Crockpot BBQ Meatball Subs are tender, flavorful meatballs with a sweet, tangy meatballs served in buns with melted cheese. It's an easy dump and go recipe that's great for game day or busy weeknights!
6tablespoonshoneyor sub with your favorite sweetener
1/4cupapple cider vinegar
1tablespoonHunt's tomato paste
1tablespoonWorcestershire sauceor sub with soy sauce, liquid aminos or tamari
1teaspoongarlic powder
1teaspoononion powder
salt and pepperto taste
For the meatballs:
2lbs.lean ground turkeyor sub with your favorite ground meat
1smallyellow onionpeeled, halved and grated
2clovesgarlicminced
1/2cuppanko breadcrumbs
1/2cupmilkyour favorite dairy or non dairy milk
1largeegg
2teaspoonskosher saltif using regular salt, use only 1 teaspoon
1teaspoonblack pepper
For the subs:
6sub sandwich rolls
1cupgrated cheese
Instructions
Prepare the sauce:
In a medium bowl, whisk the tomato sauce, honey, vinegar, tomato paste, Worcestershire, garlic powder, onion, and salt and pepper to taste together until well combined. Set aside.
Prepare the meatballs:
Spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray.
Place the ground turkey, grated onion, garlic, bread crumbs, milk, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gently combine with your hands, being careful not to overwork the meat.
Form the meat into 1 1/2" meatballs and place in the slow cooker.
Pour the barbecue sauce over the meatballs, reserving about 1 cup for serving if desired.
Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours or high heat for 2-3 hours or until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center.
Prepare the subs:
Preheat the oven broiler. Split the sub rolls and fill with meatballs and place on a baking sheet.
Top with cheese, and broil until the cheese has melted and the bread is toasty. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Pro tip: Prepare the bbq sauce and roll the meatballs in advance to make this recipe go even more quickly.
The barbecue sauce recipe may be substituted with your favorite store bought brand to save time.
The sauce thins as the meatballs cook in the slow cooker, but it does thicken back up as it cools once the meatballs are done. Reserving about 1 cup of the sauce is a good idea to have some nice, thick sauce ready for serving right away.
The nutrition information includes all of the sauce, but you probably won't need all of it for serving.