These meatball subs are so incredibly tender, flavorful, and just all-around decadent thanks to that low and slow simmer in marinara sauce. If you’ve been looking for how to make meatball subs at home, this recipe is a must. It’s magical! And the best part is that this recipe makes a pretty big batch, so you can freeze half for later (use them in subs or on pasta)! Cook once, eat twice. 🙌
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“What a great recipe! I used your marinara recipe as well and it is a keeper. I have a good one already but this will be used as well. The meatballs were delicious. Great flavor, great size, and the leftovers were used in school lunches with rice.”
SUSAn
Easy Meatball Subs
These meatball subs come together so easily in a slow cooker. And while you don’t have to use a slow cooker to make these easy meatball subs, I’m telling you right now—you may want to. That long, low simmer in marinara sauce transforms simple ingredients into the most incredibly tender, juicy, flavor-packed meatballs. The sauce thickens, the seasonings meld together, and every meatball soaks up all that goodness until they’re practically melting into the bun. It’s the kind of hands-off cooking that makes your kitchen smell amazing and your dinner taste even better.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, don’t worry—you can still make amazing subs. Just follow the cooking instructions for my basic homemade meatballs, then pile them into soft hoagie rolls, spoon over plenty of warm marinara, crown each one with a generous handful of cheese, and bake until everything is melty, toasty, and irresistible. Either way, you’re getting a full-on comfort food moment.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure not to overmix the meatball mixture. Overmixing will cause the meatballs to turn out dry and tough.
- Layer the meatballs and sauce. This ensures they cook through evenly.
- All slow cookers work a little bit differently. I advise checking early and often the first time you make this recipe, so that the meat doesn’t get overcooked. The internal temperature should be 165°F.
- Toast the buns. I find this will help prevent them from turning soggy too quickly.
- If you can’t find sausage. Use ground pork and add a touch of fennel.
- Vegetarian meat options. These will not hold up in the slow cooker, so cook separately and add at the end.
Meatball Subs
Cost $18.63 recipe / $2.32 serving
Ingredients
Meatballs
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (any kind, including Italian or panko, $0.18)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan ($1.66)
- ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- ½ tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp salt ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp pepper ($0.02)
- 2 large eggs ($0.36)
- ¼ cup milk ($0.05)
- 1 lb. Italian sausage ($3.87)
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (90% lean or higher, $4.98)
Marinara Sauce
- 1 yellow onion (small, $0.70)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.44)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.18)
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes (1 can, $1.67)
- ½ tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- ½ tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1 tsp brown sugar (optional, $0.02)
- 1 tsp salt (to taste, $0.03)
Subs
- 8 buns or rolls ($3.50 (sub or hoagie work best))
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella ($0.62)
Instructions
- Lightly whisk two large eggs in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Add the Italian sausage and ground beef to a large bowl with the whisked egg, breadcrumb mixture, and milk Use your hands to mix the ingredients together. Avoid overmixing the meat.
- Divide and shape the meat into 24 meatballs, about 3 Tbps each. The easiest way to do this is to first divide the meat mixture into four equal portions, then divide each of those in half to make eight equal portions. Finally, divide each of the 8 portions of meat into thirds and shape them into balls to make 24 meatballs.
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a sauce pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Add the tomato paste and continue to stir and cook for 3-5 minutes more, or until the tomato paste takes on a slightly darker color. This caramelizes the sugars in the tomato paste to give it a slightly sweeter and less acidic flavor.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, brown sugar, and salt to the pot. Stir to combine and dissolve any tomato paste from the bottom of the pot.
- Allow the sauce to come to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and allow the sauce to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After simmering for 30 minutes, taste the sauce and adjust the salt, sugar, or other seasonings to your liking. If the sauce is too acidic for your liking, you can let it simmer longer (about one hour) or add more sugar.
- Place half of the meatballs in the bottom of a slow cooker in a single layer and cover with half of the marinara sauce. Add the rest of the meatballs then top with the remaining sauce.
- Cook the meatballs on high for three hours or low for six hours.
- After cooking, use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the meatballs has reached 165°F. Give the meatballs and sauce a good stir to remix the sauce (there will be some fat pooling on the surface).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the buns on a baking sheet or in a baking dish, then pile three meatballs into each bun. Spoon some of the extra sauce over each one. Top each sub with a little shredded cheese.
- Bake the meatball subs in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges of the buns are toasty. Enjoy hot!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Slow Cooker Meatball Subs Step-by-Step Photos
Prepare the eggs and breadcrumbs: Lightly whisk 2 large eggs in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine ½ cup breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated Parmesan, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Pre-mixing these ingredients helps them incorporate more evenly into the meat without having to overmix the meat.
Combine with the meat: Add the whisked egg, breadcrumb mixture, ¼ cup milk, 1 lb. Italian sausage, and 1 lb. ground beef to a bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together.
Shape into meatballs: Divide and shape the meat mixture into 24 meatballs. The easiest way to divide the mixture evenly is to first divide it into 4 equal portions. Divide each of those in half to make 8 equal-sized pieces. Finally, divide each of the 8 sections into 3 meatballs.
Make the sauce: Add 1 diced onion, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 Tbsp of olive oil to a sauce pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions become fragrant, soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add 2 Tbsp of tomato paste to the pot and continue to stir and cook for 3-5 minutes more, or until the tomato paste takes on a slightly darker color. This caramelizes the sugars in the tomato paste, adding a natural sweetness.
Finally, add one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes, ½ tsp dried basil, ½ tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp brown sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Stir to combine and dissolve any tomato paste from the bottom of the pot. Allow the sauce to come to a gentle simmer.
Once simmering, turn the heat down to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Leaving a lid on the pot but slightly ajar can help prevent splatter.
After simmering for 30 minutes, give the marinara sauce a taste and adjust the salt or other herbs to your liking. If it’s still too acidic for your taste, you can either simmer it longer (around 1 hour total), or add more sugar.
Add half of the meatballs to the slow cooker in a single layer, then cover with half of the marinara sauce. Add the rest of the meatballs in a second layer and pour the rest of the sauce over top, making sure all the meatballs are covered in sauce.
Cook the meatballs: Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
Check internal temperature: After cooking, use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the meatballs has reached 165°F. You’ll see some fat pooling on the surface, but don’t worry, that deliciousness will be stirred right back into the sauce.
Stir: Stir the meatballs in the sauce to make sure everything is evenly combined. These meatballs can now be used in subs or even on a plate of pasta!
Make the subs: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place your buns on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Fill each bun with three meatballs and spoon some of the sauce over the top.
Top each sub with a little shredded mozzarella.
Bake the subs: Bake the meatball subs in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges of the buns are toasty.
Serve: Enjoy the meatballs hot! I garnished with chopped parsley for some color, but the parsley isn’t needed for flavor. :)
Serving Suggestions
These hearty meatball subs are a lot to tuck into—they’re rich, saucy, cheesy, and absolutely satisfying. But when I’m craving something a little lighter on the side to balance everything out, I love pairing them with simple veggie dishes that don’t take much extra effort. A quick skillet of sautéed green beans adds a fresh bite while some oven roasted broccoli brings that caramelized, toasty flavor I never get tired of. And if I’m in the mood for something a little more fun, baked zucchini fries are the perfect pick—they’re crunchy, flavorful, and feel like a healthier swap for traditional fries. All of them round out the meal without overshadowing those amazing subs.
Storage and Reheating
This recipe makes about 24 meatballs, so if you use three meatballs per sub, you’ll get 8 sandwiches. If that’s too much for your household to eat within a few days, freeze half the meatballs and sauce for pasta or more subs later!
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer for 3 months. You can reheat in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.
I reheated the assembled meatball subs from the photos in the air fryer the next day, and they were BOMB! I air-fried at 350°F for about five minutes for the most delicious leftovers ever.
Can I freeze the meat balls and still cook them in the crock pot when I am ready to make the subs ?
That should be fine!
I always do a triple batch and freeze flat. Then I can take out what I need for whatever recipe I’m making.
Hi there, I’ve got this in the crockpot right now for dinner tonight. Any suggestions for quick sides that would go well with these? Sometimes you list some ideas, but I don’t see any with this recipe. Would Mac’n cheese be good or anything more veggie forward be good?
Step 2 doesnt make sense. Bowl for egg, bowl for seasoning, add meat to a third bowl????? Then combine meat in its own bowl to two other separate bowls? re-read what you wrote and tell me it makes sense to someone making meatballs for the first time. It doesnt at all make sense so either youre a bot or you dont know how to write recipes
If you really want to avoid the dishes, you’re welcome to mix it all together in one bowl. However, I don’t really see why you think it doesn’t make sense. It’s much easier to incorporate eggs into a meatball mixture if they’re already whisked before adding. If you’re a seasoned cook, you could crack the eggs into the meat bowl and whisk them to the side, but that’s not something we’re going to suggest to someone who’s making meatballs for the first time. Same with the breadcrumb mixture – the point is that these ingredients are already mixed together before mixing with the meat. Similarly to how you would add ingredients when baking by mixing the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients, and mixing them together to form a batter. Hope this helps! :)
How necessary is the italian sausage/pork in this recipe? I am not in America and don’t have access to italian specialities either from a deli or at my local grocers but I can substitute it with pork I would season myself, if it’s absolutely necessary to the final product. Aside from that, I am absolutely gunning to attempt this recipe.
Yes, buying ground pork and just adding extra of the seasonings would be fine! I would also add some fennel seed to give it that sausage flavor if you have any!
I didn’t have a slow cooker so I just used Beth’s other meatball recipe and they came out amazing! Will absolutely make again!
These slow cooker meatball subs are a game changer – hearty, flavorful, and perfect for satisfying cravings with minimal effort!
What a great recipe! I used your marinara recipe as well and it is a keeper. I have a good one already but this will be used as well. The meatballs were delicious. Great flavor, great size, and the leftovers were used in school lunches with rice.
These were delicious. I cooked meatballs in the oven as we were pressed for time and then I simmered the meatballs in the marinara and still turned out wonderful. I only used half the meatballs and put the rest in the freezer for another time. My husband and my son both devoured their meatball subs and said they were awesome.
I’ve made this twice now. The first time according to the recipe, and the second time I replaced the Italian sausage with plain ground pork (and upped the spices to compensate) because I don’t like the fennel flavor in Italian sausage. This is a really solid recipe!
The recipes I have gotten off budgetbytes are great
Cam I make the meatball the night before and put them in the crock pot with the sauce to cook the next morning?
Yes, that should work well. :)
Making this recipe, it smell so good…ill let you know how they turn out, and what the family thinks.
Amazing! Highly recommend this recipe :) I am looking forward to freezing and using on days that I need to get a quick supper on the table. Found this website about a week ago and it has changed my life! I love how easy the recipes are, they use simple ingredients, and they definitely do not lack on flavour. Thanks so much! Also- wanted to mention that I do not have a slow cooker so instead I made the marinara sauce (different recipe on this site) and the meatballs from this recipe (cooked in oven) and combined and simmered for one hour.
Made this for dinner tonight. Big winner!!
So yummy and easy. Quick question…does the calorie count include a bun/cheese, or just the meatballs/sauce? Thank you!
No worries! The estimated calorie count includes everything listed in the ingredients list on the recipe card, including the cheese and a whole wheat hot dog bun. ~ Marion :)
Here’s more info on how those numbers are calculated (using a widget called Spoontacular API): https://www.budgetbytes.com/nutrition-information-disclaimer/