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.
I made these meatballs for dinner and my family loved them! It was so easy to make too, I’m definitely saving this recipe!!
I made these for a dinner party, and they were a HUGE hit everyone was asking me for the recipe. I definitely will be making these again!
I always have frozen meatballs in the freezer and this recipe was a great way to change them up! My whole family enjoyed it and has already asked when I can make it again. :)
Oh yum! I’ve made meatballs a lot but never this way and now we are hooked on them! So good and such good flavor.
Thanks Jessica! So glad you enjoyed the Hawaiian meatballs!
Everyone loved it. I did add 1/4 of a small onion cut to the same size as the peppers. I used a sweet heat bbq sauce. Served with toothpicks as appetizers. Great!!
Sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed the hawaiian meatballs!
Could I use crushed pineapples?
I think that will work just fine!
I have made these a few times now, using different versions of g hughes sugar free BBQ sauce. Always delicious! They are on my menu for Thanksgiving this year!
Happy to hear you love them :) They will make a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu!
I’m always looking for vegetarian options for a party. Will try this fe with Beyond meatballs!
I bet that would be delicious! Let me know how it goes :)
I have to provide lunch for my daughter. I made these with mini meatballs and she loved them. Thank you!!
So glad to hear that! Mini meatballs sound like a great idea :)
How many does this feed. I am looking to feed 100
Hi Dorothy, this recipe makes 25 meatballs. You could double the recipe to make 50 and use 2 different crockpots if you wanted 100 total.
What size bag of frozen meatballs is 25 meatballs?
Hi Debbie! It varies by brand, but I would say usually about 24 ounces. You could always use a bigger 32 oz bag (with about 50 meatballs) and double the recipe if you’d like!
I prepared the meatball for my friends Hawaiian Theme birthday party, They were the hit of the party.
Yay, so happy to hear that! :) Thanks for your comment and review, Elaine!
What kind of meatballs? Italian? Home style? Ty!
I’ve used both and either type will work!
Is there a way to make it without using a slow cooker?
Yes, you could heat on the stove on low heat for about 30-45 minutes or until hot.
Me and my family ABSOLUTELY DROOLED over these delectable, scrumptious meatballs. Jesus Lord I have no tasted such monstrosity of deliciousness before. I’m inseminating myself over this deliciousness. Highly recommend to all. I will post on my FACEBOOK, My college student LOVED these meatballs. I added some chili pepper for an extra kick!
Yay, I am so so happy to hear this Nikki! Thank you for your comment and review :)
These are one of our favorite go to for game day. Our OU fans cant get enough!❤
So happy to hear that, Tanya! :)
Would frozen pineapple work
I haven’t tried, but if using frozen, I would still add in some pineapple juice to give it a stronger flavor. Let me know how it goes!
Do you drain the pineapple before adding or just dump the whole can in juice and all?
Dump the can with the juices :)