11 Easy Hawaiian Appetizers

These Hawaiian appetizers are a bit like the islands themselves – bright, vibrant, and fun.

If you like your apps full of fresh, juicy flavor, you’ll love these bite-sized treats. 

Suitable for any occasion, they’re guaranteed crowd-pleasers. Don’t believe me?

Serve up a platter of pizza sliders, BBQ chicken cups, or bacon-wrapped pineapple for your next gathering and watch them disappear.

Meaty burger bites, succulent kabobs, and creamy dips – there’s a little bit of everything on this list.

Hawaiian recipes reflect the islands’ diverse culture and history.

There are a lot of international influences at work, with Japanese and Chinese flavors coming through in a lot of these traditional dishes. 

Take a look at these drool-worthy delights and it won’t be long before you’re planning a Hawaiian-themed feast!

1. Hawaiian Onion Dip

If you think you know onion dip, think again. 

This amazing recipe takes the classic app to another level, mixing it up with mozzarella cheese, salty bacon, ham, and fresh pineapple. 

This delightful dip is a little bit of everything – salty, creamy, fruity, and sweet.

It’s the perfect accompaniment to your chip cravings and is unbelievably addictive.

Serve it with crackers, chips, or veggie sticks for a fuss-free appetizer platter.

2. Hawaiian Meatballs

Juicy and moist, these meatballs are all kinds of good.

Served with a sticky Polynesian pineapple sauce, they’re a flavorful mix of spicy and sweet.

They’re easy to make, too! Just roll seasoned ground beef into mini-meatballs, bake until brown, then smother them with the soy, honey, and pineapple sauce.

If you’re in a rush, buy pre-packaged meatballs. Good cooks know when to use smart shortcuts.

3. Hawaiian Cheese Ball

If you went to a dinner party in the 70s, you were probably served a cheese ball. Now’s the time to bring back this delicious classic.

This unique recipe gives the cheesy app a Hawaiian twist with crushed pineapple, green onions, and bell pepper. 

If you’re serving this at Christmas or Thanksgiving, use a mix of red and green bell pepper to make things both fancy and festive.

4. Spam Musubi

Spam musubi is a flavorful fusion of Japanese and Hawaiian cuisines, made from pantry staples that you’ve probably already got in the house.

This unusual sushi-like app is a thick slice of sticky rice topped with fried spam and wrapped with a strip of nori seaweed.

(You might not have seaweed in the house but most grocery stores should carry it!)

Juicy, meaty, and very delicious, this is an unforgettable appetizer that’ll surprise and delight your guests.

5. Hawaiian Pizza Sliders

There’s nothing more crowd-friendly than a platter of sliders. Everyone loves them.

Pass around a plate of these delicious pizza rolls, and you’ll be very popular at the next backyard BBQ. 

Made with savory ham and juicy chunks of fresh pineapple, they’re classic Hawaiian pizza in miniature form. They may be tiny, but they’re very, very tasty!

6. Grilled Ham and Pineapple Kabobs

Hosting a BBQ? Make some room on the grill for these irresistible kabobs.

Chunks of sweet, syrupy pineapple and thick slices of ham are skewered and grilled to roasted perfection, deepening their sweet and salty flavor. 

Marinating the ham beforehand in a soy sauce, ginger, and brown sugar glaze gives it an even more tangy taste, so don’t skip this all-important step!

7. Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Cups

This cute and easy appetizer looks great and tastes even better.

Flaky wonton cups are filled with a heaping of shredded chicken, cheese, pineapple juice, BBQ sauce, and ginger.

It’s an explosion of tempting tastes, with tangy, sweet, and salty notes. Serve warm and with a sprinkling of chopped green onion.

8. Hawaiian Salsa

One bite of this bright salsa, and you’ll be dreaming of sun-kissed days on the islands.

With ripe fruit, fresh herbs, and sweet veggies, this delightful dip tastes of summer.

It’s a healthy mix of juicy pineapple, crunchy bell peppers, juicy tomatoes, and fragrant cilantro.

Pile it into a hollowed-out pineapple for a dish that looks as amazing as it tastes.

9. Hawaiian Burger Bites

Fun and funky, these burger bites are ready to party.

The base is made from soft, floury crescent dough, baked until golden.

These are then brushed with a sweet glaze and topped with mini-meatballs.

Add a chunk of fresh pineapple just before serving (securing with a toothpick or small skewer) and these are sure to vanish. 

10. Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites

Spicy, sweet, and salty there’s nothing your next party needs more than these bacon bites.

You’ll be surprised that something so delicious can be so simple, but they really do come together in minutes.

Just wrap a strip of bacon around a pineapple chunk, roll it in brown sugar, and add a dash of hot sauce.

Bake it until brown and enjoy the sticky sweet app of your dreams.

11. Chicken Pupus

Pupus (also known as pu pu) is a fusion dish, influenced by both Hawaiian and Chinese-American cuisine.

In this recipe, the chicken stays true to both with a tangy marinade made from soy sauce, honey, ginger, dark rum, wasabi, and orange.

Soak your chicken thighs or breasts in this flavorful sauce for a few hours (or overnight if you’re particularly organized), and it’ll soak up all those piquant and vibrant flavors. 

Then all you’ll have to do is fire up the grill for a moist, mouthwatering appetizer that’ll get people talking (in a good way).