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These sticky, sweet, and savory Asian Pork Meatballs simmer away in the slow cooker with juicy pineapple and a glossy chili hoisin sauce. I throw them together before work on a *busy weekday* and the whole house smells incredible by dinner. If you love easy Asian inspired dinners, our Thai basil pork stir fry is another weeknight winner.
They work as a party appetizer with toothpicks or piled over rice for an easy main, and the slow cooker does almost all the work.
Asian Pork Meatballs Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 6 to 8 hours (slow cooker)
- ⏳ Total Time: 6 to 8 hours
- 🍽️ Serving: 27 meatballs
- ⚡ Calories: 102kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, savory, and tangy with pineapple, ginger, and chili hoisin glaze
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our honey garlic chicken
Quick Answer
Mix ground pork with panko, egg, garlic, ginger, and scallions, roll into balls, and bake just until golden. Then add them to a slow cooker with pineapple chunks and a sauce of sweet chili, hoisin, soy, and a splash of rice vinegar. Slow cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until the meatballs are glazed and tender, thickening the sauce with a cornstarch slurry at the end if you like.
Jump to:
- Asian Pork Meatballs Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Asian Pork Meatballs
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Asian Pork Meatballs FAQs
- Other Recommended Asian Recipes
- Slow Cooker Asian Pork Meatballs with Pineapple
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Baking first locks in the shape. A quick bake sets the meatballs so they hold together in the slow cooker instead of falling apart in the sauce.
- Pineapple does double duty. The fruit adds sweetness and its juice helps build a bright, tangy sauce as everything cooks down.
- Ginger and garlic in the meat. Mixing fresh ginger, garlic, and scallions right into the pork seasons the meatballs from the inside out.
- A balanced sticky sauce. Sweet chili, hoisin, and soy give you that craveable sweet, salty, savory glaze with almost no effort.
- Slow cooker convenience. Once everything is in the pot, the slow cooker handles the rest, making this perfect for parties and busy days.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are sweet, sticky, and savory, the perfect crowd pleasing party appetizer.
- The slow cooker does the heavy lifting, so they are practically hands off.
- They go from appetizer to dinner easily, served over rice like our homemade meatballs are with pasta.
Key Ingredients
Two short ingredient lists, one for the meatballs and one for the sauce, come together into something special. Here are the key players.
- Ground pork: Stays juicy and tender in the slow cooker and soaks up all that sweet and savory sauce.
- Pineapple chunks: Added with their juice, they bring sweetness and a tangy brightness to the sauce.
- Fresh ginger and garlic: Grated into the meat, they give the meatballs their warm, aromatic Asian flavor.
- Sweet chili and hoisin sauce: The base of the glaze, balancing sweet, salty, and savory in every bite.
- Panko bread crumbs: Keep the meatballs light and tender instead of dense.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are some easy ways to switch up these Asian pork meatballs.
- Use frozen meatballs: Short on time? Skip the homemade step and use 1.5 pounds of frozen meatballs straight into the slow cooker.
- Ground chicken or turkey: Swap the pork for ground chicken or turkey for a lighter version.
- Add heat: Stir in sriracha or red pepper flakes for a spicier glaze.
- Make it a meal: Serve over rice with a side of wonton egg drop soup for a full takeout style dinner.
- More Asian mains: Loving these flavors, try our kung pao chicken next.
How to Make Asian Pork Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix the ground pork, panko, egg, garlic, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Portion into 1.5 tablespoon meatballs, roll into balls, and place on a parchment lined sheet tray, not touching.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the meatballs are lightly golden on top.
- Transfer the baked meatballs into the body of a 6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the can of pineapple chunks along with all of its juice.
- Whisk together the sweet chili sauce, beef broth, hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil, then pour over the meatballs and stir gently.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 2 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
- For a thicker sauce, whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and stir in during the last hour on high. Serve as an appetizer or over rice.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not skip the bake. A quick bake before the slow cooker keeps the meatballs from breaking apart in the sauce.
- Use a cookie scoop. A 1.5 tablespoon scoop makes evenly sized meatballs that cook at the same rate.
- Do not drain the pineapple. That juice is part of the sauce and adds the signature sweet tang.
- Stir occasionally. Give the meatballs a gentle stir now and then so nothing sticks or burns on the sides.
- Thicken at the end. Add the cornstarch slurry only in the last hour so the sauce clings to every meatball.
- Garnish to finish. A sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced scallions makes them look and taste extra special.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve these Asian pork meatballs straight from the slow cooker with toothpicks for a party appetizer, or spoon them over a bowl of steamed rice for an easy weeknight dinner. A shower of sesame seeds and sliced scallions on top makes them irresistible.
Turn it into a full takeout night at home by pairing them with our kung pao chicken, a bowl of wonton egg drop soup, and a side of spicy pad thai.
For more pork forward dinners, our Thai basil pork stir fry brings the same sweet and savory vibe with a fresh, spicy kick.
Asian Pork Meatballs FAQs
Yes. Use about 1.5 pounds of frozen, fully cooked meatballs and skip the mixing and baking steps. Add them straight to the slow cooker with the pineapple and sauce.
Both. Serve them with toothpicks as a sticky party appetizer, or spoon them over rice or noodles for an easy main dish dinner.
Absolutely. Mix and bake the meatballs up to a day ahead, then add them to the slow cooker with the sauce when you are ready. They also reheat beautifully.
Whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and stir it into the slow cooker during the last hour on high heat, stirring every 15 minutes until glossy and thick.
Store cooled meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.
Yes. Freeze the cooked meatballs in their sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until warmed through.
Craving more Asian inspired dinners? Try our kung pao chicken next.
You will also love our creamy Asian slaw.
Another quick weeknight dinner is our chicken broccoli pasta.
Slow Cooker Asian Pork Meatballs with Pineapple
Equipment
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 & 1/2 pounds ground pork
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 3 scallions thinly sliced, green part only
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 20 ounce can pineapple chunks undrained
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/4 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together the pork, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, ginger, scallion, sesame oil, salt, and pepper until well combined. I like to use my hands for this.1 & 1/2 pounds ground pork, 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs, 1 large egg, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger, 3 scallions, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Portion the meatballs into 1.5 tablespoons and roll them into a ball with your hands. Place on the prepared sheet tray, not touching.
- Bake for 15 minutes until they are lightly golden on the tops.
- Place the meatballs into the body of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the pineapple with the juice.20 ounce can pineapple chunks
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet chili sauce, broth, hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil.1/2 cup sweet chili sauce, 1/4 cup beef broth, 1/4 cup hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- Pour the sauce into the slow cooker and stir everything gently to combine.
- Place over low heat for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. Stir every so often so nothing burns on the sides.
- Optional, if you would like a thickened sauce, during the last hour of cooking whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Pour into the slow cooker while stirring, place on high heat. Make sure to stir every 15 minutes. Serve as an appetizer or over rice as a main dish.
Notes
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh ginger and garlic make a big difference in flavor.
- Don’t Overmix: When mixing the meatball ingredients, be gentle to keep the meatballs tender.
- Preheat Your Oven: Make sure your oven is fully preheated before baking the meatballs for even cooking.
- Line Your Baking Sheet: Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Taste Your Sauce: Adjust the seasoning of the sauce to your liking before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Serve with Rice: For a complete meal, serve the meatballs over steamed rice.
Nutrition
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