Five minutes of prep and dinner takes care of itself. These Hawaiian meatballs are saucy, sweet, and always the first thing gone, whether you’re serving them as an appetizer or a weeknight dinner.

Hawaiian meatballs in a bowl with pineapple and rice.

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This Hawaiian Meatballs Recipe is a Family Favorite

Meatball recipes are a family favorite in our house, and this Hawaiian meatball version is no exception.

It’s a riff on my grandpa’s famous grape jelly BBQ meatballs, swapping the grape jelly for pineapple juice to get that sweet, tangy sauce with a Hawaiian twist.

We also love Asian meatballs, sweet and sour meatballs and teriyaki meatballs if you want to keep the saucy meatball rotation going.

XO - Jamielyn

Recipe Ingredients

Hawaiian meatball ingredients on counter including meatballs, canned pineapple, bell peppers, ginger and BBQ sauce.

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 that have been previously cooked and frozen.
  • BBQ sauce: Choose your favorite BBQ sauce or try my homemade 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.
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“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.”

Jessica

How to Make Hawaiian Meatballs

Add the frozen meatballs to the bottom of your slow cooker. No need to thaw. Pour the BBQ sauce over the top, then add the bell peppers and pineapple chunks.

Frozen meatballs, pineapple chunks and diced bell peppers added to a white slow cooker before cooking

Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice over everything and stir gently to coat. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or on low for 5 to 6 hours, until warmed through.

Hawaiian meatballs with pineapple and bell peppers cooking in BBQ sauce in a crockpot.

Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds before serving over rice.

Hawaiian meatballs in a slow cooker with pineapple chunks, red bell pepper, green onions and sesame seeds.

Recipe Tips

  • No need to thaw. Add frozen meatballs straight to the crockpot. No defrosting needed, which makes this perfect for a last minute dinner.
  • Stovetop method. Add BBQ sauce, pineapple and peppers to a medium pot. Add meatballs and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then simmer for 8 to 10 minutes for thawed meatballs or up to 16 minutes for frozen.
  • Feeding a crowd. Double it easily, use 50 meatballs, 2 cups BBQ sauce and 2 cans of pineapple. Cook for about 3 hours. For a triple batch, use two slow cookers.
  • Make it a freezer meal. Add all ingredients to a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then slow cook as directed.

Ways to Serve

These Hawaiian meatballs work just as well as a party appetizer as they do a weeknight crockpot meal. Here are a few of our favorite ways:

  • Stick toothpicks in for an easy party appetizer straight from the slow cooker.
  • Spoon over rice pilaf, coconut rice or noodles for a full meal.
  • Make meatball sliders or stuff into French bread for a Hawaiian meatball hoagie.
  • Bulk it out with extra bell peppers or onions for a heartier dish.
Close up of saucy Hawaiian meatballs in a crockpot with a serving spoon.

Variations

  • Pineapple. Canned chunks work best but crushed pineapple (slightly drained) works too. Avoid fresh as the acidity can make the sauce foamy.
  • Meatballs. For a lighter version, swap in turkey meatballs or chicken meatballs.
  • Ginger. Fresh grated ginger gives the best flavor. Ground works in a pinch.
  • Extra saucy. Add up to 1/4 cup each of brown sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce.
Hawaiian meatballs in a bowl with rice.

Try these other meatball recipes including air fryer meatballs, firecracker meatballs, or grape jelly chili sauce meatballs.

More Meatball Recipes

Hawaiian meatballs in a bowl with rice.

Hawaiian Meatballs

5 from 65 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 5
Sweet, saucy Hawaiian meatballs, prepped in minutes and gone even faster. Serve as an appetizer or easy weeknight meal.
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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.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Double the recipe: Use 50 meatballs, 2 cups BBQ sauce, and 2 cans of sliced pineapple.
Tip: We love keeping a big bag of frozen meatballs in the freezer, as well as BBQ sauce and canned pineapple in the pantry so we can make these whenever we need a last minute dinner.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 5meatballs, Calories: 285kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 480mg, Potassium: 357mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 119IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Hawaiian meatballs in a white bowl.