Pineapple Meatballs
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Homemade pineapple meatballs are a breeze to make and delicious to eat. They’re made with tender baked pork and beef meatballs in a tangy BBQ sauce with lots of pineapple chunks. Serve them with rice for dinner or skewered onto toothpicks as an appetizer.
Sweet and tangy pineapple meatballs are hard to resist. I make them with a juicy, flavorful mix of beef and pork, then finish them in a Hawaiian-inspired BBQ sauce with plenty of big pineapple chunks. They’re sticky, saucy, and always a crowd-pleaser.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how versatile it is. I serve these meatballs as an easy appetizer—friends love skewering one at a party—and I can make them ahead for zero stress. But they’re just as good for dinner, spooned over rice with a side of broccoli. It’s a simple, family-friendly meal that is often requested here.
Make it a meal
These Hawaiian-influenced meatballs make an amazing appetizer, but most often, I serve them for dinner. Here are my favorite sides to make it a meal:
Store and freeze
Can I make these meatballs ahead of time? Yes! The meatballs can be rolled and kept on the baking sheet (covered) in your fridge for up to 2 days. You can also make the sauce up to 3 days ahead.
How long do the leftovers last? These pineapple meatballs will keep well for 3-4 days in the fridge. Reheat them in a microwave or gently on the stovetop.
Can I freeze pineapple meatballs? Yes! You can freeze the cooked pineapple meatballs in their sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat them in the microwave or in a pan over medium heat.
Pineapple Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 lb lean ground pork
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion, powder, sea salt, and black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Form the meat into 1 ½ inch balls – a medium-sized cookie scoop works great for this. Place the meatballs onto the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they're browned and cooked through.1 lb lean ground beef, 1 lb lean ground pork, 1 cup breadcrumbs, ½ cup milk, 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion, powder, sea salt, and black pepper, ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. Drain the can of pineapples into a large, high-sided frying pan. Add the BBQ sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger. Bring to a simmer over medium heat then continue to simmer until the sauce reduces and is as thick as BBQ sauce.20 ounce can pineapple chunks, 1 cup BBQ sauce, ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- When the meatballs have finished cooking, add them to the sauce. Add the pineapple chunks to the pan and let them warm for a few minutes. Serve the Hawaiian meatballs with some chopped green onions over the top.Chopped green onions to serve
Nutrition
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Popular Meatball Recipes
Love meatballs? We do, too! Whether we eat them for dinner or serve them as an appetizer at a party, we can’t get enough.
My husband LOVES this meatball recipe! Sometimes I use only ground pork and it is just as good. Although with added ground beef it is tastier. In a separate fry pan I saute green peppers and onions then add the pineapple sauce and then add the cooked meatballs which I do on the stovetop. I serve with rice. I make lots as my husband has seconds and there’s enough left over for the next night. *****
That sounds amazing—I love how you’ve made the recipe your own! The sautéed peppers and onions with the pineapple sauce must add such a great flavor boost, and serving it over rice makes it the perfect hearty meal. So glad it’s a hit with your husband (and bonus points for tasty leftovers)! 🍍🍚🥢
This is a perfect recipe to freeze for my elderly parents. I added green and peppers. Delicious!
Absolutely delicious and easy to make. I high recommend this recipe.
Hi! Do you think it would taste weird with just pork sausage? I have a beef allergy. Thanks in advance!
I think ground pork would work well!
Made these tonight and they were amazing! I cooked the meatballs in my air fryer (toaster-oven style) and plopped them in the sauce to finish up. Served over rice. Thankful that there are enough leftover for another meal. Will def be making again!
OMG! These meatballs were so good. That pineapple barbecue sauce goes perfectly with the meatballs. We will be making these often.
We made these pineapple meatballs for dinner and the flavor is amazing! The sweet from the pineapple and the salty from the soy sauce mix together so perfectly. I made your coconut rice to put the meatballs on, they were delicious together.
Love the play of sweet and savory together in these meatballs. Delicious!
Absolutely delicious meatballs; thank you for this fantastic recipe! I will make it again!!
So much flavor in these meatballs. They are a perfect party appetizer!
Hi there can you make these in a slow cooker?
Thanks
Phil
I haven’t tried it but it should work. My only concern is that the sauce might not thicken properly. If it doesn’t, you could remove the cooked meatballs from the pot and stir in a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up. 🙂
Hello Team – while I’ve yet to try this recipe, I am writing to point out that when I print off a copy of any of your recipes, your business name, The Endless Meal, does NOT appear anywhere on the printout. I wish to suggest that it would be great to see your name along with the recipe title sitting at the top of any printout.
Cheers
Christopher
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Thanks, Christopher! We’ve recently switched our recipe card and hadn’t noticed that was missing. We will be changing that! Thanks again for letting us know!