These Crock Pot Salisbury steak meatballs are rich, savory, and ultra delicious. Frozen meatballs are cooked until soft and tender, teamed up with a hearty mushroom gravy, and served with some rice or creamy mashed potatoes. If you’ve been craving something wholesome and delicious, but affordable and low-effort, this easy recipe ticks all those boxes.
Salisbury steak is a classic comfort food dish that has its roots in American cuisine. The ground beef patty is seasoned and combined with breadcrumbs and onions, shaped into patties, and then pan-fried or broiled.
This is then served with a rich, brown gravy that takes the flavors of the patty to the next level. This Salisbury Steak Crockpot recipe is inspired by just that. You’ll be using frozen meatballs along with the homemade mushroom gravy- everything in a Crockpot, so you can enjoy a hearty meal while cooking hands-off.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love These Salisbury Steak Meatballs
- Ingredients for the Crock Pot Salisbury Steak Meatballs Recipe
- Variations & Substitutions
- How To Make Crockpot Salisbury Steak Meatballs
- Recipe Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing & Freezing
- Recipe FAQs
- More Crock Pot Meatball Recipes
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Why You’ll Love These Salisbury Steak Meatballs
- This recipe takes the classic Salisbury steak to a whole new level by transforming it into flavor-packed meatballs that are just right for those busy weeknights.
- It’s super convenient and great if you love home-cooked meals, but still don’t want to put in a lot of effort.
- The meatballs and gravy make for a stunning dish to pair with some rice and dig into on a cold winter night when you’re really craving some comfort food.
- Slow cooking makes the meatballs incredibly tender and juicy- just perfect with little effort.
Ingredients for the Crock Pot Salisbury Steak Meatballs Recipe
- Meatballs: This one’s the star of the recipe, and I used frozen meatballs to make things quicker and more convenient.
- Mushrooms: I used brown mushrooms. These add a beautiful earthy and umami flavor to the dish and have the perfect meaty texture when cooked.
- Onion: Use a yellow onion to lend that nice sweetness and depth of flavor to the gravy.
- Beef broth: Choose a low-sodium version. This will again, add lots of flavor and will act as the base for the gravy.
- Brown gravy mix: To make the gravy that perfect flavor bomb you want it to be.
- Worcestershire sauce: For that tangy and smoky flavor.
- Ketchup: For a touch of sweetness and to balance out the other flavors.
- Dijon mustard: Love its subtle tanginess. It teams up so well with all the other seasonings too!
- Black pepper: For that warm, peppery kick.
- Garlic: For its incredible aroma! Use minced garlic for best results, but if you can’t find it, garlic powder can work well too.
- Slurry: A simple cornstarch and water slurry to create that perfect velvety gravy.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full list of ingredients and the exact quantities of each one.
Variations & Substitutions
- Throw in some other mushrooms like Portobello, Cremini, or shiitake to lend a bit of extra flavor to the gravy.
- Want to bring some extra tanginess into the gravy? Swap the Worcestershire sauce with some balsamic vinegar.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce to the meatball mixture to lend the dish a spicy kick.
- Add some dried basil and oregano into the gravy or the meatball mixture to lend it a bit of a Mediterranean flavor.
- To make the gravy rich and creamy, add a splash of heavy cream or sour cream to the gravy towards the end of the cooking time.
- Swap the Worcestershire sauce with some soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil to lend the dish a bit of an Asian twist.
- Top the dish with some shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese during the final minutes of cooking to lend it a cheesy finish.
How To Make Crockpot Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Step 1: Prep the ingredients: Start by slicing the mushrooms and the onions. Arrange them on the bottom of a 6-quart Crockpot, and top them with the frozen meatballs.
Step 2: Make the sauce: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the beef broth, gravy mix, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, black pepper, and garlic. Whisk until well combined and pour over meatballs.
Step 3: Cover and cook: Add the lid to the top and cook for 2-3 hours on HIGH or 5-6 hours on LOW.
Step 4: Thicken the sauce: Whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Pour into the crock pot and stir. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Step 5: Serve: Ladle over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Want to have a chunkier mushroom gravy? Slice the mushrooms thicker.
- Swap the frozen meatballs with plant-based meatballs or a combination of lentils and mushrooms to try a vegetarian or vegan version of the dish. Remember that each of these will take considerably less time to cook.
- To enhance the flavor and depth of the gravy, add a splash of red wine or add some beef bouillon granules into the mix.
- Don’t have the brown gravy mix the recipe calls for? Use some beef bouillon or beef broth along with some cornstarch and spices like onion and garlic powder and some paprika to make your own homemade version.
Serving Suggestions
There are lots of ways to serve these Salisbury steak meatballs with mushroom gravy. I personally love serving the gravy and meatballs with some slow cooker rice, or my favorite garlic mashed potatoes. You can also team them up with some noodles, air fryed baby potatoes, or a veggie side dish like Crockpot green beans.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: To store, first, allow the leftovers to cool down completely, then transfer them to an airtight container. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: You can store these Salisbury steak meatballs with mushroom gravy in the freezer too!Just allow them to cool down before transferring them to a freezer-safe container. This should stay good for up to 3 months. Just remember to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, and then reheat it in a pan or your Crockpot.
Recipe FAQs
It usually takes around 2-3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low to warm the meatballs and sauce in a slow cooker. This is just the right time to allow all the flavors to meld together in the gravy.
Yes, frozen meatballs are usually already cooked. The reason why we cook them in the Crockpot is simply to warm them through and allow them to absorb the flavors of the sauce.
More Crock Pot Meatball Recipes
- Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs
- Crock Pot Honey Garlic Meatballs
- Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Crock Pot Meatballs and Gravy
- Slow Cooker French Onion Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Meatball Soup
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Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 26 oz frozen meatballs
Mushroom Gravy
- 8 oz brown mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 yellow onion (sliced)
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 oz Package brown gravy mix
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Place the sliced mushrooms and onions in the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot. Then pour frozen meatballs over the top.
- Add beef broth, gravy mix, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, black pepper, and garlic in a medium bowl. Whisk until well combined and pour over meatballs.
- Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
- In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and water together. Pour over the meatballs and mix until well combined. Cook for ten minutes or until the gravy thickens.
- Serve over rice or mashed potatoes, and enjoy!
Notes
- Want to have a chunkier mushroom gravy? Slice the mushrooms thicker.
- Swap the frozen meatballs with plant-based meatballs or a combination of lentils and mushrooms to try a vegetarian or vegan version of the dish. Remember that each of these will take considerably less time to cook.
- To enhance the flavor and depth of the gravy, add a splash of red wine or add some beef bouillon granules into the mix.
- Don’t have the brown gravy mix the recipe calls for? Use some beef bouillon or beef broth along with some cornstarch and spices like onion and garlic powder and some paprika to make your own homemade version.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Erika Saulsberry says
This was delicious and so easy!
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you enjoyed these tasty meatballs.
Shelly says
Absolutely phenomenal!! I omitted the mustard(allergy) but it was so good!! I will definitely making this again!
Ryan Allen says
I am so happy that you enjoyed it.
Connie says
Sooo good! Was an instant hit with my family!
Ryan Allen says
I'm thrilled to hear that! Thanks for sharing your feedback!