Sweet and Sour Meatballs

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Sweet and Sour Meatballs are juicy, full of flavor and tossed in a delicious sweet and sour sauce. We added bell peppers and onions too!

If you are a fan of meatballs, try the porcupine meatballs, chicken meatballs in mushroom sauce, Swedish meatballs and mozzarella stuffed meatballs.

Sweet and sour meatballs in a skillet

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

We are big fans of meatballs around here and usually make them every few days. Meatballs have the advantage over many other dishes because they can be made a few days ahead and stored in the fridge till you are ready to toss them in sauce and serve. Or bake them and freeze them, so you just have heat and serve. And they can be made with a variety of ingredients – beef, pork, turkey or chicken.

Keep these Meatballs Juicy:

  • The joy of breaking apart a juicy meatball with a fork is something else. So to keep these meatballs juicy, here are my top tips:
  • Grate the onions or mince them really finely. They add juiciness and flavour to the meatballs, and this way you won’t get big chunks of onions when you eat them
  • Don’t overwork the mixture, so that it’s still light and airy
  • Bake the meatballs on a high temperature so that they cook fast and remain juicy inside

Closeup of Sweet and sour meatballs in a skillet

Sweet and Sour Sauce

The sweet and sour sauce used to toss these meatballs in really easy to put together. It’s made with a few, easily available pantry ingredients. You’ll need pineapple juice, sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch and salt. Whisk them together in a bowl and just simmer the sauce for a few minutes. This sauce can be made and stored in the fridge for a week.

That sauce is absolutely amazing. It’ll make your lips pucker at its sourness, and will keep you wanting more. To balance it out, I also love using red and yellow bell peppers, and diced onions. You can add some tinned pineapple and sprinkle chopped green onions on top for extra freshness. If you want to add more veggies, add some broccoli or sugar snap peas. And thin the sauce with some water if you need to.

Sweet and sour meatballs served on top of rice in a plate

If you are in a hurry, feel free to use frozen meatballs but these are infinitely better with soft, juicy, homemade meatballs.

More Sweet and Sour Recipes

Sweet and sour meatballs in a skillet

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

4.75 from 4 votes
Soft, juicy meatballs tossed in a delicious sweet and sour sauce with bell peppers and onions.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Author Richa Gupta
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients
  

For the meatballs

  • 1/2 pound Beef mince
  • 1/2 pound Pork mince
  • 1 Onion grated or finely minced
  • 3/4 cup Breadcrumbs
  • 1 Egg whisked
  • 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

For the Sauce

  • 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Pineapple Juice
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha
  • 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup Water

Other Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon Oil
  • 1 cup Red and Yellow Bell Peppers cubed
  • 1 Onion cubed

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
  • In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs and mix. Form lime sized meatballs and place them on the baking tray. Spray or brush with a little oil, and bake for 15 minutes till they are cooked through.
  • Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
  • Once the meatballs are cooked, heat oil in a skillet. Add the bell peppers and onions and toss on high heat for about two minutes. Add the meatballs and the sauce and bring this to a quick simmer. The sauce should start to thicken. Simmer for another 4-5 minutes and turn off the flame. Thin the sauce with a little water if required. Serve hot.


Nutrition

Serves: 6

Calories345kcal (17%)Carbohydrates28g (9%)Protein17g (34%)Fat18g (28%)Saturated Fat6g (30%)Cholesterol81mg (27%)Sodium722mg (30%)Potassium415mg (12%)Fiber2g (8%)Sugar15g (17%)Vitamin A925IU (19%)Vitamin C38mg (46%)Calcium54mg (5%)Iron2mg (11%)

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian American
Keyword sweet and sour meatballs
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic

 

 

Richa Gupta

I’m Richa, the cook, writer and photographer behind this little blog. I’ve grown up in the kitchen along side my mum and grandmothers and conversations in my family are always about the next meal. I’ve picked up their love for food along the way, and with this blog, I share my food story with you.

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  1. 4 stars
    This was a great recipe. However, I think there is a bit too much apple cider vinegar because it is super tangy! I can handle tang like that but my father and husband don’t care for it so strong. Other than. That it was incredible. The only reason I marked it down a star is because of the sour.

  2. 5 stars
    Wow, I’m already drooling. Thanks a ton for this recipe. I’m sharing this to my colleagues. 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made this today, did every step, I had all the ingredients except for Sriracha, but it still turned out so good!

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