Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs


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Frozen meatballs are turned into Salisbury steak meatballs using a couple of brown gravy mix packets, sliced mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder. This recipe is absolutely delicious and is a must-try for your dinner tonight.

Pair this great recipe with my Slow Cooker Cheesy Mashed Potatoes and Cheesy Jalapeno Corn for a great meal everyone is sure to love.

Salisbury steak meatballs in slow cooker.
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What is Salisbury steak?

Salisbury steak is an American-based dish that typically consists of ground beef and a number of other ingredients. These “other” ingredients can be a range of bread crumbs, sauces, onions, and eggs. To help save time on making homemade meatballs, I used frozen meatballs that taste just as yummy.

If you have your own favorite meatball recipe, by all means, don’t hesitate to whip up your meatball mixture and use them instead of the frozen kind. And when it comes to the classic gravy ingredients that make up Salisbury steak meatballs, all you need is brown gravy mix. The prep time is slim to nothing and the cook time is short and sweet. Easy peasy! Your whole family is in for a nice meal!

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for salisbury steak on a table.
  • Frozen Meatballs: The type of meatballs you want to use is up to you. I like to use a meatball mix, but you can purchase lean ground beef meatballs, turkey meatballs, chicken meatballs, or a sausage meatball mixture.
  • Brown Gravy Mix: You’ll need 2 packets for this recipe. Any brand will do but I like McCormick’s.
  • Mushrooms: These can be purchased already sliced or you can get the whole mushrooms and slice them yourself.
  • Water: This helps create the yummy sauce as it thickens during cooking time.
  • Seasonings: Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder are all you’ll need to capture the Salisbury flavor. The gravy mix and meatballs will have plenty of salt.

Step-by-Step Directions

3 images of how to make salisbury steak meatballs in a slow cooker.

Step One – Add the meatballs to the slow cooker.

Step Two – Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder. In a bowl, pre-mix the gravy and water, then pour it into the crock pot.

Step Three – Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours. Stir, serve, and enjoy!

meatballs in a slow cooker with brown gravy.

How to serve:

  • These tender meatballs can be served as an appetizer straight out of the slow cooker. Simply turn the slow cooker to the KEEP WARM setting, supply a slotted spoon or toothpicks for picking, and you’re all set. Pair it with a few freshly cut raw veggies for a complete appetizer dish.
  • You can also place meatballs onto a hoagie bun for a quick and easy meatball sandwich. Top it with your favorite cheese and other toppings too.
  • Considering this is a nice comfort food, you can’t go wrong by serving these brown meatballs with mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, green beans, sliced onions, or even on a bed of egg noodles. Be sure to add a nice helping of the mushroom gravy on top.
salisbury steak meatballs in a slow cooker.

Recipe Faqs

How do I create more sauce or gravy?

You can add beef broth, vegetable broth, or chicken broth in addition to the water or replace it altogether, but use more than what the recipe calls for. You can also add a can of mushroom soup.

How do I store leftover slow cooker salisbury steak meatballs?

Store any remaining meatballs in an airtight container. Pour sauce over top to store with it. It should keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Do I need to let the meatballs defrost before cooking?

No. You can add meatballs directly into the crock pot. These are already cooked prior to being frozen so the cooking time is basically the time it takes to heat the meatballs and give the gravy time to mix and thicken.

How do I reheat the meatballs?

You can pour them into a saucepan or large skillet and reheat them over medium heat until warmed throughout.

plate of meatballs with gravy over mashed potatoes.
salisbury steak meatballs in a slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Salisbury Meatballs

4.84 from 12 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Turn ordinary frozen meatballs into a Salisbury steak dish is super easy with this recipe. All you need are brown gravy packs, mushrooms, and a few seasonings.

Ingredients 
 

  • 26 oz. frozen meatballs, (no need to defrost)
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp. onion powder
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • 1.74 oz. brown gravy mix (2 packets)
  • 1 ½ cups water

Instructions 

  • Add the meatballs to the slow cooker.
  • Add the mushrooms, worcestershire sauce, onion powder and garlic powder.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the gravy mix and water.
  • Pour the gravy mixture over the meatballs.
  • Cook on LOW for 4 hours.
  • Stir, serve and enjoy.

How to Video

Sarah’s Notes

  • Store any remaining meatballs in an airtight container. Pour sauce over top to store with it. It should keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • You can pour them into a saucepan or large skillet and reheat them over medium heat until warmed throughout.

Nutrition

Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 573mg | Potassium: 378mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

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43 Comments

  1. Paula says:

    What if Iโ€™m only able to find 20 oz meatballs ?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      You can use that size bag in this recipe recipe no problem. Or you can use part of another bag if you need to serve more people.

  2. Wendy Nightingale says:

    Can you freeze this?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      Yes, this freezes well!

  3. Cheryl says:

    5 stars
    Made this for Sunday dinner. Super easy and oh so good. I followed the recipe but added one can of cream of mushroom soup and one TBS ketchup. The gravy was just the right consistency and delicious. We served it with mashed potatoes and sweet peas. Will definitely make again.

  4. Michealle says:

    Can I use the InstaPot for this or any of your Slow cooker? I’m new to this and not sure of the different cookers. Thank you in advance, have a wonderful day!โค๏ธ

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      The instant pot slow cooker function doesn’t cook as well as a regular slow cooker. I think you’ll have better results with a regular slow cooker.

  5. Penny says:

    Could you cook this on high in crockpot

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      Yes, about 3 hours should work great.