Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Crock Pot Hawaiian Meatballs (+Video)
Pineapple and barbecue sauce give these meatballs a sweet, tangy coating with a little ginger warmth. The juicy pineapple pieces are good company for the savory meatballs, and chives freshen the top. A spoonful with plenty of sauce is an inviting place to begin.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Total
- 125 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Appetizers · Appetizers & snacks · Main course
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Slow cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Start with the meatballs still frozen
Add the frozen meatballs straight to the crock pot with the drained pineapple chunks. No thawing step is given, and starting frozen is part of how the timing is written.
2. Mix the sauce before pouring
Whisk the BBQ sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and brown sugar together in a separate bowl first. It helps the sugar and vinegar blend into the sauce before it coats the meatballs.
3. Toss gently once the sauce is in
After the sauce goes over the meatballs, give everything a gentle toss so the pineapple and meatballs get coated without getting mashed around.
Get to know the ingredients
Drain the pineapple
Use pineapple chunks from a drained can. The fruit brings sweetness and bite, while draining keeps extra juice from thinning the BBQ sauce mixture too much.
Fresh ginger, or the dried backup
Fresh grated ginger goes into the sauce with the garlic. If you don't have it, the recipe gives a straight swap: use 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger instead.
Rice wine vinegar keeps it tangy
Rice wine vinegar is whisked into the sauce with the BBQ sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar. Apple cider vinegar is listed as the substitute if that's what you have.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Crock Pot Hawaiian Meatballs (+Video)
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Once the meatballs are done, sprinkle the chopped chives over the top right before serving. They go on at the end, so don't add them to the crock pot at the start.
A little more help as you go
Grate the ginger and garlic finely
A micro-plane is called for here because it turns the ginger and garlic into a fine grate that blends right into the sauce instead of leaving larger pieces behind.
Choose the heat setting that fits your day
The recipe gives two slow cooker options: HIGH for 2-3 hours or LOW for 5-6. Pick the one that matches when you want the meatballs ready.
A few questions you might have
Do I need to brown the meatballs first?
No. The recipe starts with frozen meatballs added straight to the crock pot with the pineapple chunks, then the sauce goes over them.
Should the pineapple juice go in too?
No, drain the can of pineapple chunks before adding them to the crock pot.
Can I use dried ginger instead of fresh?
Yes. Use 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger in place of the fresh grated ginger.
What can I use if I don't have rice wine vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar can be used instead of rice wine vinegar. Keep the rest of the sauce mixed the same way.
When do the chives go on?
Add the chopped chives after the meatballs are done, just before serving. They're a garnish, not part of the slow cooking step.
Any more cooking tips?
Store: Let leftovers cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze: Place cooled meatballs and sauce in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the slow cooker or on the stovetop until warmed through.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: asouthernsoul.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
