Mouthwateringly sweet and savory, these Hawaiian chicken meatballs are such a fun weeknight dinner idea! The ground chicken mixture is filled with pineapple, red onion, and ginger to bring the Hawaiian flavor. Then they’re baked with chunks of pineapple and bell peppers, and it’s all coated in a homemade teriyaki sauce.
Baked Chicken Meatballs with Pineapple and Teriyaki Sauce
I love making meatballs with ground chicken because it’s just a little bit leaner, and leaves room for added ingredients to shine. Inspired by my favorite Hawaiian and Asian dishes, I added pineapple, ginger, and red onion right into the ground chicken, so every meatball is bursting with flavor.
On top of that, these are baked with chunks of bell pepper and pineapple, all coated in a delicious teriyaki sauce. But it’s not just any teriyaki–I mixed in some pineapple juice to add a light and bright twist. This is such an easy dinner idea, served with rice to fill out the meal.
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One Simple Tip!
To avoid soggy meatballs, it’s important to drain, chop, and squeeze out excess juice from the pineapple before mixing it into the ground chicken. If needed, press pineapple pieces between paper towels to help remove juice.
Baked Hawaiian Chicken Meatballs Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- 9×13-inch Baking Pan
Ingredients
- 20 ounces pineapple chunks (1 large can, in juice*)
- 2 pounds ground chicken (**)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger (minced)
- 1½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup red onion (minced)
- 2 large egg
- 1 red bell pepper (cut in chunks)
- 1 green bell pepper (cut in chunks)
For the Sauce:
- pineapple juice (reserved from can*)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce (***)
- 5 teaspoons brown sugar (****)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced)
For Serving (Optional):
- sesame seeds
- Sliced green onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Drain the canned pineapple chunks, reserving juice. Finely chop enough pineapple to make about ½ cup. Squeeze as much juice out of the chopped pineapple as possible. Set the remaining pineapple chunks aside.20 ounces pineapple chunks
- In a medium bowl, mix ground chicken, onion powder, salt, pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons ginger, panko, red onion, eggs, and ½ cup of chopped pineapple.2 pounds ground chicken, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, 1½ cups Panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup red onion, 2 large egg
- Form chicken mixture into 1½-inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375℉ for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.
- While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the sauce. Mix the reserved pineapple juice (should be about 1¾ cups), soy sauce, 3 garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon of ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat.pineapple juice, 3 cloves garlic, ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
- In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar and cornstarch. Heat pineapple juice mixture until boiling, then stir in brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir until thickened.5 teaspoons brown sugar, ¼ cup cornstarch
- Place the cooked meatballs in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan and top with the remaining pineapple chunks, and red and green peppers.1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper
- Pour sauce over everything, and return to oven for 20 minutes.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.sesame seeds, Sliced green onions
Notes
- Finley chopping the pineapple chunks and squeezing the juice out helps prevent the meatballs from becoming soggy. We don’t want to add extra moisture into the mixture.
- Do not overmix the ground chicken mixture. Handle gently when forming meatballs, and let them chill in the fridge if they become too warm.
- To save time, feel free to you your favorite bottle of teriyaki sauce instead of making your own.
- I love to serve these meatballs over basmati rice.
- Nutritional information does not include optional garnishes.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
How to Make Hawaiian Chicken Meatballs Step by Step
Prep: Preheat oven to 375℉, line a baking tray with parchment, and gather the list of ingredients. Drain a 20 ounce can of pineapple chunks, reserving the juice for the sauce. Finely chop enough pineapple to make about ½ cup, then set the remaining pineapple chunks aside (we’ll use those later). Squeeze as much juice out of the chopped pineapple as possible. Removing extra juice will help prevent a soggy meatball mixture.
Make the Ground Chicken Mixture: In a medium bowl, mix 2 pounds of ground chicken, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, 3 minced cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons of minced fresh ginger, 1½ cups of panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup of minced red onion, 2 large eggs, and ½ cup of chopped pineapple (from previous step). Mix until ingredients are just combined. Do not overmix or the meatballs may come out tough.
Make the Meatballs: Next, form the chicken mixture into 1½-inch balls. This mixture is quite sticky, so I recommend coating your hands lightly with cooking spray to help prevent sticking. You can also wrap your hands with plastic wrap. Then place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, and bake at 375℉ for 20 minutes. Flip halfway through.
Make the Sauce: While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the sauce. Mix about 1¾ cups of reserved pineapple juice with 3 minced cloves of garlic, ½ cup of low-sodium soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of minced fresh ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a small bowl, stir together 5 teaspoons of brown sugar with ¼ cup of cornstarch. Once the pineapple juice mixture comes to a boil, stir in the brown sugar mixture. Mix until the sauce thickens, then remove from heat.
Assemble: Next, place the cooked meatballs in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Add in the remaining pineapple chunks, plus 1 chopped red bell pepper and 1 chopped green bell pepper.
Bake: Pour the teriyaki sauce over the meatballs, mixing to fully coat everything. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.
Garnish: When done, meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 165℉. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions if desired.
Serve: These meatballs make a great appetizer on their own, or serve them over basmati rice for a well-rounded meal!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350℉ oven until warmed through, about 20-30 minutes. If frozen, defrost in the fridge for best results.
More Exclusive Recipes to Try!
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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