Crockpot Mississippi Meatballs
These Crockpot Mississippi Meatballs are a cozy, savory, tangy crowd-pleaser made entirely in your slow cooker—set it, forget it, then dig into delicious comfort food.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef (85% lean) or ground turkey
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch dressing mix (Hidden Valley or store brand)
- 1 packet (1 ounce) dry onion soup mix
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into chunks
- 1 jar (8 ounces) pepperoncini peppers, drained (reserve juice)
- 2 tablespoons pepperoncini juice (for extra tang)
- Nonstick cooking spray or a light drizzle of avocado oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef (or turkey), panko breadcrumbs, beaten egg, Worcestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Use your hands or a spoon until just blended—overmixing can make meatballs tough.
- Scoop roughly 2 tablespoons of meat mixture and roll into balls (about 1½ inches in diameter). Aim for uniform size so they cook evenly.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, spray with oil, and brown meatballs 1–2 minutes per side. You’re not cooking through—just sealing in juices and building flavor.
- Place half the meatballs in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle ranch and onion soup mixes evenly, then dot with half the butter chunks. Add the rest of the meatballs, more seasoning mixes, and remaining butter.
- Tuck whole peppers between meatballs and pour in 2 tablespoons of pepperoncini juice (or more if you like extra zip).
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or on HIGH for 2–2½ hours. Meatballs are done when internal temperature hits 160°F and sauce is bubbly.
- If your sauce seems thin, remove the lid for the last 20–30 minutes so some liquid evaporates. Alternatively, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 2 tablespoons cold water and stir into the cooker on HIGH for 10 minutes.
- Transfer meatballs to a serving dish, drizzle extra sauce over top, and sprinkle with chopped parsley or sliced green onions for freshness.
Notes
Don’t skip the browning step if you can—it adds caramelized flavor. If sauce is too salty, rinse the ranch mix off your pepperoncinis before adding. For even cooking, avoid stacking meatballs; arrange in a single layer as much as possible. If you prefer thicker sauce, use the cornstarch slurry trick or add an extra tablespoon of butter. Letting the sauce rest for 10 minutes with the lid off really concentrates flavors—trust me on this.
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