Meatballs in a slow cooker with gravy - 7 recipes

Time: 60 min.

Servings: 4-6

Difficulty: 4 out of 5

Meatballs are rightfully considered one of the healthiest and most delicious dishes that can surprise anyone with their excellent taste and appearance.

And this is not surprising, because small meat balls turn out so soft, juicy, tender and aromatic that no one can resist them.

In addition, meatballs are prepared with any gravy, which gives the dish additional taste and appetizing.

Meatballs in sour cream or cream sauce, cooked in a slow cooker, are a delicious, easy and quick dish that always turns out tasty, nutritious and extremely appetizing.

Thanks to the gravy, the most delicate minced meat turns out so juicy, aromatic and soft that any connoisseur of home cooking will easily enjoy this dish.

It is worth noting that meatballs in sauce cooked in a slow cooker are an excellent addition to any side dish, because the dish will definitely not be dry, but also tasty, nutritious and satisfying.

To prepare this recipe, you can use any type of minced meat, since meatballs in cream or sauce always turn out nourishing and juicy.

However, it is best to use beef or pork, since the meat does not disintegrate during cooking and is juicy and tender.

It is also worth noting that it is better to cook minced meat yourself if you want the dish to be tasty and healthy. Although many housewives use store-bought minced meat, which can be bought everywhere these days.

Meatballs in a slow cooker, made in cream or sauce, turn out especially tasty, despite the side dish - many women even use this recipe on its own, since they, therefore, include all the healthy and satisfying foods.

One of them is rice - this grain is placed in minced meat when preparing meatballs. Rice is necessary for meat to add nutrition to the dish, excellent taste and appearance. It would be wrong to cook meatballs in sauce without such grains.

This recipe, prepared in a slow cooker, does not differ at all in taste and appearance from the option of cooking in the oven or on the stove.

However, in this case, you will not need to stand at the stove and monitor the cooking process - the kitchen appliance will do all the main work.

In addition, thanks to the multicooker, the dish is prepared much faster and easier. Meatballs in sauce can “wait” for you all day long, just turn on the “Warming” mode.

This function is important for kitchen appliances, since you can prepare such a recipe in the morning or afternoon, so that you don’t have to mess around in the kitchen in the evening when preparing a family dinner.

Experienced housewives who have cooked meatballs in a slow cooker more than once can safely supplement or change the recipe by preparing meatballs in any sauces.

In addition, the composition of the minced meat can also be safely changed by adding other products and ingredients. In any case, the recipe will turn out especially tasty and nutritious.

It is impossible not to notice that children will certainly like this cooking option, since the minced meat will be cooked in a sauce, which means the dish will turn out boiled, which is important for proper nutrition.

And if you serve such a dish with fresh vegetables, and do not add spices to the recipe, this cooking option can be safely called useful and healthy.

Classic meatballs with tomato sauce in a slow cooker

Classic meatballs with tomato sauce are prepared from a mixture of several types of meat, which are processed simultaneously. It can be chicken and pork, pork and beef, turkey or rabbit - you choose. Minced chicken comes out juicier from a whole chicken carcass, but from fillet the dish will turn out a little dry. It is better to take pieces of pork that are moderately fatty, for example, use ham or neck. Beef in its pure form (especially veal) is a dietary dish, and it is important to choose the right sauce for it. In general, the number of ingredients is small, and housewives usually always have them in stock.

For the meatballs you will need:

• Minced meat – 500 g;
• Onion (large) – 1 pc.;
• Rice, cooked until half cooked – 250 g;
• Chicken eggs – 2 pcs.;
• Tomatoes in their own juice, tomato paste for sauce – 500 g or 3 tbsp;
• Spices and salt to taste.

Mix meat, rice, eggs, onion, cut into small cubes, salt and pepper. From the resulting mass we make balls slightly larger than a tennis ball. Roll each one in flour. Using the “Fry” mode, fry the meatballs until they have an appetizing crust, if possible, on all sides.

At the same time, mix the sauce. Ideally, these should be pureed tomatoes without skins, to which a little salt and spices are added to taste. But you can replace fresh tomatoes with canned tomatoes in their own juice, tomato juice or paste diluted in boiled water at the rate of 3 tbsp. for 250 ml. You can add cream, a couple of spoons of sour cream or a little milk to the tomatoes to give the dish a creamy hue and soften the acid that is always present in tomatoes.

The sauce should completely cover the meatballs, or even better if the meat balls seem to “float” in it: in this case you cannot skimp on the sauce, otherwise the dish will turn out dry. And also, do not forget about the size: the balls should not be huge, and should have time to cook completely. But you shouldn’t chop them up either: these are still not meatballs.

Place the meatballs on the bottom of a multi-bowl greased with vegetable oil, then pour the sauce over them. Cook on the “Stew” mode for 20-30 minutes. Serve with any side dish or on its own, topped with the prepared sauce and sprinkled with fresh herbs. Meatballs are a completely self-sufficient dish, although they go well with side dishes: mashed potatoes, buckwheat or pasta.

Ingredients:

You can cook the rice before cooking, or you can take it uncooked, but thoroughly washed.

Step 1

Defrost the minced meat (if store-bought) or grind the meat using a meat grinder (if the product is homemade).

Step 2

Boil the rice until half cooked. At the same time, the water must be slightly salty during boiling. After cooking, drain the water and place the cereal on a sieve to allow the liquid to drain completely.

Step 3

Chop the onions and carrots. Then pour a little oil into the multicooker and add the prepared vegetables. Fry the mixture until the onion becomes transparent. Frying of products is carried out using the “Frying” program.

Step 4

Add a little frying, eggs, salt and spices to the minced meat. We begin to knead the product - the result should be a homogeneous mass. After which we begin to sculpt the meatballs, which should be no larger than a chicken egg.

Step 5

Mix sour cream with water, salt and pepper the sauce.

Step 6

Place the meatballs on the grill. Sprinkle them with flour and pour in the sauce. The dish is prepared for 40 minutes in the “Stew” mode.

As you can see, meatballs in a homemade sour cream sauce in a slow cooker are prepared quickly and very simply.

See another version of this dish:

Recipe for hedgehogs with rice

Hedgehogs with rice are a favorite children's dish. They are especially tasty from tender minced chicken, which is rolled from several chicken parts - breasts, thighs or legs. The meatballs are molded as in the classic recipe. The difference, and a fundamental one, is in the degree of readiness of the rice. It should be almost raw, because during cooking each grain of rice swells, which is why the meatballs resemble “hedgehogs”. Long-grain cereals that have been steamed are more suitable: this reduces the cooking time.

Hedgehogs are cooked in sauce, but it’s even better to steam them and, so that they don’t turn out dry, serve with sour cream and herbs.

How to make meatballs with gravy in a slow cooker according to a step-by-step recipe with photos

Today we will cook meatballs with buckwheat in sauce. This treat is called “Grechaniki”, it belongs to Ukrainian cuisine. They can easily become a tasty replacement for any meat dish with a side dish, because they contain both. Thanks to the sauce, the buckwheat is very juicy, has an appetizing appearance and aroma. The product contains accessible ingredients, and any housewife can handle the cooking process.

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This dish is very easy to prepare using a slow cooker. In it they turn out very juicy, and the products retain their beneficial substances.

Meatballs in sour cream sauce in a slow cooker

Some housewives do not add tomatoes on principle, considering them too aggressive for the stomach. But sour cream 2.5% fat is a wonderful sauce that gives a creamy taste to the meatballs. To prevent the sour cream from curdling during the stewing process, you can mix it with cream and add two tablespoons of flour - this sauce will be tender, tasty and thick. True, you need to knead everything well so that the gravy does not contain unpleasant flour lumps.

Preparing the balls is very simple: we make them from minced meat, fry them (as in the basic recipe), and place them on the bottom of the multi-bowl. Cook until done using the “Stew” mode, serve the meatballs in sour cream sauce with mashed potatoes or pasta.

If desired, you can stew the meatballs under a “cap” of onions, carrots, bell peppers and herbs. But, if you fill the balls with sour cream sauce, you shouldn’t add all these vegetables: they don’t go together.

How to deliciously cook meatballs with gravy in a slow cooker

Prepare the following set of ingredients in advance:

• 500 grams of any minced meat (if you want especially tender meatballs, use minced poultry meat);
• 100 grams of rice;
• 2 large fresh eggs;
• 2 onions;
• carrot;
• 100 grams of heavy cream;
• a spoonful of sour cream and a spoonful of tomato puree;
• seasonings and spices to taste.

How to cook homemade meatballs with sour cream and tomato paste sauce in a slow cooker - step-by-step recipe with photos:

Don’t use store-bought minced meat for homemade meatballs – prepare it yourself. This process is not too labor-intensive, and the result is always excellent - the meatballs turn out juicier and more tender.

At the stage of preparing the minced meat, you can add a little soaked loaf crumb to it - this way the products will come out in an ideal shape when sculpted. The greens will also add juiciness to the minced meat - also turn it in a meat grinder and stir.

You can add other ingredients to the minced meatballs that can give the dish piquant flavor nuances: mushrooms, garlic, cheese.

It is not difficult to prepare meatballs with gravy, and the cooking process always begins with boiling the rice, which is added to the minced meat. Rinse the cereal thoroughly under water and place it in a saucepan, cover with clean water and cook until tender for about 20 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, process the vegetables. Peel the onions and carrots, rinse and start slicing. The onion is cut into small cubes as standard, the carrots are grated on a coarse or fine grater.

Heat a frying pan with oil and fry vegetables in it. Simmer vegetables for frying until the onion cubes are translucent.

Assemble the minced meat completely: to do this, add boiled rice and part of the frying mixture, beat in the eggs, add spices to taste. The minced meat must be kneaded thoroughly - experienced housewives know that minced meat should be kneaded for at least 5-10 minutes, then it is guaranteed to be airy.

Place the minced meat in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and then start making meatballs. Try to ensure that the meatballs are the same size and have an even round shape.

You should not make the products too large, as in this case they will take much longer to cook.

Stick the meatballs and carefully place them on the bottom of the multicooker. If you want, you can fry the meat balls - this way they will reach readiness faster, but in this case they will certainly need to be pre-breaded in flour.

Cooking like in kindergarten - a delicious recipe

For meatballs in kindergartens, they always use either chicken or beef - pork is prohibited in kindergartens. Cooks in kindergartens also do not put eggs in meatballs, but fry onions in butter: the meat becomes juicy and sweet, which, naturally, is very much appreciated by little eaters.

Next, we “cook” in stages:

1. Mix the minced meat well with rice and onions.
2. Roll the balls in flour.
3. Fry in a frying pan.
4. Pour in sour cream sauce and add just a little tomato sauce.
5. Simmer in the slow cooker on the “Stew” mode for 15-20 minutes.

You can serve the meatballs with small noodles, buckwheat or mashed potatoes with water: the fat content in the meatballs is quite enough.

Rolling in flour is not a necessary part of the cooking technology. But it is this stage that helps the balls keep their shape and not crack during frying and then stewing.

Option meatballs with gravy - steamed in a slow cooker

Many models of multicookers are equipped with a grate for steaming dishes. It’s easy to cook meatballs with rice in a slow cooker this way. By the way, such meat balls can include any cereal, for example, buckwheat and oatmeal. Believe me, it only enhances the taste.

Preparing the dish is simple, following these steps:

1. We form meatballs by mixing cereals and meat.
2. Place the balls, without dredging them in flour, on a greased wire rack.
3. Place the sauce at the bottom of the bowl. To do this, mix tomato sauce with a couple of tablespoons of flour, spices, and salt.
4. We cook in the “Stew” or “Steam” mode (what options do you have).
5. Serve the meatballs sprinkled with sauce or separately.

It is better to cook the cereals until al dente. However, multi-pressure cookers manage to cook them to the desired condition. In such models they can be placed raw in minced meat.

The undoubted advantages of the cooking method are the ability not to weigh down the meat with sauce, which in other cases (say, with stomach diseases) may be contraindicated. But one way or another, our meat balls are soaked in sauce and only benefit from juiciness. This has been verified.

Meatballs with buckwheat in a slow cooker

Kitchen appliances: multicooker.

Ingredients

Choosing the right ingredients

• Grechaniki are often prepared from minced pork and beef, but if you wish, you can make any other kind. Minced meat made yourself will be very tasty, so I recommend that you purchase high-quality meat for this.
• Pre-wash the buckwheat and be sure to soak it in water. Some people simply pour it over night, others use boiled water, but I always pour boiling water over it and let it sit for an hour.

Step by step recipe

1. Pour 1.5 multi-cups of buckwheat with 1 cup of boiled water and leave for 1 hour.
2. Make minced meat in a blender - 300 g, 3 cloves of garlic and onions.

3. In a deep bowl, mix the resulting minced meat with 1 egg, salt, pepper at your discretion and buckwheat.

4. Form round or oblong meatballs from the resulting mass and roll each one in flour.

5. Put on the multicooker to the “Frying” mode and fry the preparations in vegetable oil.

6. Now you need to make the gravy. In a plate, mix two tablespoons of tomato paste and sour cream, half a glass of water and salt.

7. Place all the meatballs in a slow cooker, add the filling and 300 g of water. It should not completely cover them. Cook in the “Multi-cook” mode at 110°C for 10 minutes.

   
   

8. Using the same recipe, you can cook meatballs with rice in a slow cooker, adding raw rice instead of buckwheat, about 0.5 multi-cups per serving.

Bon appetit!

Videorecept

Now let's watch a detailed video that reveals the entire process of preparing delicious meatballs.

Over the years, skillful housewives have learned to assemble meat balls with completely different ingredients. So, chicken meatballs with vegetables turn out very tasty. They are perfect as a separate dish or with a side dish of your choice. They are very easy to prepare, and the cost of the products is affordable for everyone.

With the advent of multicookers in our lives, we have the opportunity to enjoy even more delicious and healthy products, the preparation of which does not take much of our time. So, you can independently regulate the start of cooking or leave ready-made dishes in the “Warming” mode until they are consumed. It must be admitted that the cooking process has become much easier and brings pleasure. Let's cook delicious food using miracle technology.

Minced chicken recipe

As already mentioned, meatballs in a steamed slow cooker or meatballs in sour cream sauce become much more tender if they are made from minced chicken.

What parts of poultry are best for homemade minced meat?

1. Chicken fillet (if you are on a diet). You don’t have to put rice in this option, but add juiciness with a large amount of onion.
2. Chicken thighs.
3. Chicken legs, without skin.

Grind the minced meat in a meat grinder or blender, knead well, form meatballs and cook them, following the classic recipe. Serve with baked potatoes, pasta or any sugar-free porridge.

Chicken meatballs with vegetables in a slow cooker

Ingredients

Choosing the right products

• This dish is very easy to prepare when fresh vegetables are in season. By purchasing them from farmers, we receive an environmentally friendly product that is saturated with various beneficial substances. With their help, our dish will become very tasty, healthy, nutritious and dietary. You can use the quantity and variety of vegetables as per your preference.
• You can add any seasonings you like. A variety of dried herbs are ideal.
• This time I used chicken fillet for minced meat. You can do the same or buy any minced meat in the store.
• Cheese makes an excellent filling. Eat the meatballs warm and hot to enjoy the delicious “toffee” that comes out of it.

Step by step recipe

1. Make minced meat from 1 chicken fillet and mix with finely chopped 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, add salt, pepper and any other seasonings at your discretion.

2. Cut 250 g of cheese into cubes. Form meatballs from the mixture and place a piece of cheese inside each.

3. Fry in a multicooker in the “Fry” mode.

4. Mix 150 g of sour cream and tomato paste, add to the prepared meatballs in the slow cooker and simmer for 1 hour in the “Stew” mode.

Place on a plate with lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

Video recipe

This video contains detailed information about preparing our dish. Here you can see what kind of meatballs will be when fully cooked.

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Fish meatballs with gravy - step-by-step recipe

Surprisingly, meatballs in a slow cooker turn out very unusual, tasty, and light if you replace the meat with fish. What types of fish are preferable? This is cod, pollock or haddock (if you are not too lazy to tinker with it for quality cutting). Pike perch is a good river fish for meatballs - it is meaty, bakes well, and contains few bones. And from the sea, try the greenling: here it is important to find it in extreme freshness and the latest catch.

Making fish meatballs is simple:

1. We cut the fish, separating the fillets, grind it in a meat grinder, or grind it in a blender.
2. Add squeezed bread crumb soaked in milk or cream to the minced fish.
3. Form meatballs and roll them in flour.
4. Fry in the bottom of a multi-bowl in a small amount of vegetable oil.
5. Pour in tomato sauce.
6. Cooking in the “Stew” mode.

It is better to serve fish balls with vegetables. In the winter season, fried cabbage - red, cauliflower or white - is ideal for fish.

When preparing minced fish, remember the rule: fish drink milk! Be sure to soak the fish in milk or add bread crumbs soaked in milk sauce. But it’s better not to put sour cream in such a dish: tomatoes are enough.