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★★★★★37 Comments

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Hawaiian Beef

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by Lindsay Cotter Published: Aug 1, 2019

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Easy Crockpot Sweet and Sour Hawaiian Beef! This slow cooker Hawaiian Beef recipe is made with a refined sugar free pineapple sauce and boneless beef loin. It’s perfect for meal prep and freezer friendly so you can make a double batch and save some for later!

Overhead view crockpot sweet and sour Hawaiian beef served over rice in white bowl.


Happy Aloha Friday y’all! Just Kidding, it’s Thursday. But I almost had you there for a second now, didn’t I? ALOHA is definitely the theme for this crock pot Hawaiian Beef, no matter what day you reading this. And I can totally say that because we used to live in Hawaii. Yep, lived there, worked in the fitness industry, spent all my money on paying for my 300 square foot apartment, food, and gas. Yes, it’s SUPER expensive but worth it! We even got married there….. on my father in law’s coffee farm! Ahh, the good ol’ days. So yes, we’re bringing back the ALOHA memories and ALOHA food. Food as in delicious slow cooker beef with all the Hawaiian food flavors. It’s a super chill recipe and super easy, just like life in Hawaii. Okay I’ll stop now.

EASY PREP with SLOW COOKER BEEF

Now, I don’t know about you, but come Friday, almost all my cooking efforts are getting depleted and I so need my crock-pot (or slow cooker, it’s all the same) to help with the cooking. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE cooking, it’s my passion, but I don’t want to do more dishes! You know you can relate! In order to clean less, I opt for an easy crock-pot meal or takeout. Let’s think of it this way, if we chose to cook in vs take out, we not only save money, but we could potentially make this slow cooker meal a meal prep meal , thus becoming SUPER efficient, even on a weekend. Overachievers, this one’s for you! Haha, I like it!

So here we go. Aloha kākou (welcome) to a recipe that is super satisfying, quick, helping and amazingly delicious! Yes, Crockpot Sweet and Sour Hawaiian Beef.

Sweet and sour Hawaiian beef and veggies in black crockpot being stirred with wooden spoon.

How to make Hawaiian Beef in the Slow Cooker (Crock-Pot).

This sweet and sour crock pot Hawaiian beef is probably the most flavorful dish I’ve made in a long time.  I mean like a real dish. One that Rachel Ray would approve that. Colorful and MMM MM GOOD!

All ingredients for sweet and sour Hawaiian beef in slow cooker and in small bowls around slow cooker.

Ingredients you need for Hawaiian Beef.

  • Beef Loin (diced lean stew meat works great)
  • Pineapple and juice – diced
  • Tamari or Coconut Aminos
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Honey
  • Onion and Garlic
  • Bell Peppers and Celery
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Rice or Cauliflower rice
  • Herbs and/or green onion

Now just brown the meat, mix up your sweet and sour sauce, mix, and dump (hate that word) into one crockpot! And it’s PALEO friendly. YEA for real food easy peasy meals!

A wooden spoon stirring crockpot sweet and sour Hawaiian beef.

EASY PREP  and MEAL PREP TIP.

EASY PREP tip & Confession –> This so called sweet and sour sauce is KEY to making this dish shine. And it’s totally okay if you go the budget route. I did. Not gonna lie, I used canned pineapples (in their juice) and saved the juice. That my friends is called being lazy but effective.

MEAL PREP tip –> I highly recommend making a double batch so you can freeze half or more for later. This beef is soooo good with just about anything! Rice, Tacos, Salad, Eggs, you name it!

Now let’s DIVE onto this recipe. Mmm k?

Overhead view crockpot sweet and sour Hawaiian beef served over rice topped with lime slice and red pepper flakes.
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Sweet and sour Hawaiian beef in black crockpot.

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Hawaiian Beef


★★★★★

5 from 7 reviews

  • Author: Lindsay Cotter
  • Total Time: 4 hrs 10 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

Slow cooked Sweet and Sour Hawaiian Beef {Paleo friendly}


Ingredients

Units Scale

Sweet and Sour Pineapple Sauce

  • 16 ounces (two 8 ounce cans) of crushed pineapple (in juice not syrup) – drained and reserve juice in a small bowl
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup gluten free tamari or coconut aminos for soy free option.
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 Tablespoon of fresh grated ginger or pinch of ground ginger (optional )

For the Slow Cooker/Crockpot:

  • 2 lbs boneless beef loin cut into 1-2 inch pieces, or you can purchase stew meat precut. Best to trim excess fat for before cooking. See notes for other meat options.
  • 2–3 Tablespoons oil for browning meat
  • black pepper to taste
  • coarse kosher salt to taste
  • 1–2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 bell pepper – diced, seeds removed (see notes for substitutes)
  • For plating – chopped green onion and/or cilantro to garnish. To serve with rice or cauliflower rice.

Optional Slurry to thicken:

  • 1 Tablespoon arrowroot starch
  • 2 Tablespoon cold water

Instructions

  1. Drain the canned pineapple and reserve the juice. Place pineapple aside and juice in a small mixing bowl.
  2. Next, whisk together the pineapple juice, cider, gluten free soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and honey. Whisk until honey is combined (dissolved) with other ingredients. Set aside.
  3. Heat a medium size skillet with 2 tablespoons oil. Lightly sprinkle the diced beef cubes with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Place meat in the pan and then brown meat on medium high, turning beef cubes to brown all sides. About 3-4 minutes.
  4. Place the browned meat in the slow cooker and sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes on top.
  5. Add the chopped onion and sweet and sour pineapple sauce to the crockpot/slow cooker. Mix together.
  6. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 5-6 hours or on HIGH heat for about 3 hours, or until the meat is cooked through and tender.
  7. After the meat has been cooked, mix in the crushed pineapple and bell pepper. *Note – if you would like to thicken the stew/meat mix, add the arrowroot starch slurry here.  First dissolve the arrowroot starch and cold water in a small bowl to create a slurry then mix into slow cooker.*
  8. Cook on high for additional 20-30 minutes or until peppers have softened and juice has thickened.
  9. Spoon meat and juice over rice or cauliflower rice. Garnish with chopped green onion and/or cilantro.

Notes

Feel free to use pork or turkey stew meat or pork loin as a beef substitute. Cooking times may vary.

1 cup diced celery may be used in place of pepper if desired.

  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 4 hr
  • Category: dinner
  • Method: slow cooker
  • Cuisine: american

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 5 ounces
  • Calories: 240
  • Sugar: 12
  • Sodium: 587 mg
  • Fat: 7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 15 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 26 g

Keywords: beef, slow cooker, crock pot, meat, gluten free, dinner

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @cottercrunch on Instagram and hashtag it #cottercrunch

May your house smell like summer sweetness! Aloha!

Ever tried Hawaiian Beef or sweet and sour beef?

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MORE SLOW COOKER & INSTANT POT RECIPES HERE!

This recipe is part of our Best Slow Cooker Meal Prep and Instant Pot Recipes collection. Check it out!

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Categories: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Main Dishes, Nut-Free, Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot Tags: beef, crock pot, slow cooker

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Lindsay Cotter of Cotter Crunch

About Lindsay

Hi, y’all, I’m Lindsay Cotter, a Nutrition Specialist with a focus on Gluten-Free eating. I love creating delicious nourishing food that anyone can enjoy.

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Taylor

    12/13/2022 at 7:00 PM

    Holy smokes- so good! Made recipe as written but no slurry and the whole family loved it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoSammi (Cotter Crunch Test Kitchen)

      12/15/2022 at 1:08 PM

      We are so glad to hear that! This is one of our favs too. Thanks for the kind comment and sharing your recipe experience with us. 🙂

      Reply
      • Taylor

        01/06/2023 at 3:51 PM

        Is there a best way to make this a freezer meal? We are preparing for baby number 2!

        Reply
        • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

          01/09/2023 at 5:18 PM

          Personally, I would prepare/cook the meat and prepare the sauce, then freeze them separately. When ready to eat, thaw and combine the sauce and meat together in slow cooker or stove top, season to taste. Does that make sense?

          Reply
  2. Actually Hawaiian

    06/10/2022 at 7:24 AM

    What makes this dish “Hawaiian”? The pineapple? It’s not even indigenous to Hawaii and actually has had quite a detrimental effect on Native Hawaiians. Please do better.

    Reply
    • Tracy

      06/27/2022 at 7:37 PM

      I actually ran a google search and found this recipe based on the name and I loved it… the recipe and the name. Please take your woke virtual signaling somewhere else. We get it… you’re morally superior to everyone else. Give it a rest.

      Reply
      • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

        06/28/2022 at 4:22 PM

        Thank you tracy! I appreciate that. <3

        Reply
    • Just Eat It

      11/17/2022 at 1:35 PM

      Ummm actually…. Ugh. Tell me you’re a man without telling me you’re a man. Recipe policing? That’s new. Are you out of work? Retired? Bored? Just that lame? Hope you never eat anything called Mexican, Thai, or anything else for that matter that isn’t 100% authentic. You better check! It’s a recipe, dude. A recipe. Make it – make it with a sweet fruit that IS native to Hawaii, call it what you want, eat it, enjoy it, and take a darn nap. Jeez. Linsday, this was perfectly yummy, thank you for sharing your work!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Actually Hawaiian

        11/17/2022 at 5:08 PM

        Hi! Not a man, just a Native woman that is tired of people profiting off a culture they feign respect for. I probably do need a nap.

        Reply
        • Just Eat It

          11/21/2022 at 2:59 PM

          And a random recipe on the Internet is your platform? Did you even try this, or did you just come here to complain? Jeez. I’m tired for you. I get it, I really do, but seriously…. Can you even just appreciate what this woman is trying to do? I think you’re the only one with an agenda here – and it’s just not the place. It’s actually a really great dish, pineapple native to Hawaii or not, and I appreciate that it’s easy, inexpensive, and made accessible for people like me. What actually brought you here in the first place? Are you able to look past yourself?

          Reply
  3. Amy

    03/03/2022 at 5:21 PM

    This was very tasty! I made it on the stovetop with ground beef and it came together super quickly! I would definitely make it again. Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Alex S.

    10/17/2021 at 1:52 PM

    This is a delicious dish. Super easy to make, and great for leftovers. I have made this a few times and am excited to freeze the leftovers for easy preheatable meals since I’ve got a baby due soon.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      10/17/2021 at 7:20 PM

      I’m so glad! Thanks for feedback Alex! <3 And happy almost baby time!!!

      Reply
  5. Hannah

    10/02/2019 at 12:56 PM

    One of my new favorite weeknight dinners ☺️ I serve it with broccoli and rice noodles and it’s soooo good!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      10/02/2019 at 3:23 PM

      Yes! Love that combo too. Glad you like it!

      Reply
  6. elizabeth hoerman

    08/04/2019 at 11:23 PM

    Made this today with a venison roast. It.was.wonderful! Definitely will be adding this recipe to my go to list 🙂

    Reply
  7. Liz S

    08/01/2019 at 6:19 AM

    Never had sweet & sour beef before, but your recipe sounds divine! Aloha to Friday (tomorrow 🙂 ).

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      08/02/2019 at 9:25 AM

      You’d love! Really, the flavor is spot on. Great with chicken too!

      Reply
  8. Alysia at Slim Sanity

    03/06/2016 at 4:50 PM

    Love the flavored for this recipe!! I’m into crockpot recipes these days, that’s for sure!

    Reply
  9. ACKTIVE LIFE

    03/06/2016 at 4:06 PM

    Oh heck yeah to this slow cooker meal…I am so the same way when it comes to cooking at the end of the week…done with it all, but then come Sunday I am ready to cook again. I keep forgetting that you lived in Hawaii…That island makes Nantucket look cheap! 🙂

    Reply
  10. Jody - Fit at 58

    03/04/2016 at 8:50 PM

    All you had to do is put Hawaii in the title for me & I am not even a beef eater! 🙂

    Reply
    • Cotter Crunch

      03/04/2016 at 9:00 PM

      Soooooo thought of you!!!! Let’s move

      Reply
  11. Laura @ This Runner's Recipes

    03/04/2016 at 1:03 PM

    The colors in your photos are gorgeous! I’ve been a huge pineapple kick lately since it’s been coming in so fresh to the stores, so this looks extra tasty to me!

    Reply
    • Cotter Crunch

      03/04/2016 at 3:10 PM

      yes! me too! pineapple LOVE. feels so right, doesn’t it?

      Reply
  12. Arman @ thebigmansworld

    03/04/2016 at 12:03 PM

    I have been living off Hawaiian chicken for dinner but I think it’s time to whip out the crockpot- This looks amazing!!!! I’m craving beef like cray!

    Reply
  13. Erin @ Erin's Inside Job

    03/04/2016 at 11:29 AM

    MMM these make me feel warm even though it’s cold outside. Thanks for bringing some color to my day!

    Reply
  14. Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table

    03/04/2016 at 10:12 AM

    Ahlohaaaaaaa crock pot! I love everything about this. I so rarely cook a whole loin (that sounds wried…) but in a crock pot is the only way to do it.

    My friend reposted her sister’s ad renting her house in Hawaii. I almost tagged you.

    Reply
  15. michele @ paleorunningmomma

    03/04/2016 at 9:48 AM

    How incredible does this look?! I can’t even! Love everything about it and want it for dinner ASAP!

    Reply
  16. Sam @ PancakeWarriors

    03/04/2016 at 9:17 AM

    I want to adopt Aloha Friday!! This sounds amazing! Oh man the chance to live in Hawaii sounds like perfection! I guess if we can’t move there, we can still eat like we do! And this pineapple recipe sounds right up my alley, simple and flavorful. I’m about to leap into a new business adventure and I think we are going to need some slow cooker meals to get through long days! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  17. Blair

    03/04/2016 at 6:57 AM

    Mmmmm…this is my kind of dinner! Slow cooker and EASY! Plus, the combo of the sweet pineapple with the savory/salty ingredients is SO good, I’m sure. Looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Cotter Crunch

      03/04/2016 at 8:25 AM

      you know it lovely!

      Reply
  18. Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious

    03/04/2016 at 6:07 AM

    I don’t know that inhale a favorite Hawaiian meal? But the coffee is the bomb!

    Reply
    • Cotter Crunch

      03/04/2016 at 8:15 AM

      inhale? you mean aloha? hehe

      Reply
      • Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious

        03/04/2016 at 9:24 AM

        I meant I have but aloha would worn too!

        Reply
        • Cotter Crunch

          03/04/2016 at 9:57 AM

          i think we need to escape to hawaii. OUr brains need it

          Reply
  19. Brittany Lehnhoff

    03/04/2016 at 5:47 AM

    I wish I was still in my PJs while I’m reading this! Consider it made 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Cotter Crunch

      03/04/2016 at 8:43 AM

      yea PJ day! do it! <3

      Reply

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Lindsay Cotter of Cotter Crunch

About Lindsay

Hi, y’all, I’m Lindsay Cotter, a Nutrition Specialist with a focus on Gluten-Free eating. I love creating delicious nourishing food that anyone can enjoy.

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