Whenever you need a meatball recipe, I hope you’ll always turn to Mom’s Dinner. We LOVE meatballs here! There are currently 20+ meatball recipes on Mom’s Dinner… and this Sweet and Sour Meatball recipe is such an wonderful addition to the line up. Tender beef meatballs are seasoned and baked up to perfection, then glazed in a homemade sweet and sour sauce that is amazing! Serve these up over rice with a side of roasted broccoli… or they are great as an appetizer.
The Sweet and Sour Meatballs are a perfect blend of savory and tangy but also slightly sweet. The homemade Sweet and Sour sauce is made from pretty common ingredients but tastes like it is something from your favorite take-out spot. You will be feeling like a huge success at dinner time when you bring these to the table!
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Ingredient Details
Ground Beef – As with all meatball recipes on Mom’s Dinner I highly recommend using an 85/15 ground beef. It has enough fat to be flavorful, but not so much fat that your meatballs will be greasy.
Panko Bread Crumbs – This is a coarser, but lighter, bread crumb. They are perfect for making a panade – which is the mixture of a starch and liquid to make a ground meat recipe tender and juicy. We use a panade in most of the meatloaf, burger and meatballs recipes on Mom’s Dinner.
Milk – For these Sweet and Sour Meatballs we chose milk for the liquid in the panade. It helps keep the meatballs nice and tender.
Egg – A binder for the meatballs – you just need 1 large egg.
Garlic – You will need garlic for the meatballs and the sauce. Choose nice plump garlic cloves for the most flavor, make sure you mince them well so there aren’t large chunks in the meatballs or sauce.
Seasonings – A mix of garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and black pepper is all you need for the meatball mixture.
Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients
Ketchup – Plain old ketchup from the door of your fridge (or pantry) is the base of the sweet and sour sauce.
Pineapple Juice – You can use pineapple juice or use the juice from a can/jar of pineapple chunks. Just make sure if you use the juice from a can/jar that you use pineapple in juice not pineapple in heavy syrup. Then you can serve the pineapple chunks on the side for dinner!
Brown Sugar – Use a light brown sugar not the dark brown sugar.
Ginger – Fresh grated ginger adds amazing flavor to the sweet and sour sauce. We prefer to use the frozen crushed ginger cubes from Dorot Gardens, each cube is 1 teaspoon and can be kept in your freezer for a really long time! You can also buy a knob of fresh ginger and grate it for the sauce.
Rice Vinegar – There are two different rice wine vinegars – seasoned and not seasoned. The recipe calls for the NOT seasoned variety, but if you have the seasoned that is fine too. “Seasoned” just means there is a little sugar added.
Soy Sauce – For a more authentic flavor look for the Lee Kum Kee brand of soy sauce, although any store brand will work! If you are salt sensitive, use the low sodium variety.
How To Make Sweet & Sour Meatballs
This is a quick overview of how to make Sweet and Sour Meatballs. For more detailed instructions pop down to the recipe card below.
Step 1
Mix the breadcrumbs and milk in a bowl and let them sit for a few minutes to soak.
Step 2
Add the ground beef, egg, garlic and seasonings. Mix lightly.
Step 3
Form the meatballs and bake for 15 minutes at 400ยฐF.
Step 4
Mix the sauce while the meatballs bake.
Step 5
Transfer the meatballs to an oven safe dish or Dutch oven. Pour the sauce over top and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Step 6
Let the meatballs cool for a few minutes and optionally garnish with green onions and or sesame seeds.
How To Make Appetizer Sized
If you want to serve these as an appetizer I recommend rolling them into a smaller size, about 2 teaspoon each. You can reduce the baking time to 10 minutes, then glaze with the homemade sweet and sour sauce, return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve them up with toothpicks for easy appetizer snacking!
Serving
These Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce can definitely be served as an appetizer (see above), but we like to have them for dinner! Here are some great side dishes to make these Meatballs a meal:
- Edamame
- Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Rice or Fried Rice
- Veggie Lo Mein
- Cucumbers and Onions
- Pineapple Chunks (especially if you use the juice from the can for the sauce!)
Storing
Store leftover Sweet and Sour Meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze: Allow meatballs to cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer-safe container or bag. Meatballs freeze well for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Reheat thawed meatballs in the microwave or oven (covered at 350ยฐF for 15-20 minutes). Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.
Tips For Sweet and Sour Meatball
- Form the meatballs somewhat uniform size so they bake in the same timing.
- Use a cookie scoop for portioning the meatball mixture.
- Don’t overmix the meatball mixture, just mix until everything is combined.
- Use an 85/15 ground beef for the most flavor, without being overly greasy.
More meatballs We LOVE
Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Meatball Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef - 85/15 recommended
- ยฝ cup panko bread crumbs
- ยผ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 garlic clove - minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ยฝ teaspoon black pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
- ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
Sweet & Sour Sauce Ingredients
- ยฝ cup ketchup
- ยผ cup pineapple juice
- ยผ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce - โless sodiumโ recommended if salt sensitive
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- Optional garnishing: sesame seeds - sliced green onions, cilantro,
- Optional for serving: rice - butter noodles, fried rice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400ยฐF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk. Stir and let sit for 2-3 minutes (panade).ยฝ cup panko bread crumbs, ยผ cup milk
- Add ground beef, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to the bread crumb mixture. Mix until well combined, but do not overmix.1 lb ground beef, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ยฝ teaspoon black pepper, ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder, ยฝ teaspoon onion powder, 1 garlic clove
- Roll the meat mixture into approximately 1ยฝ-inch meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Mom's Tip: Press just enough to form the ball but not more. Try using a 1.5-2 tablespoon cookie scoop for size consistency.
- Bake meatballs for 15 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
- While the meatballs bake, whisk together ketchup, pineapple juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl.ยฝ cup ketchup, ยผ cup pineapple juice, ยผ cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- Remove meatballs from oven and place into an oven-safe dish like a casserole or Dutch oven. Pour the sauce evenly over the meatballs, making sure to cover all surfaces. Return meatballs to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and meatballs are glazed.
- Optionally garnish with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, or cilantro. Serve immediately over rice or butter noodles.
Appetizer Sized Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Roll the meatballs into a smaller size, about 2 teaspoon each. Reduce the first baking time to 10 minutes. Then glaze with the homemade sweet and sour sauce, return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve them up with toothpicks for easy appetizer snacking!
Storage
- Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze
- Allow meatballs to cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer-safe container or bag. Meatballs freeze well for up to 3 months.
Reheat
- Reheat thawed meatballs in the microwave or oven (covered at 350ยฐF for 15-20 minutes). Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.
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