Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and sour meatballs are quick, easy, delicious, and flavorful. This twist on a classic Chinese stir fry dish is loaded with meatballs and tossed in a vibrant and colourful vegetable and pineapple stir fry smothered with homemade sweet and sour sauce. Plus, you can completely customize these Asian meatballs and use ground beef, pork, turkey, chicken, or a combination instead, or even use frozen meatballs for convenience. Serve it over steamed rice for a complete meal.

Why You’ll Love Sweet and Sour Meatballs

• The best sweet and sour flavor. You’ve probably heard of sweet and sour chicken or sweet and sour pork. But this sweet and sour meatball recipe is something else. It brings the same flavors in a new way that’s hard to resist.
• Great for meal prep. This is one of my favorite weekend meal preps to help me have a great week of healthy eating. Portion them out into meal prep containers along with steamed rice to last for 3-4 days, which means I can cover 4-5 weekday meals with just one recipe. Served with rice and extra veggies (if desired), these sweet and sour Chinese meatballs make a complete meal.
• You only need 30 minutes to make them. These sweet and sour meatballs are one of my favorite 30-minute dinners. Like most meatball recipes (and stir fries), these are quick and easy — but you can’t tell when you’re eating them!

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this quick and delicious Sweet and Sour Meatballs , you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):

• ground beef - you can substitute other ground meats in this recipe. I like this recipe best with beef or pork because these fattier meats lend a better texture to the sweet and sour meatballs. However, you can easily substitute turkey or chicken as well.
• for the meatballs - breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, green onions, salt, and pepper. You could even use frozen meatballs instead and cook according to package instructions.
• oil - I recommend cooking oil spray over the meatballs if baking them so that they don't stick. You also need vegetable oil for the stir fry. I used avocado oil, but any vegetable oil works.
• bell peppers - use a green bell pepper and an orange bell pepper for a beautiful contrast. You can use a yellow or red one instead as well, or a combination.
• onion
• pineapple - feel free to use canned or fresh.
• sweet and sour sauce - I used my easy homemade sweet and sour sauce that takes just minutes to make with 5 simple ingredients. You can also use store-bought sauce instead to make things easier.
• green onions
• white sesame seeds - for garnish on top.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, and a skillet. If baking the meatballs in the oven you will also need a half sheet baking pan. If cooking them in the air fryer then you will need that instead.

How to Make the Best Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1. Marinate the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef with breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, green onions, salt, and pepper. Mix well until evenly combined. Cover and set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Shape the meatballs. Take 2 spoonfuls of the beef mixture at a time and roll into meatballs. Transfer meatballs onto a parchment-lined half sheet baking pan and lightly coat with some cooking oil spray to keep them from sticking.
3. Cook the meatballs. Bake in a 400F preheated oven for 15 minutes until fully cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165F as read on a meat thermometer. (You can also deep fry the meatballs in oil for 5-7 minutes or cook in the air fryer at 350F for 12-14 minutes). Set aside on a plate after cooked.

1. Stir fry the vegetables. While the meatballs are baking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add bell peppers, onions and pineapple and sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add in meatballs and sauce. Add cooked meatballs and sweet and sour sauce. Toss well and cook until the sauce simmers, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Serve. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds on top. Serve warm with a bowl of steamed rice.

How to Serve Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Serve sweet and sour meatballs over a bowl of steamed rice and some Asian side dishes. Some of my favorites are:

• Vegetarian Fried Rice
• Spring Vegetable Stir Fry
• Chinese Garlic Cucumber Salad
• Vegetarian Chow Mein
• Asian Chopped Salad
• Steamed Scallion Buns
• Scallion Oil Noodles

More Meatball Recipes

• 15 Best Meatball Recipes
• Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs
• Thai Turkey Meatballs in Coconut Curry
• Swedish Meatballs
• Italian Meatballs
• Greek Meatballs

Recipe

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 18 meatballs

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Description

Sweet and sour meatballs are quick, easy, delicious, and flavorful, tossed in a vegetable and pineapple stir fry with homemade sweet and sour sauce.

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Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• cooking oil spray

Other ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium orange, yellow, or red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small onion,  cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup pineapple (canned or fresh),  cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup sweet and sour sauce, homemade or store-bought
• 1 tablespoon green onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds (for garnish)

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Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef with breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, green onions, salt, and pepper. Mix well until  evenly combined. Cover and set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400 F.
3. Take 2 spoonfuls of the beef mixture at a time and roll into meatballs. Transfer meatballs onto a parchment-lined half sheet baking pan and lightly coat with some cooking oil spray to keep them from sticking.
4. Bake for 15 minutes until fully cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165F as read on a meat thermometer. (You can also deep fry the meatballs in oil for 5-7 minutes or cook in the air fryer at 350F for 12-14 minutes). Set aside on a plate after cooked.
5. While the meatballs are baking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add bell peppers, onions and pineapple and sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
6. Add cooked meatballs and sweet and sour sauce. Toss well and cook until the sauce simmers, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds on top. Serve warm with a bowl of steamed rice.

Notes

How to store: Allow the sweet and sour meatballs to cool to room temperature before storing. Then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Meal prep instructions: Sweet and sour meatballs are great to meal prep ahead of time for lunches throughout the week. Store them into meal prep containers with some steamed rice for lunch the next 3-4 days.

How to reheat: Reheat cooked meatballs on the stovetop in a covered pan over medium heat, in the steamer, or in the microwave until warmed through.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 mintues
• Category: Beef
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Chinese

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