![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entertainingdiva.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/04\/crock-pot-chicken-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-5-720x1089.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAs you may know (if you’ve been here before), I love to entertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I always get carried away decorating for my parties, so I never have time to make food that is too complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which is why these Crock-Pot chicken meatballs are one of my all-time favorite appetizers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can make them a day or two ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then on the day of the party, plug them in a few hours ahead of time and forget about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And they’re easy to serve. I just put out some toothpicks beside the slow cooker and everyone helps themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, and did I mention they taste great? There are never any left at the end of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ingredients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Here’s your shopping list:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Oil<\/strong>: 2 Tablespoons olive oil<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fresh ingredients<\/strong>: 2 yellow (or sweet) onions, 3 garlic cloves<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Dried spices<\/strong>: pinch red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 3 teaspoons salt, 1 1\/2 teaspoons ground black pepper<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Canned vegetables<\/strong>: 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes – tomato sauce will also work<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Bread<\/strong>: 1 cup bread crumbs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Dairy<\/strong>: 1\/4 cup milk, 1\/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Eggs<\/strong>: 1 large egg<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Meat<\/strong>: 2 pounds ground chicken or turkey – you can also use beef if you prefer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
How to make chicken meatballs in tomato sauce<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entertainingdiva.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/04\/crock-pot-chicken-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-2-720x480.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe Prep Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Start by chopping 2 onions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reserve 1\/2 cup of chopped onions for the meatballs. The rest will go in the tomato sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then mince 3 cloves of garlic. You’ll need 2 of them for the tomato sauce and 1 for the meatballs, so you might want to keep them separate so you know how much to put in each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a small bowl, beat a large egg with a fork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make the tomato sauce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The first step in this dish is to make the tomato sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the best flavor, I like to cook this in a large pot on the stove. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However if you want to make it in the Crock-Pot, combine all of the ingredients (leaving out the olive oil) in your slow cooker and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make the tomato sauce in a pot, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add in the chopped onion (minus the 1\/2 cup reserved for the meatballs), 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried basil and a pinch of red pepper flakes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cook stirring occasionally until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then mix in 2 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, 1 1\/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper and 2 Tablespoons dried parsley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lower the temperature to medium-low and simmer for about 45 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make the meatballs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
While the sauce is simmering, put the meatballs together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a large bowl, combine 1\/4 cup milk, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1\/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1\/2 cup chopped onion, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 1\/2 teaspoons salt, 1\/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, the beaten egg and 2 pounds ground chicken, turkey or beef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mix well. You will probably have to dig in with your hands to get everything combined.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entertainingdiva.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/04\/crock-pot-chicken-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-3-720x480.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nForm 1 to 2 inch balls from the mixture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try to make them all about the same size so that they cook evenly.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entertainingdiva.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/04\/crock-pot-chicken-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-4-1-720x480.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nUsing a round Tablespoon works well for making consistently-sized (and round) meatballs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cook the meatballs in tomato sauce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When the sauce is finished, it’s time to combine the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Line the Crock-Pot with a slow cooker liner<\/a>* if you have one. They make clean up so much easier!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Put a single layer of meatballs in the bottom of the slow cooker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pour half of the tomato sauce over the top. The meatballs should be covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then add a second layer of meatballs and pour the remaining sauce over the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Put the lid on the Crock-Pot and cook on high for 3 hours, or until the meatballs are no longer pink in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These can easily stay in the slow cooker on the “Warm” setting for a few hours, which is one of the reasons I love to serve them at parties.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Crock-Pot](\"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2015\/01\/crock-pot-chicken-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-720x720.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nTo make the meatballs ahead of time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you want to get this dish ready a day or two in advance, you can prepare the tomato sauce and the meatballs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then store them separately in the refrigerator until the day of the party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow the same instructions for cooking them, but increase the cook time to 4 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other appetizer recipes you might like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Baked sticky Chinese chicken wings<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Guacamole dip<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Deviled eggs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Two ingredient Crock-Pot cheese dip<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Have comments or questions about our Crock-Pot chicken meatballs in tomato sauce? Tell us in the section below.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
These Crock-Pot chicken meatballs made in tomato sauce are one of my go-to appetizer recipes for parties. They taste great, you can make them ahead of time and they can stay in the slow cooker on warm for a few hours without losing their flavor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":36625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1964,269,276,36,281,284,1963,626],"class_list":["post-1485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-affiliate","tag-appetizers","tag-chicken","tag-crock-pot","tag-easy-to-serve-for-a-crowd","tag-finger-foods","tag-linked-post","tag-super-bowl-party"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":1,"label":"Uncategorized"}],"post_tag":[{"value":1964,"label":"affiliate"},{"value":269,"label":"Appetizers"},{"value":276,"label":"Chicken"},{"value":36,"label":"Crock Pot"},{"value":281,"label":"Easy To Serve For A Crowd"},{"value":284,"label":"Finger Foods"},{"value":1963,"label":"Linked Post"},{"value":626,"label":"Super Bowl Party"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2015\/01\/crock-pot-chicken-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-720x720.jpg",720,720,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Wanda Simone","author_link":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/about-us\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":1,"name":"Uncategorized","slug":"uncategorized","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":138,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":1,"category_count":138,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Uncategorized","category_nicename":"uncategorized","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":1964,"name":"affiliate","slug":"affiliate","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1964,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":269,"name":"Appetizers","slug":"appetizers","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":269,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":12,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":276,"name":"Chicken","slug":"chicken","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":276,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":21,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":36,"name":"Crock Pot","slug":"crock-pot","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":36,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":7,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":281,"name":"Easy To Serve For A Crowd","slug":"easy-to-serve-for-a-crowd","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":281,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":16,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":284,"name":"Finger Foods","slug":"finger-foods","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":284,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":18,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":1963,"name":"Linked Post","slug":"linked-post","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1963,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":9,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":626,"name":"Super Bowl Party","slug":"super-bowl-party","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":626,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":13,"filter":"raw"}],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":36625,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2015\/01\/crock-pot-chicken-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-400x400.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1485"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1485\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38766,"href":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1485\/revisions\/38766"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Guacamole dip<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fresh ingredients<\/strong>: 2 yellow (or sweet) onions, 3 garlic cloves<\/li>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entertainingdiva.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/04\/crock-pot-chicken-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-3.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n