This slow cooker Hawaiian Beef 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!
A Recipe Inspired By the Island Life!
Aloha is definitely the theme for this crock pot Hawaiian Beef! Did y’all know that 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. We even got married there on my father in law’s coffee farm! Ahh, the good ol’ days. So we’re bringing back the memories and aloha food. This is a super chill recipe and super easy, just like life in Hawaii.
Easy Prep Slow Cooker Recipe
Come the end of the week, 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.
Hawaiian Beef Ingredients
Below is an overview of the ingredients and recipe. Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details and nutrition information.
- Beef Loin (diced lean stew meat works great)
- Pineapple and juice
- 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
Tips and Tricks
Prep Tip – The sweet and sour sauce is key to making this dish shine. I used canned pineapples (in their juice) and saved the juice.
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!
How to Make Sweet & Sour Hawaiian Beef
This sweet and sour crock pot Hawaiian beef is probably the easiest meal I’ve made in a long time. I love when the crockpot does all the hard work for you!
Just brown the meat, mix up your sweet and sour sauce, mix the sauce and meat together, and toss everything into the crockpot! Told ya it was easy!
More of Our Favorite
Gluten-Free Crock Pot Recipes
Crockpot Sweet and Sour Hawaiian Beef
- Total Time: 4 hrs 10 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Slow cooked Sweet and Sour Hawaiian Beef {Paleo friendly}
Ingredients
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
- Drain the canned pineapple and reserve the juice. Place pineapple aside and juice in a small mixing bowl.
- 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.
- 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.
- Place the browned meat in the slow cooker and sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes on top.
- Add the chopped onion and sweet and sour pineapple sauce to the crockpot/slow cooker. Mix together.
- 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.
- 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.*
- Cook on high for additional 20-30 minutes or until peppers have softened and juice has thickened.
- 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 g
- Sodium: 587 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 26 g
Your picture has other ingredients not listed that are colorful. What else have you added?
I used pineapple, red bell pepper, red onion, and garnished with green onion and cilantro. That should all be listed in the recipe card. Maybe it was the red pepper that popped out to you. It’s soo good! Let me know if you try it!
It was good the meat fell apart and was very juicy.
Hi there! Glad you liked the meat!
Holy smokes- so good! Made recipe as written but no slurry and the whole family loved it.
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. 🙂
Is there a best way to make this a freezer meal? We are preparing for baby number 2!
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?
Linsday, this was perfectly yummy, thank you for sharing your work!
I actually ran a google search and found this recipe based on the name and I loved it!
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!
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.
I’m so glad! Thanks for feedback Alex! <3 And happy almost baby time!!!
One of my new favorite weeknight dinners ☺️ I serve it with broccoli and rice noodles and it’s soooo good!!
Yes! Love that combo too. Glad you like it!
Made this today with a venison roast. It.was.wonderful! Definitely will be adding this recipe to my go to list 🙂
Never had sweet & sour beef before, but your recipe sounds divine! Aloha to Friday (tomorrow 🙂 ).
You’d love! Really, the flavor is spot on. Great with chicken too!
Love the flavored for this recipe!! I’m into crockpot recipes these days, that’s for sure!
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! 🙂
All you had to do is put Hawaii in the title for me & I am not even a beef eater! 🙂
Soooooo thought of you!!!! Let’s move
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!
yes! me too! pineapple LOVE. feels so right, doesn’t it?
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!
MMM these make me feel warm even though it’s cold outside. Thanks for bringing some color to my day!
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.
How incredible does this look?! I can’t even! Love everything about it and want it for dinner ASAP!
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!
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!
you know it lovely!
I don’t know that inhale a favorite Hawaiian meal? But the coffee is the bomb!
inhale? you mean aloha? hehe
I meant I have but aloha would worn too!
i think we need to escape to hawaii. OUr brains need it
I wish I was still in my PJs while I’m reading this! Consider it made 🙂
yea PJ day! do it! <3