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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First time making, added a jar of Mango/habanero jam and Hawaii barbecue sauce, it was the hit of the party! Thank you!
You are so welcome. Thank you for the terrific rating!
~Donya
These meatballs are FANTASTIC! It’s one of our favorite crockpot recipes now. We’ve served them as a party appetizer as well as a dinner entree, served over rice with a salad on the side. Thanks for another great recipe, Donya!
WOW! Thank you, Lynn. Also, I appreciate the terrific rating.
~Donya
5 stars for sounding good but wondering if this can be a freezer meal if I freeze the pineapple and meatballs together and leave the sauce frozen in another ziplock bag. I tried another recipe and while the sauce was good, it never thickened. Seems like this version will not slip off the meatballs the same way.
Thanks for the outstanding rating. This makes a great freezer recipe.
~Donya
This was delicious and it did save my other recipe. Thanks
Awesome! Thanks for the terrific rating.
~Donya
I havent tried this yet but its on my list for this week. You said cook on High/low my crock pot has a temp settings from Simmer to 400 degrees! How high and how low?
Since I’m unfamiliar with that crock pot, I don’t have a recommendation. The recipe has low and high times given.
I have one that is just temperatur, it’s really not a slow cooker it’s more like a small oven. That’s how I have always used it. But that’s me.
Wow wow I made these to put over rice. Delicious always!!!
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!
Thanks so much for the great comment and the terrific rating!
~Donya
Hi Donya,
I know you said to pick your favorite bbq sauce. But there are so many different ones out there.
I am curious which bbq sauce you use for this recipe.
Thanks so much!
Robin
I tend to use Sweet Baby Ray’s original sauce.
~Donya
Pretty good but I think next time I will add some chopped green pepper to make it more like a sweet and sour
I added large chunks of yellow and red bell pepper and I cut on onion in 6 sections lengthwise 15 minutes before they were done cooking. It turned out wonderful. I served them with rice. It was really good.
Hey there Telina!
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, adding peppers and onions was a terrific idea, I bet that added some wonderful flavors! Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe and your kind words, I really appreciate your support! Let me know if you ever have any questions about a dish, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya