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Easy Party Food Appetizers: Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Hawaiian
Keyword crockpot, crockpot beef recipe, football food, game day appetizer, party appetizer, slow cooker
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 bag 24–32 oz frozen pre-cooked meatballs (beef, turkey, or vegetable)
  • 1 can 20 oz pineapple chunks in juice (do not drain)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce a honey or hickory flavor works well
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into 1-inch chunks
  • Sliced green onions for garnish
  • 1 green bell pepper cut into 1-inch chunks
  • Cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

  1. Place the frozen meatballs into the bottom of your slow cooker.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and the juice from the canned pineapple.
  3. Add the pineapple chunks and the chopped bell peppers to the slow cooker on top of the meatballs.
  4. Pour the sauce mixture over the ingredients and stir gently until everything is evenly coated.
  5. Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours, or on High for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meatballs are heated through and the peppers are tender.
  6. Give the mixture a final stir before serving to ensure the glaze is well-distributed.
  7. Serve the meatballs and sauce over a bed of warm white rice and garnish with fresh sliced green onions.

Slow Cooker Tips

  1. Frozen meatballs work perfectly for this recipe and save time since they cook evenly in the slow cooker.
  2. If the sauce looks thin at the end of cooking, remove the lid and cook on HIGH for 10–15 minutes to let it thicken slightly.
  3. You can also stir in 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water to create a quick slurry that thickens the sauce.
  4. Taste the sauce before serving and adjust if needed. A splash of soy sauce adds saltiness while a squeeze of lime brightens the flavor.