These Hawaiian meatballs are easy, tasty and always a crowd pleaser. Meatballs are cooked in BBQ sauce with pineapple and ginger for the perfect appetizer or main dish.
Love meatball recipes covered in sweet and tangy sauces? Other favorites include sweet and sour meatballs, firecracker meatballs and cranberry meatballs.
Table of Contents
Hawaiian Meatballs Recipe
Any meatballs are a family favorite in our house and get devoured in a matter of minutes! We love this Hawaiian version, as well as Asian meatballs and teriyaki meatballs!
These Hawaiian meatballs are another variation of my grandpa’s famous crock pot meatballs and are similar to grape jelly BBQ meatballs however I used pineapple juice instead of grape jelly to give them a Hawaiian flavor.
The taste of the Hawaiian meatball sauce is sweet, tangy and addicting. Serve them over rice topped with green onions for a meal or serve them plain for a game day appetizer.
Recipe Ingredients
These Hawaiian meatballs only require 3 simple ingredients and are prepped in just 5 minutes!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Frozen meatballs: To keep this super simple, I use frozen premade meatballs but you can use homemade meatballs with ground beef.
- BBQ sauce: Choose your favorite BBQ sauce to make these meatballs truly your own.
- Bell peppers: I like to use red and orange that I cut into chunks.
- Pineapple chunks: I love the sweetness of the pineapple and I like to add a little bit of the juice, as well.
Substitutions and Variations
- Pineapple: I used a can of pineapple chunks that I had on hand, but you could use fresh pineapple if you prefer or crushed pineapple slightly drained.
- Meatballs: You could also use homemade meatballs if you’d rather not use frozen. For Hawaiian meatballs on the lighter side, use turkey meatballs or chicken meatballs.
- Ginger: Add ground ginger or freshly grated ginger to enhance the taste and flavor even further.
- Saucier: Extra saucy meatballs add up to 1/4 cup each brown sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce.
How to Make Hawaiian Meatballs
- Add meatballs to slow cooker and pour BBQ sauce on top.
- Then add sliced pineapple, bell peppers, and pineapple juice.
- Cook for 2 to 3 hours on high.
- Top with more pineapple and sliced green onions if desired.
5 star review
“Oh yum! I’ve made meatballs a lot but never this way
Jessica
and now we are hooked on them! So good and such good flavor.“
Ways to Serve
These Hawaiian meatballs are not only an appetizer but also a delicious crockpot meal as well! Below are a few of our favorite ways to serve them.
- Place toothpicks in the top to make a fun Hawaiian appetizer.
- Serve over rice pilaf, coconut rice or cooked noodles.
- Serve Hawaiian meatballs in a roll to make a mini slider.
- Sandwich between French bread to make a Hawaiian meatballs hoagie.
- Serve directly out of the slow cooker for parties.
- Serve with sliced green onions and sesame seeds to dress them up.
- Feel free to add more veggies too, like more green or red bell peppers and onions.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Add BBQ sauce, pineapple and peppers to a medium sized pot. Add meatballs and combine. Bring to a boil then simmer for 8-10 minutes if your meatballs are thawed or up to 16 minutes if meatballs are frozen.
No! That’s the beauty of this recipe and what makes it perfect for a last minute dinner. Just add the frozen meatballs to your crockpot and they will cook up perfectly in the slow cooker. :) Doesn’t get easier than that!
Sure. If doubling, use 50 meatballs, 2 cups BBQ sauce and 2 cans of sliced pineapple. I would also cook them around 3 hours, until they are tender and warm throughout. If you are tripling the recipe for a super large crowd, I’d recommend using 2 slow cookers.
Yes! Add all ingredients to a freezer storage bag and freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw your freezer meal in the refrigerator overnight then place in the crockpot and slow cook as directed.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
Try these other meatball recipes including air fryer meatballs, homemade spaghetti and meatballs or meatball sliders.
More Meatball Recipes
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Hawaiian Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
- 25 frozen meatballs
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1-2 bell peppers , cut into chunks (I prefer red and orange)
- 1 (15-ounce) can pineapple chunks , reserving 2-3 Tablespoons juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger , optional
For serving: Rice, Sliced green onion, Sesame seeds
Instructions
- In the bottom of a crockpot, add the meatballs. Pour the BBQ sauce over the top. Add the bell peppers and pineapple. Pour 2 to 3 Tablespoons pineapple juice (from the can) over the top. Sprinkle with ginger, if using, and stir until combined.
- Cover with a lid and cook on high 2 to 3 hours, or until warmed through.
- Enjoy as an appetizer or serve over rice for a main dish. Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
- Place toothpicks in the top to make a fun appetizer.
- Serve over rice pilaf, coconut rice or cooked noodles.
- Serve in a roll to make a mini slider.
- Sandwich between french bread to make a Hawaiian meatball hoagie.
- Serve directly out of the slow cooker for parties.
- Serve with sliced green onions and sesame seeds to dress them up.
- Feel free to add more veggies too, like green/red bell peppers or onions.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, American, Appetizers, Beef, Crockpot, Crockpot, Crockpot, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Mini appetizers, One Pot, Super Bowl
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Suggestions on using the pressure cooker?
I haven’t tried, but I would add 1/2 cup water to the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. To reduce the sauce at the end you could saute for 5 minutes or until it has thickened.
These are so easy and they are a crowd favorite at parties! My friend made them once and they were such a hot at my birthday party. I immediately grabbed this recipe from him and I am so half that it’s So easy and delicious
This makes me so happy to hear! I’m so glad they’re such a big hit :)
After the fresh meatballs are made do they need to be cooked before being put into crockpot.
I use frozen meatballs in this recipe and just add straight from frozen.
Omg these are amazing mmmm I made my own meatballs instead of frozen so yummy
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)
A kid favorite!
this seems too simple, any reviews would b e helpful
Hi Bernice! It is so simple, but so delicious. There are some reviews if you scroll down to the bottom of the post. :)
Just going to make this recipe. Do you have to brown meatballs and remove excess fat before adding sauce and pineapple?
Hi Sherry! If you are using frozen meatballs you do not need to brown them beforehand, you can add them frozen straight to the slow cooker!
What type of BBQ sauce should be used?
Any kind should work, but I typically use Sweet Baby Ray’s.
What flavor of baby ray barbecue sauce
I like the original flavor :)
I made this recipe and it was super easy and my family and I loved it!! Would definitely recommend making this recipe!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment. :)
Would you use Sweet Baby Ray’s Hawaiian bbq sauce?
You could! It may be a little sweeter than using the original but I bet it would still be delicious.
This sound amazing. Love that you added pineapple chunks.
These will be so perfect for my super bowl party! I love using my slow cooker to keep it warm too.
Can you cook the sauce without the meatballs? Maybe even on the stovetop? I was thinking of this sauce with chicken wings. Crazy or brilliant?
Yes, you can definitely cook it on the stove. That sounds delicious. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! :)
Awesome!
The flavor in these meatballs is a knockout!
So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for leaving a comment and review! :)
BBQ and pineapple are SOOO good together! One of my favorite flavor combos!
So glad I tried these! Seriously delicious.
How does doubling or even tripling the recipe effect the cook time? I’m using frozen, fully cooked chicken meatballs and will probably add chunks of onion and bell pepper
Hi Ashley! If you are doubling, I would use the greater of the cooking time…so 3 hours. If you are tripling, you may want to use 2 slow cookers!
Should I defrost the meatballs before making this recipe?
You don’t need to, you can add them in frozen and they will cook in the slow cooker! :)
I love this! You had me at “3 ingredients.” If the kids wouldn’t freak out, I’d add a little Sriracha sauce; instead, I just put a little on my plate to dip. (and use turkey meatballs) thanks!
Hope you enjoy! :)