Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs

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My slow cooker BBQ meatballs come together with just 5 ingredients and require minimal effort for maximum flavor. Prepped, cooked, and ready to serve in the crockpot in just over 2 hours!

BBQ Meatballs in a blue bowl with a blue and white striped napkin behind it and fancy toothpicks next to it.

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Why You'll Love My BBQ Crock Pot Meatballs
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
How To Make Meatballs Crockpot BBQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Tips For Making This BBQ Meatballs Recipe
What To Serve With Crockpot Meatballs with BBQ Sauce
Other Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes To Try
Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs Recipe

Why You'll Love My BBQ Crock Pot Meatballs

You know what I love on game day? A big batch of BBQ meatballs in the crock pot! In my family, we love to make a bunch of delicious appetizers to enjoy while we watch football on Sundays. And as you probably know, I'm not a huge football fan. I'm kind of just there for the food!

I love recipes that don't take a lot of time or effort but are still super addictive — the kind of snack you'd happily chow down on along with the rest of your game day spread.

And of course, the last thing I want to be doing on a Sunday morning is rolling ground beef into homemade meatballs — that's too much work. So this slow cooker BBQ meatballs recipe is made with frozen, pre-made ones instead! That's not all there is to love:

Set-it-and-forget-it recipe
Super portable in the slow cooker
Minimal ingredients
Less than 10 minutes of prep
Perfect for game day, parties, and other special occasions!

A close up image of a bowl of meatballs in BBQ with a toothpick in the focus meatball.

Ingredient Information And Substitutions

Frozen Meatballs- Look, I love homemade meatballs (check out my Grandma's real-deal Italian meatballs!). But I promise these will still taste great and be totally easy for you!
Ketchup- The liquid base of the sauce, ketchup adds sweetness, color, and acidity.
Liquid Smoke- Gives your slow cooker BBQ meatballs a smoky flavor without any actual smoking. It also provides most of that "barbecue" flavor. Soy sauce is the best sub.
Brown Sugar- Helps to balance out the tart ketchup and injects more sweetness.
Onion- Adds even more flavor to this BBQ meatballs crockpot recipe. You could use dried minced onions instead if you don't want to use fresh.

An overhead image of labeled recipe ingredients.

How To Make Meatballs Crockpot BBQ

Step 1- Prep the Crockpot.

Add the ketchup, liquid smoke, and brown sugar to your slow cooker and whisk to combine. Stir in the minced onions and meatballs.

Sauce ingredients in the crockpot and the sauce mixed together in the pot.

Step 2- Slow cook.

Cover your slow cooker and set to High. Cook the BBQ meatballs in crockpot for 2 hours, or until hot and bubbly, stirring a couple times.

Set your slow cooker to Warm and serve your crockpot meatballs with BBQ sauce while they're piping hot. Enjoy!

Meatballs and onions mixed into the sauce and then the slow cooker covered and cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the meatballs from scratch?

Totally! My all-time favorite recipe is my Grandma's real-deal Italian meatballs.

Can this BBQ meatballs crockpot recipe be made gluten free?

Yes, just be sure to choose a brand of prepared meatballs that are gluten free.

Do you have to cook the meatballs before putting them in a crockpot?

The ones I purchased were precooked. If using raw, either brown them first or extend the cook time by an hour or two.Be sure to make sure the center of the meatballs is 165 degrees F.

Why do my meatballs fall apart in the slow cooker?

Homemade meatballs may fall apart if you don't use a binder (eggs, breadcrumbs, or bread). But because we're using precooked meatballs for this recipe, you won't have to worry about that.

How long do you cook BBQ meatballs in a crock pot?

I went with 2 hours on High. If you'd rather do low heat, I'd encourage you to go more like 3.5-4 hours.

Are BBQ meatballs healthy?

Not really. There's a lot of processed sugar. But these are not meant to be eaten as an entree, they're designed to be an appetizer. So in theory, you're only eating a few.

An overhead image of a bowl of BBQ Meatballs with a blue and white striped napkin and fancy toothpicks around it.

Tips For Making This BBQ Meatballs Recipe

Mix the sauce right in the pot of the slow cooker! No need to dirty any extra dishes.
When you add the meatballs and onions, be sure to stir well so everything is evenly coated.
Don't worry about touching the meatballs as they cook. I usually stir a couple times, but you don't have to.
I like to serve these directly from the crockpot. I simply set it to Warm after they're done cooking.
I wanted to keep these slow cooker BBQ meatballs as simple as possible. But that doesn't mean you can experiment with extra ingredients! Sometimes I'll add a pinch of cayenne for some heat or a blend of Italian seasonings. You can even substitute soy sauce for liquid smoke.
Ingredients to prep ahead- This recipe is super hands-off once you load up your crockpot, so there isn't much to prep! You could always mince the onions in advance.
Leftovers and storage- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, pop the meatballs in the microwave and heat in 30-second bursts until warmed through, or on the stovetop.

A close up image of a meatball on a toothpick that's been cut in half exposing the inside of the meatball on a pile of other meatballs.

What To Serve With Crockpot Meatballs with BBQ Sauce

This is one of our game-day appetizer specials! I'll usually pair them with another app or two, plus some more substantial main dishes. Here are a few of my favorite options:

Other Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes To Try

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!