Meatball Stew Recipe | Hearty Comfort Food Crockpot Meatball Dinner
A cozy slow cooker meatball stew with tender meatballs, hearty vegetables, and a rich tomato-beef gravy. Minimal prep and hands-off cooking make it perfect for busy, chilly days.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 pounds meatballs (frozen fully cooked or homemade browned meatballs)
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 3 medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch coins
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for serving)
- Crusty bread or buttered noodles (for serving)
- Grated Parmesan (optional, for serving)
Instructions
Instructions
- Chop the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion into bite-sized pieces and mince the garlic.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion to the slow cooker, then place the meatballs on top.
- Whisk together the beef broth, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, then pour the mixture over the meatballs and vegetables and add the bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender and the meatballs are heated through.
- Stir together the cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry, add it to the slow cooker, switch to HIGH if needed, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the stew lightly thickens.
- Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Ladle the stew into bowls and serve topped with fresh parsley and Parmesan, with crusty bread or buttered noodles on the side.
Notes
For best flavor and texture, brown homemade meatballs before adding. Cut potatoes uniformly so they cook evenly. Use low-sodium broth and adjust salt at the end. Do not overfill the slow cooker. To use frozen meatballs, add from frozen and cook on LOW 7–8 hours or HIGH 4–5 hours. For thicker stew, repeat the cornstarch slurry or mash some potatoes. Leftovers keep 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen. Variations: add mushrooms, spice with red pepper flakes or chipotle, finish with cream, or try turkey/chicken meatballs. Stovetop option: simmer covered 45–60 minutes, then thicken and add peas.