Crockpot Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
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.
Servings 6 (about 5 meatballs each)
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
- ⅓ cup chicken broth OR water
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 bag (24 oz) frozen chicken meatballs (I use Italian style chicken meatbals)
Cheese Topping (To Add Later)
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish)
Instructions
- 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.1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce, ⅓ cup chicken broth OR water
- Add the dried seasonings and grated parmesan cheese to the marinara sauce and stir everything together.¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Dump the frozen chicken meatballs into the crockpot and gently stir until all the meatballs are covered in the marinara sauce.1 bag (24 oz) frozen chicken meatballs
- 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. *I think the meatballs turn out better when cooking low & slow
- 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.1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 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).chopped fresh parsley
Notes
- 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.