This meatball recipe is easy and delicious. Even better, the sauce the meatballs simmer in gets super rich and meaty too. Thank you bacon! You can brown the meatballs first in a skillet before putting them into the slow cooker. But I find that if you make sure there is sufficient sauce surrounding each meatball (so that they're not touching) they simmer and cook fine without the browning step. What that extra step does is add some firmness to the outside. Without the browning, they're softer all the way through.