Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs
34 Comments Jul 02, 2023
Updated Jul 18, 2024
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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.
Table of Contents
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
- 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
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!
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.
Recipe Faqs
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.
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.
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.
You can pour them into a saucepan or large skillet and reheat them over medium heat until warmed throughout.
More Meatball Recipes:
Slow Cooker Salisbury Meatballs
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
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
This dinner recipe is win! Satisfies the picky eaters. It’s a regular in the rotation now.
Found this recipe on Mandy in the Making’s channel. Made it for dinner tonight. The only change I made to the recipe is I added some onion. It was amazing. Definitely going to make this again. Thank you for such a good recipe!
You can use jar gravy. It should be at least a 12 oz jar as the recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of water to mix 2 of the 1 cup size packets,, which is what the Walmart brand is. And add your other seasonings called for in the recipe. If you choose to use ONE of the packets that makes 2 cups , such as Pioneer Brand then only use the 1 1/2 cups of water and follow the recipe. If your gravy is thinner than you like simply add in a cornstarch slurry and it will thicken it up. Usually 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 2tablespoon of cold water and stir.
Delicious! I made my own homemade brown gravy which was simple and added everything else to the crockpot. So good over mashed potatoes
We loved this. Served it with mashed potatoes. My husband kept telling me how much he liked this recipe. We will be making it again.
Could you use jar gravy?
I don’t see why not! I have not tested it, so I do not have amounts.
I always use jar gravy. It turns out great. The family loves it.
I might add a little less water or a little blended arrowroot powder next time to help thicken up the sauce. It was just a little watery – might have been from excess moisture from frozen meatballs.
We love this! I use reduced sodium brown gravy.
Is the sauce suppose to be runny?
Before it cooks, yes it will be runny. If it’s still runny after it cooks, you can make a cornstarch slurry.
How do you make a cornstarch slurry while the meat balls are in there
You make a slurry out of about 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir in into the meatballs and sauce.
How would you cook if you don’t have a crock pot. Would love to try it out!
Hi! I do not test my recipes on the stove top or oven, I apologize.
Hi Sarah ….. you could put all the ingredients together in a casserole dish and cook in your oven at 300 degrees for 4 hours.