Sweet and Savory Hawaiian Meatballs
Simple and Delicious Weeknight Dinner
These Hawaiian meatballs are the perfect choice if you’re looking for a flavorful experience using basic meatballs. You get the perfect blend of sweet and savory with tropical flavors in this weeknight dinner. Also great for casual gatherings, everyone will love the taste of meatballs in a delicious pineapple sauce that tastes like a tropical vacation with every bite.
Ingredients
The ingredients for these delicious meatballs are available at most grocery stores. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ground beef (or ground turkey)
- Crushed pineapple
- Breadcrumbs (or pork panko)
- Red and green bell pepper
- Egg
- Water
- Honey
- Ground ginger
- Cornstarch
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
Directions
First, preheat your oven to 400Ëš F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or give it a quick spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine your ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs (or pork panko), 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and a dash of black pepper. Use a sturdy spoon or just mix it with your hands.
Next, use a cookie scoop or large spoon to form the meat mixture into balls just a little smaller than a golf ball. Place them on your prepared baking pan, leaving a little space between each one so they can cook evenly.
Pop the meatballs into your preheated oven and bake them for about 15–20 minutes, or until they’re cooked through to 165Ëš F in the center and starting to brown a bit on top.
While the meatballs are baking, it’s time to whip up the amazing pineapple sauce! In a medium saucepan, combine the crushed pineapple, 1/2 cup water, remaining tablespoon of soy sauce, honey, and ground ginger. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring now and then so nothing sticks.
Once it’s boiling, lower the heat and make your thickening slurry: in a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of water and the cornstarch until smooth. Slowly stir the slurry into the sauce. It will thicken pretty quickly.
When the meatballs are done baking, gently add them to the saucepan along with the sliced red and green bell peppers. Stir carefully to coat everything without breaking the meatballs. Let it all simmer together for another couple of minutes so the peppers soften slightly and all the flavors meld.
How to Serve
Serve your Hawaiian meatballs over fluffy white rice for a complete meal that’s colorful, hearty, and totally irresistible. Or if you want even more flavor, serve it over onion-seasoned rice.
Add a side dish or two, like this lemon roasted asparagus or these easy roasted Brussels sprouts. For dessert, try this old fashioned strawberry pie recipe from Julia’s Simply Southern.
Next-Level Deliciousness
These Hawaiian Meatballs are proof that a little sweetness can take a savory dish to a whole new level! They’re family-friendly, freezer-friendly, and guaranteed to become a regular part of your meal rotation. Give them a try and bring a taste of the islands to your kitchen tonight!
Hawaiian Meatballs Recipe
These easy sweet and savory meatballs deliver a tropical flavor, perfect for a quick meal when you're craving a lot of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey if you prefer)
- 1 cup crushed pineapple
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (or pork panko)
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Dash of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Cover baking pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs (or panko), 1 tablespoon soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Stir, either with a spoon or your hands, until all of the ingredients are well mixed.
- Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, scoop the meat mixture and form into balls slightly smaller than golf balls. Place them on the prepared baking pan at least an inch apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
- While the meatballs are cooking, combine the pineapple, 1/2 cup water, remaining soy sauce, brown sugar, and ground ginger in a medium saucepan.
- Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring periodically. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low.
- Make a slurry by combining the 2 tablespoons of water with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk it until all of the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Pour the slurry into the sauce and continue to stir. The cornstarch mixture will thicken the sauce within just a couple of minutes.
- Add the cooked meatballs and sliced red and green bell peppers to the sauce, being careful not to break the meatballs. Gently stir to make sure all of the meatballs and vegetables are coated. Simmer for another couple of minutes.
- Serve over white rice.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 483Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 147mgSodium 703mgCarbohydrates 36gFiber 2gSugar 21gProtein 36g
The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.
