Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Meatballs combines juicy turkey meatballs, savory gravy, and fluffy stuffing into an easy, one-pot holiday meal. It delivers all the cozy flavors of Thanksgiving dinner without roasting a turkey or spending hours in the kitchen. Everything cooks together in your slow cooker, making this the perfect smaller Thanksgiving celebration, Friendsgiving, or easy family dinner.
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Recipe at a glance (TL;DR)
- Prep time: 10 min
- Cook time: 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high
- Main Ingredients: frozen turkey meatballs, gravy packet, boxed stuffing
- Servings: 8
- Best for: Smaller Thanksgiving celebrations, Friendsgiving, weeknight meals.
- Why it's lazy: No prep, dump and go.
Why you'll love this turkey meatball recipe
- Hands-free cooking. Just pop everything in your greased slow cooker and walk away.
- Saves oven space. More room for baking pies and roasting veggies.
- Family-friendly. These turkey meatballs turn a standard turkey dinner into a fun and delicious meal. Great for Thanksgiving or any time of year!
- Great for smaller gatherings. Enjoy Thanksgiving flavors with a fraction of the work.
📝Ingredient shopping list
You will need the following to make this slow cooker meatball and stuffing recipe. Full quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
Frozen
- Frozen turkey meatballs - beef, chicken, or pork meatballs work well too
Dairy
- Butter or margarine
Pantry Items
- Stuffing mix - use your favorite box
- Brown gravy mix - any packet
- Chicken Broth - water or a lower-sodium broth can also be used.
- Poultry seasoning - gives your meatballs a classic Thanksgiving flavor.
- Dried parsley
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dried thyme
Preparing your slow cooker
- Lightly coat your slow cooker with a non-stick spray, oil, or butter before cooking
- Avocado oil and olive oil are both great choices for this recipe
- Use a slow cooker liner for the easiest cleanup (always an optional step)
Step-by-step-instructions
In a separate bowl, mix stuffing and water and set aside.
Place meatballs into a greased slow cooker. Add chicken broth, gravy mix, and all seasonings. Stir to combine
Place stuffing mixture over the meatballs and top with butter slices.
Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high.
Top tip
Place a clean towel or paper towel underneath the lid of your slow cooker while cooking. It will help to absorb some of the extra liquid and help keep your stuffing fluffier.
If you love this recipe...
Please let me know in the comment section below!
Substitution options
- Swap turkey meatballs with beef, chicken, or pork meatballs in this slow cooker Thanksgiving dinner recipe.
- Use homemade meatballs or store-bought. Turkey meatballs will give you the most authentic Thanksgiving-like flavor.
- If you are a big stuffing fan, double the stuffing by using two boxes of stuffing, double the water, and double the butter.
- Gravy fans: double the gravy packets and broth to make this more gravy-heavy.
- Chicken, turkey, herb-seasoned, and cornbread stuffing all work well
- Turkey gravy, chicken gravy, or brown gravy can all be used.
- Butter or a plant-based butter can be used interchangeably, based on your preference.
- Use water or low-sodium broth in place of chicken broth.
Serving ideas
This Thanksgiving meatball and stuffing dish is great served with all the usual sides such as
Crockpot turkey meatballs are also delicious served:
- Meatball hoagie style topped with cranberry sauce
- As an appetizer with cocktail picks and cranberry dipping sauce
- In pita pockets
Storing and reheating
- Store leftover crockpot turkey meatballs and stuffing in an airtight container. They will last for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and for up to 3 months frozen. Keep in mind that stuffing may have a softer, gummier texture after thawing and reheating
- Thaw frozen chicken meatballs overnight in the refrigerator before gently reheating.
- Reheat in the microwave in short intervals, stirring in between each.
😉 Tips from my kitchen
- Use a slow cooker liner for easy clean-up. This is a fully optional step. I usually buy liners in bulk for the best per-piece price. However, if you plan to serve right out of the slow cooker, it will look nicer without a liner.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!
- When using pre-made meatballs, I recommend that you do NOT buy Italian-flavored meatballs, if possible.
- Store leftovers in individual serving-sized containers for easy grab-and-go future meals. It makes the perfect meal on a busy day.
- Always double-check that your slow cooker is plugged in and turned on! There is nothing worse than a cold slow cooker come mealtime! 😟
Tools I love
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Good to know
Yes! Frozen turkey meatballs are already cooked and can safely go directly into the slow cooker without thawing first.
Slow cooker stuffing is soft and moist rather than crisp. Placing a clean dish towel or paper towel underneath the lid helps to absorb condensation, which results in drier stuffing.
Yes, you can make just the meatballs and gravy without the stuffing.
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Meatballs with Gravy & Stuffing
(Click on the stars to leave a rating)
Print Pin Rate SaveAll nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
Equipment
- mixing bowl and spoon
Ingredients
- 48 oz frozen turkey meatballs
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 packet brown gravy mix
- 1½ cups chicken broth
Stuffing
- 1 box stuffing mix
- 1½ cups water
- ¼ cup butter or margarine sliced
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, mix together 1 box stuffing mix and 1½ cups water. Set aside and allow the stuffing mix to absorb the water
- Place 48 oz frozen turkey meatballs into a well greased slow cooker
- Add 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, 1 packet brown gravy mix, and 1½ cups chicken broth on top of the meatballs and stir to combine
- Add the moist stuffing mix evenly over top of the meatballs.
- Place ¼ cup butter or margarine slices randomly on top of the stuffing
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
Final Step
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Notes
- To help brown the top of the stuffing, place a clean paper towel or kitchen towel on top of the bowl but under the lid of your slow cooker. This will help to absorb some of the extra moisture.
- Water or low sodium chicken broth can be used in place of regular chicken broth to help reduce the sodium a bit.
- This dish is also delicious with chicken meatballs, pork meatballs, or beef meatballs.
Nutrition
All nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
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