Crock Pot Hawaiian Meatballs smothered in a sweet, tangy sauce with pineapple and fresh ginger are cooked low and slow, making them tender and juicy. These succulent meatballs are a slow cooker masterpiece and are great served as an appetizer or main dish!
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5-Star Comment
Awesome meatballs! A big hit at our get together and everyone wanted the recipe! Was almost like sweet and sour. Will make them many times again! Pate
My boys have always been obsessed with my meatball recipe. I think that Hunter could probably eat them every day of the week and has been known to scarf down at least 4 helpings at a time. To keep these guys happy, I’ve come up with a new recipe for meatballs that has them totally smitten. I’ve combined meatballs, chunks of pineapple, fresh ginger, and a sweet, tangy sauce for a flavor combination that’s crazy good!
Can You Use Frozen Meatballs? Here’s the Good News
Yes! That’s one of the best things about this recipe. Just add the frozen meatballs straight to your slow cooker — no need to thaw. They’ll cook low and slow in the sauce until they’re tender and flavorful.
Want to take it up a notch? You can use my Homemade Meatballs for this recipe — they hold up beautifully in the crock pot and bring even more flavor to the dish.
Ingredients For Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs
- Frozen Meatballs – You can use beef, turkey, chicken, or even vegetarian meatballs.
Pineapple Chunks – Drained from the can or fresh pineapple cut into bite-sized pieces.
BBQ Sauce – Your favorite store-bought brand works great.
Soy Sauce – Adds a little salty depth.
Rice Wine Vinegar – For a bit of acidity and brightness.
Brown Sugar – Adds a rich, molasses-like sweetness.
Fresh Ginger + Garlic – Brings warmth and zing to the sauce.
Cooking Time Cheat Sheet
High setting: 2–3 hours
Low setting: 5–6 hours
Internal temperature should reach 165°F for serving.
How To Make Pineapple Meatballs In The Slow Cooker
This is essentially a set-it-forget-it recipe. Here’s how it comes together:
- Add meatballs to your slow cooker. No need to thaw!
- Drain the pineapple and add the chunks on top of the meatballs.
- Mix the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together BBQ sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar. Grate in the ginger and garlic, then whisk again.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs and pineapple. Stir gently to coat everything.
- Cover and cook: on low for 5 to 6 hours, on high for 2 to 3 hours
- Serve warm with toothpicks, or over white rice for a heartier meal.
Meatballs are a favorite in my family. Whether it’s Crock Pot Bourbon Meatballs, Easy Party Cocktail Meatballs, or Homemade Meatball With Sauce, they always disappear fast!
Do The Meatballs Need To Be Thawed?
Nope. Put the frozen meatballs in the crock pot and let it work its magic.
How To Store And Freeze Leftovers
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze in portions for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
What To Serve With Pineapple BBQ Meatballs
When I serve these yummy little bites as an appetizer, I like to serve them with Baked Cheese Sticks and Southern Deviled Eggs. They are fantastic for dinner with Baked Fettuccini with cheese and Roasted Broccoli.
More Crock Pot Recipes You’ll Love
If you tried this Crock Pot Hawaiian Meatballs Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds frozen meatballs
- 1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
- 2 cups BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives for garnish
Instructions
- To the bowl of a crock pot, add frozen meatballs and pineapple chunks.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together BBQ sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and brown sugar.
- Using a micro-plane, grate ginger, and garlic and whisk into the sauce. Pour the sauce over meatballs then gently toss to coat. Put lid on crock pot. Set to HIGH for 2-3 hours or LOW for 5-6.
- When done, sprinkle meatballs with chopped chives and serve.
Substitutations
- * ¼ teaspoon of dried ginger can be substituted for fresh grated.
- * Apple cider vinegar can be substituted for rice wine vinegar.
Video
Notes
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.
Nutrition
Want To Know More About Slow Cooking?
If you are new to cooking with a Crock Pot or just don’t know where to start, I’ve got something to help. I’ve put together a helpful guide with tips and recipes to get you using a slow cooker like a pro!
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Could I use raw frozen meatballs if desired.
Hey there Gary!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I think you’re really going to love it, these meatballs are great for game days or an easy weeknight meal! I would recommend using pre-cooked frozen meatballs, you can bake your own meatballs and then freeze them if you prefer, but you want them to be cooked fully before putting them into the crock pot. I hope that this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out if you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
Any thoughts on doing this in an insta pot? What would you recommend for the cooking time?
Hey there Tori!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a great question! I’ve never actually tried to make these meatballs in the Instant Pot, I always use the Crock Pot, but it should still work. I would recommend adding your frozen meatballs and the sauce to the Instant Pot and pressure cooking on high for 5 minutes and then do a quick release of the steam valve. You may have to experiment with the timing for the Instant Pot, but I would start with a 5 minutes pressure cook. Let me know how everything turns out, I hope you enjoy the recipe!
~Donya
Absolutely loved this recipe! I made it with pre cooked meatballs on the stove and just let it simmer for 20 minutes. Next time will add more pineapple. I paired it with a seasoned quinoa and broccoli. I got a lot of compliments. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hey there Idalia!
Wow! I am so happy to hear that y’all enjoyed this recipe, it sounds like you made an absolutely delicious meal! Adding extra pineapple is never a bad idea, the sweet and tangy flavor it gives this dish is absolutely irresistible. Thank you so much for your kind words of support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to ask!
~Donya
This sounds delicious. How many cocktail sizes meatballs does this recipe make? I want to make 200 meatballs for a luau.
The recipe calls for 3 pounds of meatballs and makes 8 servings. I’ve never counted the number of meatballs in a package, but I would guess there’s about 12-15 meatballs in each 1 pound package, if that helps. Let me know how things turn out! Have a great time at the party!!
~Donya
I use chicken teriyaki pineapple meatballs (Costco) and this is one of my very picky daughters’ favorites!! I find them asking for it every other week
Hey there Jess!
Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing that Costco find, I will definitely check out those Teriyaki pineapple meatballs, I bet the flavors are perfect in this recipe! I am so happy to hear that y’all have been enjoying this dish, if you liked this one then you should check out my Crock Pot Bourbon Meatballs, they’re just as simple to make! Let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’d be more than happy to help!
~Donya
Absolutely amazing my family loved them and hubby said this one can go in to the recipe box for sure
Hey there Carrie!
Wow! I am so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed this recipe, the flavors are pretty hard to beat! If you liked this dish, you should check out my Pineapple Coleslaw recipe, it makes the perfect side dish for the Hawaiian Meatballs, the pineapple flavor is very complimentary. Thank you so much for your kind words and your fantastic rating, I really appreciate your support! If you ever have any questions about a recipe, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask!
~Donya
I am going to try your recipe on Father’s Day. Sounds delicious thank you
Hey there Hazel!
I am thrilled to hear you’re giving this recipe a try, I’m sure your father will love it! These Hawaiian Meatballs have an irresistible flavor and they’re so easy to make, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the recipe, I’d be more than happy to help!
~Donya
Thoughts on timing for refrigerated meatballs? (A la Costco for example)
Hey Stephanie.
I would do high for 2 hours and low for 3-4. If you are using the Costco brand, I think they are pre-cooked, so you are looking for the meatballs to be heated through and cooked long enough to absorb the flavors of the sauce. Let me know how you like the recipe.
Have a great day!
~Donya
Can the meatballs be fresh? Not pre-cooked?
Hey there Britney!
Thank you for your interest in this recipe, that’s a good question! You can totally use fresh homemade meatballs instead of pre-cooked, the key to this recipe is that you need the meatballs to be frozen. If you’re making homemade meatballs, then I would recommend shaping them and then freezing them overnight before you start your Crock Pot recipe. I hope this helps, let me know how everything turns out!
~Donya
What size crockpot?
Hey there!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, it’s perfect to serve this time of year so I really hope you enjoy! I usually use either a 6 or an 8 quart crock pot, I’ll put the link for the slow cooker I own below. The size of crock pot you want to use really depends on the size of the crowd you’re feeding, if you’re hosting a larger event then a larger crock pot would be a good idea. I really hope you enjoy this dish, if you have any questions about the recipe please feel free to reach out!
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~Donya
I added chopped red pepper and some garlic powder. I also used sweet/sour sauce instead of bbq.
Hey there Ann!
Thank you so much for sharing! It sounds like you’ve made some delicious additions, I’ll have to try it with sweet and sour sauce, that sounds amazing. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, thank you for your support!
~Donya
I made this for the gang at work in a crockpot. It was a huge hit. I used ground ginger and garlic powder. I also went with pineapple tidbits. Next time I will use more pineapple. I like the sweet of them. Overall, very good. Thanks!
Hey Loree!
Thank you so much for this fantastic review, and your sweet comment, it warms my heart to read! I completely agree with you, I love the pineapple it’s the best part. I’m glad everyone enjoyed this recipe, thank you for your support!
~Donya
What BBQ sauce do you suggest?? I’m not fond on Sweet Baby Rays.
Hey Cindy,
I hear ya. I think something like Kraft, the original recipe will work great. Simple and not too sweet.
I think that might work beautifully. Let me know what you decide.
Have a great day and enjoy the recipe!
~Donya
I’m going to pair these with Hawaiian rolls to make little meatball sandwiches
Hey there Lainie!
I love the way you think, these Crock Pot Hawaiian Meatballs will be fantastic served rolls, making them into sandwiches is a great idea! If you enjoy this recipe, you should check out my Game Day Crock Pot Meatballs, they’re just as simple to make and the flavors are amazing. Thank you for all your support, let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’d be more than happy to help!
~Donya