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Slow Cooker Sweet Hawaiian Teriyaki Meatballs

Slow cooker sweet Hawaiian teriyaki meatballs with glossy pineapple-teriyaki sauce. Frozen meatballs simmer low-and-slow until hot, then thicken into a sticky glaze for easy party-style bites.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Frozen fully cooked meatballs
  • 32 oz frozen fully cooked meatballs Use straight from frozen for best results.
Pineapple teriyaki sauce
  • 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks with juice Keep the juice for the sauce base.
  • 1 c soy sauce
  • 0.333 c brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
Thickening slurry and garnish
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • 0.25 sesame seeds for garnish Optional, for topping.
  • 0.25 sliced green onions for garnish Optional, for topping.

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Add meatballs and pineapple
  1. Place the frozen meatballs into the slow cooker.
  2. Top with the pineapple chunks, letting them sit on top of the meatballs.
Mix and glaze
  1. Whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, packed brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, and grated ginger until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and stir gently to coat.
Cook and heat through
  1. Cook on LOW for 4 hours, or HIGH for 2 hours, until the meatballs are heated through.
Thicken teriyaki sauce
  1. Whisk the cornstarch with the cold water until smooth, then stir it into the slow cooker.
  2. Cook on HIGH for 15–20 minutes, until the sauce thickens and looks glossy.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Notes

Pro tip: whisk the sauce thoroughly before pouring so the brown sugar and honey dissolve, helping the glaze turn glossy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat in the microwave or on LOW in the slow cooker until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the cornstarch-thickened sauce can break when thawed. For a lower-sugar swap, reduce the brown sugar to 1/4 cup and increase honey to 1 tablespoon only if the sauce is still sweet enough for you.