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Game Day Crock Pot Meatballs are a crowd-pleasing appetizer, perfect for enjoying while cheering on your favorite team! Tender meatballs cooked low and slow in the Crock-Pot in a tangy, sweet sauce are super easy to make, giving you more time to join in the fun.
One of our all-time favorite foods in our house is meatballs. I’ve been making them for years and thought, at some point, everyone would get tired of them. Uh, no, no way. That’s not happening, at least not anytime soon.
I have several different meatball recipes that I use depending on the occasion. They are on constant rotation for a weeknight meal and are ideal for serving at parties.
Meatball Recipes:
Game Day Crock Pot Meatballs are sweet, tangy, and might just be one of the easiest appetizers I’ve ever made. With only four ingredients, including the meatballs, all that’s required is a little stirring, then set the slow cooker.
This recipe is perfect when you’re feeding a crowd, and since the Crock-Pot does all the cooking, you’ve got more time to spend with your family and friends.
Ingredients Needed To Make Game Day Crock Pot Meatballs
- BBQ Sauce
- Apricot Preserves
- Whole Grain Mustard
- Frozen or Homemade Meatballs
Tips and Tricks For Making This Recipe
- Frozen meatballs work great in this recipe, and there’s no need to thaw them. If time allows, I make my own. You can get the recipe for my homemade meatballs here.
- I used regular BBQ sauce for these meatballs. Just pick whichever sauce you like. Add red chili flakes or hot sauce if you want to add a little heat to the sauce.
- You can cook the meatballs on low for 4 hours or high for 2.
- I like to serve this dish with skewers, but using a fork is perfectly acceptable.
How To Serve Game Day Meatballs
Don’t limit yourself, and only serve these meatballs on game day. They are also great for parties, covered dish suppers, and potlucks. They are a wonderful main dish for a weeknight meal, too. Serve them with Garlic and Herb Rice along with Tomato Cucumber Salad for an easy meal your family will love.
People Often Ask…
So the answer to this is a little complicated. Yes, meatballs are absolutely freezer friendly, but this recipe uses frozen meatballs. You won’t want to refreeze them after you’ve added the sauce.
I recommend making homemade Meatballs if that’s what you want to use, and then freeze them until you’re ready to make this recipe. Then, remove the frozen meatballs from the freezer and follow the directions in this recipe as stated. You can store these Game Day Meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Game Day Recipes You’ll Love…
- Crock Pot Beer Cheese Dip
- Slow Cooker Queso Beef Dip
- Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken Sliders
- Instant Pot Ultimate Pulled Pork Nachos
- Bloody Mary Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 28 ounce bottle BBQ Sauce
- 1 10 ounce jar Apricot Preserves
- ¼ cup whole-grain mustard
- 1 32 ounce package frozen meatballs (2 pounds)
Instructions
- Add meatballs to Crock-Pot.
- To a medium-size bowl, add BBQ sauce, apricot preserves, and mustard. Whisk together and pour over meatballs. Place cover lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
Want To Know More About Slow Cooking?
If you are new to cooking with a Crock Pot or just don’t know where to start, I’ve got something to help. I’ve put together a helpful guide with tips and recipes to get you using a slow cooker like a pro!
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Hi Donya, I was thinking of making my own meatballs in the oven and putting them in the fridge overnight, then dumping them with the sauce in the crockpot on the big day. How long would you heat the meatballs then?
Hey there Fenna!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, making your own meatballs is a great idea! So, if you’re using homemade meatballs in this recipe, I would still recommend freezing them before adding them into the Crock Pot. I like to make my Easy Homemade Meatball Recipe the day before I prepare these Game Day Crock Pot meatballs, and then store the baked meatballs in an airtight container in the freezer until the next day. Once the meatballs are fully frozen, you can simply follow this recipe exactly, add them into the Crock pot with the sauce and the cook time will be the same. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
Would love to know recommendations for the brand of best frozen meatballs. I usually make my own, but a good frozen option would be such a time saver.
Hey there Debbie!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I think you’re really going to love it! My favorite brand of frozen meatball is the Nature’s Rancher Angus Beef Meatballs, they’re an Italian-style meatball that works really well with this Crock Pot recipe. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out, I’d love to hear what you think of the recipe!
~Donya