Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Meatballs is full of warm spices and slow cooks in your crockpot to make dinner easy. Beef meatballs are spiced with Mediterranean flavors and slow cooker in Lebanese green beans creating the perfect sauce paired with the meatballs and rice.
One of my favorite things to share with you guys is my Lebanese family recipes.
There is nothing more special to me than the food I grew up eating and appreciating the flavors, ingredients and spices of the Middle East. Today’s Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Meatballs is a twist on a couple of recipes that I paired together and cooked in my slow cooker.
I know my Lebanese Grandma isn’t cooking her Lebanese Green Beans in a crockpot but who says we can’t take a few short cuts? Am I right? With school in session we need all of the help we can get.
Today’s recipe uses the spices from Kibbeh and rolls them up into a beef meatball.
The spices of cumin, allspice, cinnamon and cayenne red pepper are my favorite when paired together. The meatballs then slow cook in Lebanese green beans, a mixture of frozen green beans, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes and warm spices.
After these Slow Cooker Meatballs simmer all day long, your house will smell absolutely amazing. Every time I make this I feel like I am sitting in my Grandma’s house when I was younger.
You also might like my Beef Kafta Kabobs, Mediterranean Beef Kabobs, Mediterranean Ground Beef Skillet or these Lebanese Meat Pies.
Why You Will Love these Slow Cooker Beef Meatballs
- Easy to Make: This meal is so easy to make! Once you add the Lebanese green beans to the crockpot you just need to create the meatballs and let them simmer in the crockpot. You can let this meal cook while you go about your day!
- Minimal Clean-up: When using your crockpot it means that you will have very little clean-up! It also is great in the summer months because it doesn’t heat up your house.
- Freeze Great: These meatballs freeze great for future meals or meal-prep. Make sure to let the meatballs cool completely down and then you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions.
- Beef: This recipe uses ground beef. I suggest 80/20 because having some fat helps the meatballs stay juicy and stay intact.
- Spices: The spice mixture in these meatballs is cumin, allspice, cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
- Breadcrumbs: The breadcrumbs help hold together the meatballs. I used plain breadcrumbs.
- Herbs: Fresh parsley is finely mince and added to the meatballs. You also can add mint or fresh dill.
- Lebanese Green Beans: For the Lebanese green beans you will need the frozen green beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, garlic and spices.
How to Make these Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Meatballs
Step 1: Add Green Bean Ingredients to Crockpot: Pour the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce into your slow cooker followed by the cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and stir until well combine. Add the frozen green beans, onions and garlic. Mix well.
Step 2: Create Meatballs: In a large bowl combine the cumin, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, parsley, breadcrumbs and olive oil. Mix together. Add the beef and use your hands to mix everything together.
Step 3: Form Meatballs: Form the beef mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place them in the slow cooker, trying to submerge them under the tomato sauce.
Step 4: Slow Cook Meatballs: Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over a bed of rice with pita and yogurt.
Storage Tips
Store the meatballs in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat you can heat in a skillet on low or in an oven on low.
To freeze the meatballs let them cool completely and then store in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Meatball Recipes
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Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Meatballs with Lebanese Green Beans
Ingredients
For the Mediterranean Beef Meatballs:
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup parsley, minced
- 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef {I use 80/20}
For the Lebanese Green Beans:
- 2 – 14.5 ounces cans of diced tomatoes
- 1 – 14.5 ounce can of tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Dash of salt and pepper
- 1 pound frozen green beans
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
- Pour the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce into your slow cooker followed by the cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and stir until well combine. Add the frozen green beans, onions and garlic. Mix well.
- In a large bowl combine the cumin, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, parsley, breadcrumbs and olive oil. Mix together. Add the beef and use your hands to mix everything together.
- Form the beef mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place them in the slow cooker, trying to submerge them under the tomato sauce.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over a bed of rice with pita and yogurt.
Thanks to the Ohio Beef Council for sponsoring today’s post! As always, opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make A Cedar Spoon possible.
I’m so ridiculously excited to find this recipe! I’ve been wanting to recreate the green beans I love ordering at a local Mediterranean restaurant, but hadn’t found a recipe that really looked so terrific as this one. Can’t wait to try it! Thank you thank you!!
I hope you like the recipe! I have a couple of other Lebanese Green Bean recipes if you search it on my site! I hope you like them.
Yummy meatballs.
Am salivating already.
Your recipes are amazing Julia.
Thanks and Keep up the good work!
I have some fresh green beans that need to be used – is it safe to assume that fresh green beans can be substituted for frozen?
I would think so. I have honestly not tried using fresh green beans but I think because there is the sauce in the slow cooker it will cook the green beans nicely. Let me know how it works!
It was very good with the fresh green beans! Next time, we’ll probably put the meatballs in before the green beans, as not all of the balls were submerged in the sauce, due to how much space the beans took up, but it was still DELISH! Thanks for the recipe!
I am so glad you liked it! Yes, I could see how the green beans take up a lot of room. You have a couple of options–you could add more sauce to help submerge the meatballs or you can do less green beans! Thanks for the feedback.
These remind me of the meatballs my mom would make growing up! I just have to try them, and making them in the slow cooker makes my life so much easier!
That is so fun you ate this type of meatball as a child too! And yes, the crockpot really helps save time.
I love meatballs and these sound delicious! Can’t wait to make them for one of our football parties!
That is such a great idea to make them for a football party!! I hope you guys like them. They are one of my favorites to make.
These sound delicious. Such a comforting dish, and I love green beans!
It is so comforting and perfect for fall. We love this dish in my house!
Lebanese food is just SO good! Love that you made these little guys in the slow cooker too!
Lebanese food is the best! <3 Hope you get to try it!
Girl, these meatballs look amazing. Would love a bowl for lunch right now 🙂
Thanks so much! I need a bowl too!
Such fabulous meatballs, Julia! And the green beans look irresistible, too!
Thanks Liz! The meatballs are full of so much flavor. I am in love with this meal.