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Slowcooker Meatballs in Marinara (Grain Free, Paleo & Whole30)

Make a big batch of these Whole30 Slow Cooker Meatballs for a delicious stress-free dinner!  Easy, Whole30, Paleo friendly, and kid friendly meatballs in marinara sauce are an easy make ahead or easy weeknight dinner  Serve on their own, over veggie or gluten free noodles.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Meatballs

  • 1 - 1.5 lbs ground beef
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 C almond flour
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • pinch salt & pepper

Marinara Sauce

  • 28 oz can Plum Tomatoes with sauce
  • 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning

Instructions
 

  • Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 of the diced onion and saute for 5 minutes or until translucent.
  • Add 1/2 of the minced garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl large enough to make the meatballs in.
  • While the onion mixture cools, get the sauce started in the crock pot. Set the crockpot to low & Add the remaining raw onion & minced garlic (not the sauteed) to the crockpot. Then add in the remaining marinara ingredients.
  • Using a wooden spoon or spatula (or your hands), break apart the tomatoes in the crockpot.
  • Back to the bowl of sauteed onions & garlic. Add all of the meatball ingredients to the bowl. Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients until combined without over handling the meat mixture. Begin to form the meatballs into balls.
  • Optional: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet & allow them to get browned on the surgace (about 1 minute per side). The middles should still be raw when adding the crockpot. Browning the meat balls just allows them to keep their shape and add a carmelized flavor to the sauce.
  • Transfer all meatballs to the crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
  • Serve alone, over spiralized veggies or with gluten free pasta. Enjoy!
Keyword dairy free, dinner, gluten free, grain free, paleo, Slowcooker, whole30