Crockpot Meatball Subs (Easy Recipe)
Rich Italian-flavored marinara ladled over hearty, flavorful meatballs, stuffed into soft buns, and topped with melty mozzarella. These Crockpot Meatball Subs are easy weeknight comfort food at its best.
Crockpot Meatball Subs
This Slow Cooker Meatball Subs recipe turns simple pantry ingredients into a crowd-pleasing dinner.
Handmade Italian meatballs simmer in a homemade marinara sauce, then are piled into buns and topped with melted mozzarella cheese.
It’s one of those easy recipes that delivers restaurant-style flavor with very little hands-on time, making it perfect for busy evenings, potlucks, or game nights!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hands-off cooking: The slow cooker does the heavy lifting and makes crockpot meatball subs effortless.
- Big flavor: Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and crushed tomatoes create a simple but bold marinara sauce.
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly: Form meatballs ahead of time, store them in a freezer Ziploc bag, and reheat for fast dinners.
- Versatile: Use spaghetti, hoagie rolls, French bread, or hot dog buns for different meatball sandwich experiences.
Tools Needed to Make the Recipe
- Slow Cooker or Cock Pot
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheet, optional if browning meatballs first
- Tongs or a slotted spoon
Ingredients for Meatball Subs
You only need a few simple ingredients for these Easy Meatball Subs. This recipe is so easy that even my kids can make this meal.
• Panko crumbs
• Parmesan cheese
• Garlic, divided
• Onion powder, divided
• Italian seasoning, divided
• Salt, divided
• Eggs
• Milk
• Italian sausage
• Lean ground beef
• Crushed tomatoes
• Top-sliced hot dog buns
• Shredded mozzarella
Find the complete recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.
Ingredient Substitutions
Italian sausage: Use all ground beef or ground turkey for a lighter version.
Panko crumbs: Substitute plain bread crumbs or gluten-free crumbs if needed.
Milk: Use unsweetened almond milk or water for dairy-free.
Crushed tomatoes: Use a 1:1 mix of crushed tomatoes and 1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste for a thicker marinara.
Parmesan cheese: Substitute Pecorino Romano or omit for dairy-free.
Mozzarella cheese: Try dairy-free mozzarella if needed or use provolone for another mild-flavored cheese.
How to Make Meatball Subs
This Meatball Sub recipe is one of the easiest dinners in my meal rotation, and my whole family loves it!
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the crumbs, Parmesan cheese, one clove of crushed garlic, onion powder, salt, and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the two ground meats. Add the eggs and milk and mix until just combined.
- Add the crumb mixture to the meat and mix until everything is fully incorporated.
- Roll the meat mixture into 2-inch balls and set them aside to rest for about 15 minutes. TIP: Use a cookie scoop to form evenly sized meatballs.
- While the meatballs are resting, stir the remaining garlic and seasonings into the crushed tomatoes.
- Place the meatballs in your crock pot and gently spoon the sauce over the meatballs. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours.
- To serve, place about 3 meatballs on each bun, spoon sauce over the top, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Finish with fresh chopped basil if desired.
Recipe Tips / Pro Tips
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for a richer sauce.
- Brown the meatballs in a skillet on all sides before slow-cooking for extra flavor.
- Taste the sauce and add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are acidic.
- Use hoagie rolls or French bread for heartier sandwiches.
- Place the finished meatball subs under a broiler for a minute to melt the cheese completely!
- Frozen meatballs shortcut: Grab a bag of meatballs from the frozen section of the grocery store to make this recipe even easier.
- Sauce shortcut: Jarred marinara sauce can be used if you have a brand you love or want to skip making homemade sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with a potato chips, potato salad or French fries.
Storage Directions
Refrigerating
Store cooled meatballs and sauce in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Reheating
- Stovetop: Simmer gently until heated through.
- Oven: Cover and heat at 350°F until warm.
- Microwave: Heat in 45 to 60 second intervals.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Add extra cooking time to ensure they heat through.
No, browning is optional. I do love the extra flavor of browned meatballs if you want to drop them in a skillet for a few minutes to brown all sides before placing in a slow cooker, but it is not required.
Add tomato paste or cook uncovered to reduce.
These slow cooker meatball subs are an easy, satisfying dinner that works for busy nights and entertaining. They are adaptable, freezer-friendly, and always a crowd-pleaser, whether you’re serving classic meatball sandwiches or a fun Halloween twist. Enjoy.
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Crockpot Meatball Subs (Easy Recipe)
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 6 subs 1x
Description
Rich Italian-flavored marinara ladled over hearty, flavorful meatballs, stuffed into soft buns, and topped with melty mozzarella. These Crockpot Meatball Subs are easy weeknight comfort food at its best.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Panko crumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic divided
- 1 tsp onion powder divided
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning divided
- 1 1/2 tsp salt divided
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 lb. Italian sausage
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 8 top sliced hotdog buns
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the crumbs, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, onion powder, salt, and Italian Seasoning. Set this aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl, use your hands to mix the two ground meats.
- Add the eggs and milk to the meat mixture and mix well.
- Finally, add the crumb mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
- Divide the meat into 2” balls and set aside for 15 mins.
- While the meat is resting, combine the remaining spices with the crushed tomatoes to make homemade marinara sauce.
- Place the meatballs at the bottom of a slow cooker. Spoon the marinara sauce over the top. Set it to high and cook for 3 hours.
- Once the meatballs are cooked, place 3 meatballs on a bun and top with shredded mozzarella.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 3
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
The homemade meatballs really made this dish. I’ve done meatball subs with frozen meatballs before that are just ok.. but these are 10 out of 10.
This sounds SOOO Good! I like the addition of using Panko crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs. Now I’m hungry for this. it’s been quite some time since I had meatball sandwiches.
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend. I’m so happy you’re here.