Sweet & Sour Meatballs

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Sweet, Sour, and bursting with flavor! These homemade meatballs are cooked in a sweet and tangy sauce with sauteed peppers and fresh pineapples. Make it as an appetizer or a weeknight meal, either way, it’s gonna be good!

Sweet, Sour, and Savory!

An event wouldn’t be right without a lil meatball! Whether you eat them as an app or a full meal, just know you can’t go wrong with them. Plus, you can make them almost any way possible. But, this time, let’s make them sweet, sour, and savory!

My Easy Sweet & Sour Meatballs are simple to make and full of flavor! The meatballs are homemade, seared, and tossed in a rich sweet, and sour sauce. Did I mention they have fresh pineapples and sauteed onions and peppers? What more could you want?!?

LET’S TALK MEATBALLS!

Meatballs are one of my favorite appetizers to make and eat! You honestly can’t have just one. Once you pop one in your mouth, you’re ready for another one! But, sometimes, meatballs can be tricky to get right.

Here are a few tips & tricks to help you make the best meatballs:

• Pick the Right Ground Meat. I cannot stress this enough! The right ground meat will determine how delicious the meatballs will be. I highly suggest using a mixture of any of the following meats for flavor and deliciousness: beef, pork, and lamb

• Keep all the Ingredients Cold. Making sure that all of your ingredients are cold prevents the fats from melting beforehand. You don’t want the fats in the meatballs to melt before baking.

• Make a Sample Meatball. It is always a good idea to make a sample meatball/patty before baking off all of the meat. This allows you to adjust the seasoning level before cooking everything off. Take a small amount of the meat and pan-fry it. Taste and adjust accordingly.

• Don’t add too many Breadcrumbs. The more breadcrumbs that are added to the mix, the more filler t will have. The bread will soak up the fat, causing the meatballs to come out dry.

• Try Finishing the Meatballs in a Sauce. Try cooking the meatballs halfway through and then cooking them the rest of the way in the sauce. This will ensure that they are extra moist and tender.

Sweet & Sour Meatball Ingredients:

Okay now, let’s talk ingredients! These ingredients are very easy to find and use! You probably have some of them already in your pantry.

• Meatballs: These meatballs are homemade and seared to perfection! They’re a mix of ground beef, ground pork, onions, garlic, parmesan cheese, eggs, fresh parsley, and a little bit of seasoning. Trust me, after making your own meatballs once, you’ll never want frozen meatballs again!

• Yellow Onion: The onions add some extra flavor and texture. I suggest using regular yellow onions or even Sweet Vidalia Onions. The sweet onions would go perfectly with this dish since it is more on the sweeter side. 

• Bell Peppers: The peppers add some added texture as well. I roughly chopped them to make the dish more rustic. Using multi-colored peppers would add some great contrast to the overall dish. 

• Pineapple: The pineapple chunks and juice really make this dish shine! It helps balance the savory sauce. Pineapple and pork are also a great combo. The flavors mesh beautifully together.

• Ketchup: The kept adds some additional sweetness and tang to the sauce. Plus, the little tint of red helps brighten up the overall color of the sauce. 

• Soy Sauce: The soy sauce adds saltiness and umami to the sweet and sour sauce. I used regular soy sauce. But, low-sodium soy sauce will work just as well.  

• Rice Wine Vinegar: This is sour in the sweet and sour sauce! Rice wine vinegar is very bright with a tad bit of sweetness at the end. It works perfectly with this sauce, but apple cider vinegar is a great substitute if you can’t find it. 

• Brown Sugar: I add the brown sugar for some added sweetness to the sauce. Its added molasses flavor works great with pineapple juice and chunks.

• Minced Garlic: Garlic goes great in everything! It adds the perfect touch to any dish or sauce. Plus, it adds some texture to the sauce. 

• Fresh Ginger: I used fresh ginger for this recipe for some additional brightness and fragrance. But, ground ginger will work just as well! I suggest using about 1 tsp of ground ginger. Just remember to not go too crazy with the ginger. 

• Cornstarch Slurry: The cornstarch slurry is made up of 2 tbsp of cornstarch and 2 tbsp of cold water. This will thicken the sweet and sour sauce just enough. Make sure to add it when the sauce is at a rolling boil. 

How to Make Sweet & Sour Meatballs:

These eggs are way too good to just eat one! Did I mention they’re easy to make and take no time at all? You’ll have your friends thinking you really know how to cook!

The full written recipe is below, but here’s an overview.

• STEP 1: Make the Mix & Form the Meatballs. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix ground beef, ground pork, garlic, onions, Parmigiano Reggiano, breadcrumbs, eggs, parsley, salt, and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Make sure to use your hands to get everything fully incorporated. Roll the meatball mixture into balls (about 2 oz per ball) and place in a 9x13 baking dish or aluminum pan.

• STEP 2: Brown the Meatballs. Heat a large skillet with 2 tbsp of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the meatballs on each side until golden brown and move to a plate. Hold for later use. Discard used oil.

• STEP 3: Make the Sweet & Sour Sauce. Add another 2 tbsp of cooking oil to the skillet. Add the onions and bell peppers. Saute until soft (about 4 - 5 minutes). Add garlic and ground ginger. Saute for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, pineapple juice, ketchup, and brown sugar. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and reduce by ¼ (about 5 - 7 minutes). Add the pineapple chunks.

• STEP 4: Combine Sauce with Meatballs. Combine the cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry. When the sauce is at a full rolling boil, add the slurry and mix. Allow the starch to fully cook out of the sauce (about 2 - 3 minutes). Remove the sauce from the heat and pour over the meatballs.

• STEP 5: Bake the Meatballs & Serve! Cover the meatballs with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes covered and then for 15 minutes uncovered (or until they reach 160°F). Remove from the oven and toss meatballs in the sauce. Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes! You can definitely make these ahead of time! If you decide to make this recipe ahead of time, completely cool the meatballs and the sauce down the day before you decided to serve them.

You can then combine the two the next day and bake according to the recipe instructions.

You can also prep the meatballs and measure out the sauce ingredients the night before and cook them within 2 - 3 days. Make sure the raw meatballs and sauce ingredients are fully covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

TRY OUT THESE OTHER Appetizer RECIPES!

These meatballs are such an easy appetizer or meal to make! They can be served with so many different side dishes as well. But, below I have a few suggestions that would go great with them! They are quick to make and are equally delicious.

• Steamed White or Brown Rice

• Lo Mein Noodles

• Sautéed Green Beans

• Steamed Broccoli

• Roasted Vegetable Medley

I’d love to hear your feedback about these EASY Sweet & Sour Meatballs! Leave me a message in the comments section below. Remember to share and enjoy! Follow Be Greedy Eats on Pinterest and Instagram as well!

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Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Yield 10 Servings

Author Aaron Dodson

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

1 Hour

Total time

1 H & 20 M

Sweet, Sour, and bursting with flavor! These homemade meatballs are cooked in a sweet and tangy sauce with sauteed peppers and fresh pineapples. Make it as an appetizer or a weeknight meal, either way, it’s gonna be good!

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 lb - ground beef (preferably 80/20)
• 1 lb - ground pork
• 1 tbsp - garlic, minced
• ½ cup - yellow onion, finely chopped
• ¾ cup - Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• 1 cup - breadcrumbs
• 2 each - eggs
• ¼ cup - fresh parsley (or 2 tbsp of dried parsley)
• 1 tbsp - salt
• 1 tsp - ground black pepper
• Cooking Oil (e.g. vegetable or canola oil)

Sweet & Sour Sauce

• 2 tbsp - vegetable or canola oil
• 1 each - large yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2 each - bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp - garlic, minced
• 2 tsp - fresh ginger, chopped (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
• ½ cup - soy sauce
• ½ cup - rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup - pineapple juice
• 2 tbsp - ketchup
• ½ cup - brown sugar
• 2 cups - pineapple chunks (preferably fresh)
• 2 tbsp - cornstarch
• 2 tbsp - cold water
• ¼ cup - green onions, chopped
• Sesame Seeds, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix ground beef, ground pork, garlic, onions, Parmigiano Reggiano, breadcrumbs, eggs, parsley, salt, and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Make sure to use your hands to get everything fully incorporated. Roll the meatball mixture into balls (about 2 oz per ball) and place in a 9x13 baking dish or aluminum pan.
2. Heat a large skillet with 2 tbsp of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the meatballs on each side until golden brown and move to a plate. Hold for later use. Discard used oil.
3. Add another 2 tbsp of cooking oil to the skillet. Add the onions and bell peppers. Saute until soft (about 4 - 5 minutes). Add garlic and ground ginger. Saute for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, pineapple juice, ketchup, and brown sugar. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and reduce by ¼ (about 5 - 7 minutes). Add the pineapple chunks.
4. Combine the cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry. When the sauce is at a full rolling boil, add the slurry and mix. Allow the starch to fully cook out of the sauce (about 2 - 3 minutes). Remove the sauce from the heat and pour over the meatballs.
5. Cover the meatballs with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes covered and then for 15 minutes uncovered (or until they reach 160°F). Remove from the oven and toss meatballs in the sauce. Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

473

Fat (grams)

27 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

10 g

Carbs (grams)

35 g

Fiber (grams)

3 g

Net carbs

33 g

Sugar (grams)

22 g

Protein (grams)

24 g

Sodium (milligrams)

1652 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

103 mg

The nutritional facts listed above only take into account the ingredient amounts listed.

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