In my mid-20s, I made friends with a chef. Her name was Shawna, and the first meal she ever made for me was seared tuna in a pineapple soy sauce. It took her about 10 minutes to make, and it was one of the best things I’d ever eaten: sweet, salty and savory. Before her, I had associated restaurant-quality food with long ingredient lists and complicated processes, but the food she made reminded me that often the best food is simple. In the years since I’ve made pineapple soy glazed salmon, chicken and ham, but my favorite use of this sauce is on these flavorful meatballs.
The slow cooker is perfect for making meatballs, which can easily dry out in stovetop preparations. In this recipe, cornstarch replaces flour for silkier meatballs, while cornmeal adds structure. These tasty bites make a great appetizer skewered with toothpicks and pieces of the cooked pineapple. They also make a satisfying meal served with white rice and steamed vegetables.
Slow cooker pineapple soy meatballs
4-6
15 minutes
4 hours
4 hours, 15 minutes
1 pound (450 g) ground chicken or turkey
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoons cornmeal
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 tablespoons (60 ml) soy sauce, divided
2 egg
1 20-ounce (565 g) can pineapple chunks in juice
3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey
3 green onions, thinly sliced, dark green tops reserved
Make meatballs by mixing together ground chicken, cornstarch, cornmeal, garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and egg. Combine thoroughly and divide into 1½-inch balls.
Make the sauce. Pour the pineapple, in its juice, into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and add the white parts of the green onions.
Nestle the meatballs into the sauce and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the centers of the meatballs are no longer pink. Sprinkle with remaining onion tops and serve.
For a thicker, stickier sauce, remove lid after meatballs are done, turn heat to high and continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Note: All slow cookers are a little bit different in temperature and calibration. This recipe was tested in Cooktop Cove's Test Kitchen using this slow cooker, which is available for purchase here. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which help support our website. 