Hawaiian Meatballs Recipe with Sweet & Spicy Sauce

This Hawaiian Meatballs recipe uses chicken and sweet & spicy sauce for a flavour packed meal that only takes 20 minutes to make.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 382kcal

Author Abbey Sharp

Ingredients

1 tbsp + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil divided
1 lb extra lean ground chicken
1 large egg beaten
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
½ cup green onions finely minced
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 1/2 tsp ginger grated
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp reduced sodium tamari
½ tsp ground pepper
1 red bell pepper cut into chunks
1 ¼ cup snap peas

Sauce

1/3 c low sodium or no sodium chicken broth
¼ cup low sodium tamari
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
1/3 cup finely minced ripe pineapple
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 tsp ginger grated
1 1/4 cup pineapple cut into chunks

Garnish

2 tsp green onions thinly sliced
¼ tsp sesame seeds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F and grease baking sheet with cooking spray.
To a bowl, mix together the chicken, egg, panko, coconut, green onions, garlic, ginger, salt, tamari and pepper. Form into 12 (about 3 tbsp) balls.
Add one tablespoon of oil to a skillet over medium high heat and add the meatballs. Brown on each side, about 1-2 minutes per side and transfer to baking sheet.
Toss the bell pepper and snap peas with the remaining teaspoon of oil and add to the baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 F.
Meanwhile, make the sauce in a bowl by mixing together the broth, tamari, sweet chili sauce, pineapple and cornstarch. Set aside.
Add another teaspoon of oil to the original pan and add in the garlic and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add in the sauce. Cook on medium low until bubbling.
Add the pineapple and cook for 1-2 minutes, then once the meatballs are cooked through, carefully toss them and the vegetables in the sauce.
Serve with rice and top with green onions and sesame seeds.

Video

Notes

If you are in a rush, you can totally skip the first step and pop the meatballs into the oven right away, However, I prefer to brown them slightly so they get some nice colour and a bit more flavour.

Bell peppers and snap peas are our veggies of choice for these Hawaiian meatballs because they give off a lovely crunch, but this recipe is super versatile and you can definitely use whatever veggie you have on hand! This recipe would work well with broccoli, mushroom, and carrots.

I would also definitely recommend adding the meatballs at the end once the sauce has had a chance to bubble and thinking. This prevents the meatballs from soging up in the sauce.

You can serve these Hawaiian meatballs on rice or cauliflower rice with sesame seeds and green onions. You're welcome lovers!

Nutrition