Made with ground pork, pineapple, sweet chili sauce, and hoisin sauce, these Crockpot Asian Meatballs are so flavorful and tender. A delicious twist on classic pork meatballs, these can be enjoyed as an appetizer or full meal.
We love meatballs! Don’t miss some of our other meatball recipes including the best Italian meatballs and Porcupine meatballs.
Easy Pork Meatballs Recipe
These Asian pork meatballs an easy and very flavorful dish. They’re a big hit as a party appetizer but you can also turn them into a meal served over rice. I like to rotate serving these with chicken meatballs and turkey meatballs for a bit of variety.
I love these because they’re so tender and juicy with tons of great flavor. You’ve got ground pork, aromatics like garlic and ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, pineapple, and more. Even though there is pineapple and pineapple juice it is not a prominent flavor unless you eat an actual piece of the pineapple. So, even non-pineapple lovers would like this dish.
Why You’ll Love These Asian Meatballs
- Easy to make. These pork meatballs and sauce are so easy and straightforward to make. Plus the crockpot does most of the work.
- Incredible flavor. The meatballs themselves taste like the filling of a pork dumpling and the sauce adds more savory Asian flavor, with ingredients like soy sauce and hoisin sauce.
- Stores well. These meatballs store well in both the fridge and the freezer. Feel free to make a double batch – you’ll appreciate the extras later!
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need for these Asian pork meatballs.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Ground pork – This recipe is for pork meatballs but you could use ground chicken or turkey here too.
- Panko bread crumbs – Acts as a binder for the meatballs.
- Egg – Also helps bind everything together.
- Aromatics – Garlic, ginger, and scallions add classic Asian flavor.
- Sesame oil – Adds moisture and flavor.
- Salt & pepper – For flavor.
- Pineapple chunks – If you don’t want to add pineapple chunks, you can add 1/3 cup of pineapple juice. Or, more beef broth in place if you don’t want any pineapple at all.
- Sweet chili sauce – The base of the sauce for these meatballs. Use our homemade sweet chili sauce recipe or buy a bottle at the store
- Beef broth – Adds a rich, savory flavor to the sauce and thins it out.
- Hoisin sauce & soy sauce – Adds classic umami flavor.
- Rice wine vinegar – For a bit of tanginess and zing.
How To Make Asian Pork Meatballs In The Crockpot
These crockpot meatballs come together in just a few easy steps.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Make the meatball mixture. Mix together the meatball ingredients until combine. Portion into 1.5 tablespoon balls and roll with your hands.
- Bake. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425F for 15 minutes.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together the sauce ingredients.
- Slow cook. Place the meatballs into a greased 6-quart slow cooker then top with the pineapple and sauce. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 2-4 hours.
- Thicken the sauce. If you want a thicker sauce, whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water then stir into the slow cooker on high heat during the last hour. Stir every 15 minutes.
Tips & Variations
- Switch up the protein. You can use ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey in place of pork, or your favorite mix.
- Add some heat. Kick up the heat by adding some sriracha or your favorite hot sauce to the mix.
- Leave space when baking. The meatballs should all be roughly the same size and there should be space between them when you bake them, to ensure that they brown.
- Serve from the crockpot. If serving these Asian meatballs as an appetizer, you can put it on the warm setting and serve right out of the slow cooker.
- Using store-bought meatballs. If you prefer to use store-bought meatballs, you certainly can, but note they will not have the great flavor of these, which taste like the filling of a pork dumpling.
Serving Suggestions
There are a few different ways to enjoy these Asian pork meatballs. I love to serve them as an appetizer, straight from the slow cooker as mentioned above. Just add some toothpicks for guests to grab them and enjoy. You can also turn these into a main dish by serving them over white rice or coconut rice. Add some sautéed or roasted veggies, like roasted broccoli to turn it into a complete meal.
Proper Storage
- Make ahead. Assemble the meatballs, but do not bake. Store, covered, in the fridge up to 1 day ahead, then bake and proceed with the recipe. To freeze uncooked meatballs, assemble then place on an ungreased cookie sheet and freeze, uncovered, until solid. Then transfer to a freezer-safe ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake and proceed with the recipe.
- Fridge. Store any leftover cooked Asian meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing leftovers. You can also freeze leftover cooked pork meatballs for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container or freezer-safe plastic bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat. Reheat in the slow cooker, stovetop, or microwave. If you did the optional thickening step, then you will need to add a splash more stock to loosen it up.
More Easy Meatball Recipes:
- Swedish Meatballs
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Porcupine Meatballs
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Italian Meatballs
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Crockpot Asian Pork Meatballs
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
FOR THE SAUCE
- 20 ounce can pineapple chunks , undrained
- 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.)
- 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 the meatballs for 15 minutes until they are lightly golden on the tops.
- Place the meatballs into the body of a greased 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the pineapple with the juice.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet chili sauce, broth, hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. Pour the sauce into the slow cooker and stir everything gently to combine.
- Cover and cook 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.
