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Sweet And Sour Meatballs are a knockout meal with unique sweet and savory flavors. A family favorite and ready in 30 minutes. This makes a great meal prep meal and gets better as leftovers.
This recipe has been updated and republished from original date.
Why Make Sweet And Sour Meatballs
Sweet and Sour Meatballs makes for a great meal prep, it holds up well and the sauce and meatballs heat up great. Also try my Kung Pao Shrimp and Beef Fried Rice, both meals have a similar vibe and ease.
- This meal comes together in about 30-40 minutes (depending on how quickly you work in the kitchen)
- It’s a great weeknight meal. It doesn’t take long and requires minimal effort.
- This dish has crispy fresh veggies sautéed in it which offers great nutrients. The meatballs are homemade so you know exactly what goes in them, they are insanely good.
Ingredients Needed
- Lean Ground Beef. I go for 90/10 ground beef. Turkey or ground chicken will also work.
- Panko Bread Crumbs. These are Japanese breadcrumbs made from steamed, crustless loaves of bread. They are more flaky than traditional breadcrumbs.
- Seasonings. Garlic, salt and red pepper flakes to season the meatballs.
- Eggs. This is use to bind the meatballs together
- Bell Peppers. This adds color and crunch.
- Onion. for aromatics.
Sweet & Sour Sauce
- Broth. Broth is used for the base of the sweet and sour sauce.
- Rice Vinegar. My favorite vinegar! It’s a little sweeter than most and makes a wonderful addition to the sauce.
- Canned Pineapple/Juice. We will use the sauce and the pineapples.
- Ketchup & Tomato Paste. This gives the sauce a tangy, savory depth of flavor.
- Brown Sugar. This adds a nice sweetness.
- Cornstarch + Water. This is to make a “slurry” and thicken the sauce.
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
Steps To Make Sweet And Sour Meatballs
- Step One. If serving with rice, start the rice according to the package. This typically takes 20 minutes to cook. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl.
- Step Two. If air frying, cook on 375º for about 7 minutes, turn them over and bake for another 7-10 minutes. If baking in the oven on a cooking sheet, Bake on 375º for 15 minutes, flip the meatballs and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
- Step Three. In a large wok or pan, heat the oil over medium/high heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook for 5-8 minutes.
- Step Four. In a medium bowl, combine all the sweet and sour sauce ingredients together (except the corn starch slurry, this will be added later) whisk well. Set aside.
- Step Five. Pour the sweet and sour sauce mixture in the skillet and stir well.
- Step Six. Add the cooked meatballs and pineapple chunks to the skillet or wok, toss everything together well.
Recipe Tips
- Use a cookie scoop to make the meatballs round and equal in size.
- Do not overcook the meatballs. Be sure to use a thermometer to check the internal temperature.
- Taste the sauce as you go. You may like it a little more sweet, add more ketup or brown sugar as needed.
- Make it healthier. Use ground turkey or chicken for a leaner meal. Serve the dish over cauliflower rice to pack in more veggies.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQs
What does sweet and sour sauce taste like?
Sweet and sour sauce features a balanced combination of sweet and tangy flavors, making it a versatile condiment that can be used in various ways to enhance the flavor
What if I made my sweet and sour sauce too sweet?
balance out the flavors by adding in more acidic ingredients like more vinegar or ketchup. If the dish is too sour, you can add a sweetener like more brown sugar or pineapple juice
Other Easy Weeknight Meals To Try
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Sweet nad Sour Meatballs
Sweet and Sour Meatballs are a knockout meal with unique sweet, savory flavors and fresh peppers. This is a quick meal the family will love.
Equipment
- large deep bottomed skillet or wok
- mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
- 1-1.5 lb lean ground beef, or ground turkey
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs, or gluten free breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes, omit if sensitive to het
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oil, for sautéing peppers
- ½ cup yellow onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 small green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 small orange bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup canned pineapple, diced, *save the juice for the sauce
Sweet And Sour Sauce
- 4 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 cup chicken or beef broth, low sodium
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice
- 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tsp water to make a slurry. , Just whisk together well
Instructions
- If serving with rice, start the rice according to the package. This typically takes 20 minutes to cook. Cook the meatballs. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl. Form the meatballs into small golf ball size meatballs, add them to a parchment lined air fryer or a baking sheet if baking in the oven.
- If air frying, cook on 375º for about 7 minutes, turn them over and bake for another 7-10 minutes. If baking in the oven on a cooking sheet, Bake on 375º for 15 minutes, flip the meatballs and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
- In a large wok or pan, heat the oil over medium/high heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook for 5-8 minutes.
- Make the sauce. In a medium bowl, combine all the sweet and sour sauce ingredients together (except the corn starch slurry, this will be added later) whisk well. Set aside.
- Pour the sweet and sour sauce mixture in the skillet and stir well. Once it comes to a simmer, add the corn starch slurry (corn starch and water mixed). Let it simmer until the sauce gets thick and glossy.
- Add the cooked meatballs and pineapple chunks to the skillet or wok, toss everything together well. Cook for another 2 minutes to bring the meatballs to heat then remove from heat. Serve over rice. *option to garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro.
Notes
- Use a cookie scoop to make the meatballs round and equal in size.
- Do not overcook the meatballs. Be sure to use a thermometer to check the internal temperature.
- Taste the sauce as you go. You may like it a little more sweet, add more ketup or brown sugar as needed.
- Make it healthier. Use ground turkey or chicken for a leaner meal. Serve the dish over cauliflower rice to pack in more veggies.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.25cup | Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 1403mg | Potassium: 775mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1034IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
Excellent recipe we really enjoyed it.
Thank you greatly for the feedback! I appreciate it.
Great recipe! I made it for my in laws and we all gobbled it up (no left overs!). My only complaint is that i wished I doubled the recipe! Will be making these again very soon, thank you.
Hi There! thrilled to hear you enjoy this recipe. Thanks so much!
Wow! What a great meal this was.
So happy to hear this. Thanks so much for making it.
Soooo yummy have made this recipe 2x now. My husband says this is his new favorite!
Hi Anastasia! Thanks so much for the feedback here I love to hear it.