These succulent Hawaiian Chicken Meatballs are an addictive mix of savory and sweet, with a wonderfully tangy punch of pineapple. Serve as appetizers, or part of a delicious meal.
17½tablespoonsbrown sugardivided (1 cup + 1½ tablespoons)
¼cupcornstarch
1red bell peppercut in chunks
1green bell peppercut in chunks
Sesame seedsoptional, for garnish
Sliced green onionsoptional, for garnish
Instructions
Drain the pineapple chunks, reserving juice. Finely chop enough pineapple to make ½ cup. Squeeze as much juice out of the chopped pineapple as possible. Set the remainder pineapple chunks aside.
20 ounces canned pineapple chunks in juice
In a medium bowl, mix ground chicken, onion powder, salt, pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons ginger, panko crumbs, diced onion, eggs, and the ½ cup of chopped pineapple from the previous step.
2 pounds ground chicken, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 6 cloves garlic, 5 teaspoons minced fresh ginger, 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup minced red onion, 2 large eggs
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 by mixing the reserved pineapple juice (should be about 1¾ cups), soy sauce, remaining 3 garlic cloves, and remaining 1 tablespoon of ginger in a small saucepan.
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup brown sugar and cornstarch. Heat pineapple juice mixture until boiling and stir in brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir until thickened.
17½ tablespoons brown sugar, ¼ cup cornstarch
Place the cooked meatballs in a greased 9x13-inch baking pan and top with the remaining pineapple chunks and red and green pepper pieces. Pour sauce over everything and return to oven for 20 minutes.
1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper
Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Sesame seeds, Sliced green onions
Notes
Yield: This recipe yields 24 large meatballs.
Use bottled teriyaki sauce to save time.
You should have about 1¾ cups of pineapple juice.
The meat mixture is pretty wet and sticky when making the meatballs, but they stayed together nicely when cooking and tasted great!
This is great served over basmati rice.
Nutritional information does not include optional garnishes.
Storage: Store baked Hawaiian chicken meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.