If saving time and "set it and forget it" are a few of your favorite words, then for you, a culinary marriage made in heaven includes a giant bag of precooked frozen meatballs and your slow cooker. The frozen, pre-made meatballs come out tender and flavorful, and you do not have to worry about food safety since they are already fully cooked.

Or, if you enjoy spending some time in the kitchen, you can use your own homemade meatballs in any of these crockpot recipes. A good trick for cooking homemade meatballs is to bake them in the oven instead of frying them in a skillet. Baked meatballs cook more evenly with less work. Bake a pan of meatballs at 350 F for 25 to 35 minutes, until they are cooked through. Or, you can freeze them and use them in these recipes. If you use extra lean ground beef, freshly prepared meatballs can cook right in the crockpot.

New crockpots on the market seem to cook faster and hotter than the older versions. Make sure you know your own crockpot; sometimes just 4 to 5 hours on low heat will be enough cooking time.

Crockpot Meatball Recipes

Have fun experimenting with meatballs, your slow cooker, and some of these recipes

Barbecued Meatballs
This easy recipe for barbecued meatballs makes a great appetizer for a party or potluck. Or, for a family meal, you can serve the meatballs along with a green salad, corn on the cob, potato salad, and other favorite barbecue sides. All without ever heating up your grill.

Crockpot Baked Beans and Meatballs
Baked beans team with pre-made frozen wild rice and ground beef meatballs for this flavorful crockpot baked beans and meatballs recipe. It has the comfort food taste of pork and beans with a meatball twist.

Crockpot Tex-Mex Meatballs
If you like an easy dip made with canned tomatoes, diced green chiles, and processed cheese, this crockpot Tex-Mex meatballs recipe for you. Tender meatballs are cooked in a spicy sauce, then the cheese is stirred in at the last minute to make everything creamy and rich.

Creamy Pesto Meatballs
Pesto sauce and Parmesan cheese are stirred in at the end of this creamy pesto meatballs recipe so they retain flavor and texture. This easy recipe is made using convenience products, like jarred sauces and premade meatballs. Serve the meatballs with pasta or rice.

Meatball Hoagie Sandwiches
These savory, traditional meatball hoagie sandwiches are so easy to make with your slow cooker. Choose a spicy pasta sauce for even more flavor.

Easy Meatball Soup
You only need to raid your freezer for frozen meatballs and mixed vegetables and your pantry for beef broth and canned diced tomatoes to make this easy meatball soup in the slow cooker. No chopping required.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
These wonderful sweet and sour meatballs have a great Asian flavor profile. Make your own meatballs or use frozen meatballs. You can serve these as an appetizer right from the slow cooker or make them the main course over rice or stir-fried noodles.

Slow Cooker Meatball Stew
No stew meat? No problem. Use frozen meatballs instead for this slow cooker meatball stew that has the flavors of classic beef stew.

Meatball and Potato Stew
Potatoes and evaporated milk combine to make this meatball and potato stew rich and hearty.

All-in-the-Slow-Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
This all-in-the-slow-cooker spaghetti and meatballs recipe is the best because you do not even have to cook the spaghetti. After simmering the meatballs and sauce for several hours, you will just toss the pasta into the slow cooker on high for 15 to 25 minutes. The pasta comes out tasting so flavorful.

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs
Make these slow cooker Swedish meatballs with canned soups and sour cream. They are great to take to the potluck or buffet supper. Or serve them over rice or cooked noodles for a family dinner.

Crockpot Meatball Chili
This excellent crockpot meatball chili recipe uses frozen meatballs in place of stew meat. Even if your meatballs are labeled as Italian, you will be amazed at how well they work with chili.