Simple Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs

by Jessica | February 3, 2026 7:42 am

okay so here’s the thing — I made these slow cooker salisbury steak meatballs last week and honestly I can’t stop thinking about them.

like, my husband walked in the door and was like “what IS that smell” and I just knew we had a winner.

let me back up.

so my mom used to make salisbury steak when I was a kid. the frozen kind. you know the ones — in the little tray with the compartments? ugh I actually loved those. don’t judge me lol.

anyway I was scrolling Instagram the other night when I should’ve been sleeping and saw someone make these meatball things and I was like… wait. I could totally do that. but easier. because I’m lazy and I own a slow cooker for a reason.

so I tried it.

and honestly? mine weren’t perfect. the first batch I made them way too big and they took forever. but the second time around I figured it out.

here’s why this works:

the slow cooker does literally all the work

you throw stuff in and walk away

the gravy gets thick and rich without you babysitting it

it tastes like the frozen dinners but like… actually good

you can make it on a weekday without losing your mind

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Ingredients with some notes

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How to actually make these

mix your meat. okay so dump your ground beef in a big bowl. add the breadcrumbs, egg, about half the onion soup mix packet, and a splash of worcestershire. I always make a mess at this part. get your hands in there and smoosh it all together. don’t overmix or they get tough — I learned that the hard way.

roll em up. make balls that are like… golf ball sized? maybe a little bigger. I got about 18 out of my batch but honestly yours might be different. put them on a plate for now.

do the gravy[2] situation. in another bowl mix the cream of mushroom soup with the beef broth and the rest of the onion soup packet. whisk it until it’s smooth-ish. doesn’t have to be perfect.

layer it. put the meatballs in the slow cooker. pour the gravy stuff over the top. throw your mushrooms in there too if you’re using them. give it a gentle stir so everything gets coated.

let it cook. put the lid on and set it to low for about 4-5 hours or high for like 2-3 hours. honestly I just check on it when I remember. you’ll know they’re done when the meatballs are cooked through and the gravy is thick and bubbly.

serve it. I put mine over egg noodles but mashed potatoes work too. rice is fine. whatever you have. done.

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tips and stuff

• you can brown the meatballs first in a pan if you want them to look prettier but I skip that step 90% of the time
• make extra gravy if your family is like mine and wants to drown everything
• these freeze really well — just portion them out in containers
• if you don’t have onion soup mix just use some dried onion flakes and beef bouillon, it’s basically the same thing

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storage

okay real talk I’m bad at this part. I always forget to label things and then I open my freezer and there’s like three mystery containers staring at me.

but ideally — put leftovers in the fridge for about 3-4 days. or freeze for a couple months. just write the date on it. be better than me.

when you reheat them add a tiny splash of water or broth so the gravy doesn’t get weird.

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nutrition facts

these are estimates because I definitely don’t measure everything perfectly

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questions people ask me

 

Can I use ground turkey instead?

yeah totally. it’ll be leaner and a little different texture but it works. I’ve done it when we were trying to eat healthier. still good.

 

Do I have to use cream of mushroom soup?

you could use cream of chicken or even golden mushroom if you can find it. I’ve also seen people make their own gravy from scratch but like… why. the soup is right there.

 

My gravy is too thin what happened?

probably too much liquid or you didn’t cook it long enough. you can thicken it at the end by mixing a little cornstarch with water and stirring it in. let it cook another 20-30 minutes.

 

Can I make this in the oven instead?

I mean probably? I’d do like 350 for about an hour or so, covered. but the whole point is the slow cooker so you don’t have to think about it. whatever works for you though.

Source URL: https://ladysuniverse.com/cooker-salisbury-steak-meatballs/

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