regret it.
Delicious, easy and appreciated by the whole fam! That’s a winner!
Made this for dinner tonight. So easy and delicious! The family told me to include this on the regular rotation. Thanks!!!
Delicious!
Super easy and tastes amazing. My family loved it so much!
Easy and delicious! Prep time is 5 minutes or less and they’re super easy to make! Made them with the homestyle meatballs from Walmart frozen section and they were sooo good! Ty.
seriously AMAZING
Great recipe! I made this last night and my husband and I both loved it. Serving on top of mashed potatoes was perfect. I did 35 meatballs and we have enough for leftovers for tonight. Will definitely be making this again soon! Especially because it’s so easy! Thank you!
This was easy to throw together and a real hit with my fellowship group. Will definitely make again!
thank you for sharing. simple and delicious xo
Our family loved it! I did not have a mixed gravy packet so I used a jar of brown gravy instead and added a can of mushrooms and sliced onions to the ingredients already in the slow cooker. First I put sliced onions to with the mixture and frozen meatballs (letting them cook down) and added a can of mushrooms about a half-hour before it was all done. It was a delicious and super easy dish to make.
Love love this ! Family could not get enough
My husband loves these meatballs. They are now on a regular dinner menu rotation.
These meatballs are so good! Followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious!
I followed this recipe to a tee and it has become a near-weekly staple in our home. Thank you, it was delicious!
So good! Next time I will double the gravy mixture. Didn’t do the cornstarch slurry but still thickened up very nicely.
literally just finished chowing down on this recipe, and it was very yummy! We had beefy onion soup mix on hand, so I used half the packet of that, but the full measurements of everything else (regular sodium beef broth). We also used the GV turkey meatballs. We put the meatballs on top of buttery mashed potatoes along with a side of asparagus. Very yummy and filling 😊 The gravy was thick enough for us with no cornstarch slurry!
I made this but improvised as I didn’t feel like going to the store when I started. I could have sworn I had brown gravy mix. In a way, I did. It was Pork gravy, but it WAS brown! I added 1/2 of a large chopped white onion. Pretty darn good. I may add some spices next time but this is definitely a keeper.
I loved this recipe! It is one of those gems where it’s easy AND tastes great. We, however, didn’t care for how the cornstarch slurry made the gravy kind of gelatenous. It looked better to me before we added that. I think this is a 5 star recipe without the cornstarch!
I was nervous but worth the try! By far the best Salisbury sauce and the meatballs are to dye for I didn’t have egg noodles I used shells and side of green beans yum! I used the angus beef frozen meatballs it’s so taste so much flavor!
Hi, I’ve lived using this recipe! Do you know how it freezes?
Fantastic recipe!!!
OMG! this recipe is so good. I made homemade meatballs and put it in a cast iron pot in the oven. It turned out so good, I doubled the recipe and it was gone! Thank you for the dinner idea.
Just wondering, how long did you cook yours in the oven. And at what temp? I want to make this asap but with it so late in the day, I want to trow it in the oven. Please help 😁
This is a great go-to for my fellowship get-togethers. I double the recipe and serve over mashed potatoes .
Made this twice now. It’s a hit with the family.
These were delicious. Next time I will definitely use low sodium beef broth because they were too salty the next day. Thank you for a great recipe to add to my rotation.
We loved this recipe and it was so easy! The only thing I added was a sliced onion on the bottom of the crockpot because I already had it and it was going to go bad. I will be making this again.
This is one of my favorite recipes that I have often, super easy n very tasty
Easy and delicious!
This was soooo yummy! I prefer to make my own meatballs, and I used ghost pepper ketchup instead of regular for a kick of spice. My husband and I ate this for three days straight with no complaints! Adding this recipe to our rotation.
Me and my family love this recipe! I find when I use beef broth it’s too salty for my taste so I just use water instead, still taste amazing ❤️
This was so easy and so delicious
My Husband and I really enjoyed these. I have learned with meatballs you fix them one day let them in the refrigerator overnight or long and have the next day or so. The flavor really absorbs into the meatballs. I didn’t have to do the slurry doing it this way but next time I think I’ll double the gravy mixture. Will definitely be making them again
Omg thank you so much! They are delicious! I put them over potatoes with green beans and dinner rolls. Wow you really did excellent with this recipe!
I’ve made this recipe several times. My toddlers love it and it’s so easy for a busy momma!
I was a little skeptical with how this one smelled half way through cooking, but the finished product made be a believer! Absolutely delicious and one that will be added to the regular rotation. Thanks for sharing!
Let’s just say I was asked when I will be making meatballs again. I wish I could show you the plates😋
Let’s just say I was asked when I would be making meatballs again. I wish I could show you the plates …. Yum 😋
we love alot of gravy, so I added 2 cups of water which also cut down the saltiness. Topped homemade mashed potatoes. 10/10 no leftovers!
Very good my family loved this meal and toddler approved!!
This recipe is so delicious and easy! It will show up on my dinner table on a regular basis!
Meatballs came out delicious!!!!
My husband is from the UK so every year we celebrate Robert Burns Birthday with a special Scottish dinner following the classic format. For guests who may not have ever had Haggis, we offer a second option. This year I used this great recipe and everyone loved it and tried it right along with the Haggis. It was quick, easy and great tasting. I will be making it again and it’s a great dish for a potluck.
The ease of making this makes it 5 stars. Followed the recipe except that I used the whole 2 lb. bag of Meatballs so added about 2/3 cup more of broth. It was very good, and I would make it again!
Your recipe has become a favorite in my house! Trying to feed a family of 6 which includes 4 teenage boys can be expensive & challenging. This recipe is so easy to throw in the crockpot and leave. The flavor is amazing and it’s so delicious! I serve it over mashed potatoes with Italian green beans on the side and garlic butter, toasted french bread. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
What if you want to do this on the stovetop?
You could do that! I would combine it all in a large pot and let it simmer (medium heat, lower if needed) for up to 1 hour?? Not really sure cause I have never done it, do the cornstarch + water at the end just as the recipe says. It should work fine, just make sure you simmer it long enough and check the internal temperature of the meatballs (165 degrees F).
Excellent recipe! I made this with homemade meatballs on top of the stove for a quick dinner. I had to add about a cup of water to thin the sauce a bit but I figured if the meatballs were frozen then it would not have been a problem. Thank you for such a delicious recipe!!!!
absolutely loved this recipe. I doubled it and fed 11 people. 3 adults and 8 children everyone loved it ❤️
Toddler approved! This has made the regular rotation in our full time working with a toddler family. So delicious and so easy!
So easy and so delicious I have it on the menu regularly! Thank You! No changes needed this is perfect!
amazing. I made with cubed chuck steak added sliced onions and whole baby carrots. loved this recipe. definitely adding it to the rotation.
We made this tonight for dinner, but I just did it on the stove top not in the crock pot and my whole family loved it! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi there, I’ve tried this in the crockpot and love it. Would the recipe also work in an instant pot? I’d like to have this for dinner in the evenings after work but can’t wait 5 hours to eat 🙂
love the recipe simple and easy
It works out perfectly! Best meatballs ever! My mom loves them better than the grape ones that I’ve been making before. But I also have a small question, is it okay to use another kind of gravy? like out you gravy rather than brown gravy? I wonder how it will taste?
I think using a different gravy would be just fine. Just make sure it’s the same ounce package size as what the recipes calls for 🙂
Taking the time to comment on this. These meatballs are so freaking good, like such an amazing comfort food. Please try them!!