Hawaiian meatballs have an addictingly sweet and tangy flavor! Made in the crock pot with only 5 ingredients, kabob recipes can be prepped and cooking in no time! These are perfect for an entree for dinner, or can be served as an appetizer or party food for a potluck, family gathering, neighborhood BBQ or holiday party.
Easy Crock Pot Meatballs Over the past year or so I have fallen in love again with meatballs! They may seem ordinary, but really, they are an awesome way to hit it out of the park both with flavor and ease. They can go well with almost any flavor combo- Hawaiian is our flavor of choice today! The combination of all of these things make meatballs a really power packed option for using in the kitchen. This Hawaiian Meatballs recipe uses a sweet and tangy combo of flavors. You can prep it in less than 5 minutes, and the crock pot will do the work melding all of the delicious flavors. With so little work, these always turn out perfect!
I had a friend make this recipe and serve it to a group of native Italians that was visiting, she immediately texted me when they left and told me how they were all raving over the meatballs! So although this is far from Italian, they do know their meatballs, so I will gladly take the compliment! How to Serve Hawaiian Meatballs As I mentioned above, one of the things I love most about this recipe is that it can be served as an entree, an appetizer or a grazing party food. Served as an Entree To serve this as an entree you can spoon the meatballs over a side and top with chopped green onions, or place them on Hawaiian rolls as sliders. Side Dishes If you are serving it as a main dish, you can pair the Hawaiian Meatballs with one or a few sides to round out it out to a balanced, wholesome dinner.
Tips for Making Hawaiian Meatballs This recipe is as easy as I have promised. I am going to walk through my notes and tips for how to make Hawaiian Meatballs in the crock pot, so that I can hopefully answer any questions that may arise while cooking. Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL recipe card. Ingredients With only 5 ingredients these meatballs come together quickly. There are a few options for each ingredient I will call out below so you can pick what works best for you! Meatballs Obviously, these are a key ingredient for this recipe, so the meatballs that you choose can make a big impact on the flavor and your enjoyment of the dish. The recipe uses frozen, pre-cooked meatballs.
You can use either homemade meatballs, or store bought meatballs for ease. For homemade meatballs, you can use these ground turkey meatballs, or your favorite meatball recipe. Pineapple We will use pineapple chunks for the Hawaiian Meatballs. I use canned pineapple chunks, however, you could use fresh if you prefer. I don’t recommend using crushed pineapple because it has a higher liquid content if not drained well and can lead to the sauce being runny. 4 cup to mix into the sauce. Using chunks gives you the delicious pops of flavor, and mixing in the reserved juice creates the sweet and tangy Hawaiian flavor.
BBQ Sauce The last super important ingredient is the BBQ sauce. You will want to use a traditional tomato based barbecue sauce, not a vinegar based sauce. I really like the original Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce in this recipe, but you can absolutely this or use your favorite sauce, whatever it may be. How Long to Cook Meatballs in the Crock Pot Since the meatballs are already fully cooked, the cook time is more about heating the meatballs to a proper serving temperature and infusing the flavor of the sauce into the dish. Recipe Variations If you like to mix it up, there are a couple of ways to add some fun new flavors and variations to these Hawaiian Meatballs. 4-1 tsp cayenne pepper depending on level of spice desired.
Replace the BBQ sauce with teriyaki glaze and make as directed. 2 sweet yellow onion to the mixture before cooking. Replace the canned pineapple with 1 cup of pineapple jelly. This will result in a thicker, stickier sauce. Dietary Considerations This recipe can be easily modified to meet many dietary needs. This recipe can be made dairy free when dairy free meatballs are used.