By Rebecca Hubbell on | Updated | Rate Recipe
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Easy and flavorful Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe are drenched in a tangy sauce of brown sugar, pineapple, soy sauce, vinegar, and yellow peppers.
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Easy and flavorful Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe are drenched in a tangy sauce of brown sugar, pineapple, soy sauce, vinegar, and yellow peppers.
This recipe is ready in less than 45 minutes with only about 15 minutes of prep time and it’s bound to be a recipe your family loves! They also make a great appetizer!
Sweet ‘n Sour Meatballs are tasty, easy to make, and can inspire lots of yummy dinner and appetizer ideas! This homemade meatball recipe is dairy-free as well as gluten-free since there aren’t any breadcrumbs in this mix!
I’ve shared a few crock pot and slow cooker meatball recipes, but for this one, all you need is a cookie sheet. In fact, you don’t even have to brown the meatballs first — just bake!
Meanwhile, the sweet and sour sauce for meatballs is made on the stovetop, then the cooked meatballs simmer in it once they’re out of the oven. Add some rice and a healthy side like Roasted Vegetables, and you’ve got a full meal for the fam!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Meatballs: These are made with ground beef. Eggs serve as the binding agent in this recipe, and the beat is seasoned with a simple blend of dried parsley, turmeric, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Sauce: This sauce is sweet and sour thanks to a combination of pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. Diced bell pepper and crushed pineapple chunks add more flavor and texture. The one unexpected ingredient is corn starch, which helps make the sauce thicker (and perfect for pouring over rice!).
How To Make Sweet & Sour Meatballs:
- Prepare and Bake the meatballs by mixing together the ground beef, eggs, parsley, turmeric, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl until fully combined. Shape the mixture into balls and bake on a greased baking sheet.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and sugar in a medium saucepan then add in the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir frequently over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
- Add the cooked meatballs, crushed pineapple, and bell peppers to the sauce and gently stir to coat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat.
This recipe is mouthwateringly good and there are so many different ways to enjoy these meatballs and if you have leftovers, they’re easy to freeze too!
How To Serve Them:
- Over white or brown rice
- Over quinoa
- On a salad
- In a sub roll
- Sliced on pizza
- As an appetizer
How Long Are They Good For?
Leftover meatballs can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer (in a freezer bag) for up to 3 months.
Can They Be Frozen?
Frozen meatballs can be the basis for a last-minute dinner on a weeknight or in a pinch! There are a few ways to do this:
- Cook the meatballs and sauce then freeze them separately, combining them once they’re thawed. They can be put in a pot and warmed together.
- Combine the meatballs and sauce immediately and freeze them altogether.
- Make just the meatballs, freeze them, and make the sauce fresh.
No matter which option you choose, make sure the meatballs and/or sauce are completely cooled before freezing. Pack them in gallon bags and squeeze out excess air before stashing them in the freezer.
Reheat meatballs and sauce together in a saucepan on the stove.
If you’re only warming the meatballs, cover them with foil to keep them moist. Set the oven to 300°F and bake for about 15 minutes.
More Meatball Recipes:
- Classic Crockpot Meatballs – Put ‘em in the slow cooker and enjoy over pasta!
- Apple Cider Meatballs – This yummy sauce has seasonal fall flavors.
- Cranberry Orange Meatballs – Sweet with a hint of chili spice.
- Maple Chili Meatballs – My favorite for game day munchies!
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
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5 from 2 votes
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Author Rebecca Hubbell
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes minutes
Total Time 45 minutes minutes
Easy and flavorful Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe are drenched in a tangy sauce of brown sugar, pineapple, soy sauce, vinegar, and yellow peppers.
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- water see recipe
- 1 (20 oz. can) crushed pineapple in pineapple juice juice and pineapple divided
- ⅓ cup diced yellow bell pepper
Serving
- 6 cups cooked rice for serving
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a rimmed cookie sheet with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl mix together the meatball ingredients.
Form the ground beef mixture into 1-inch round balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
Whisk the cornstarch and sugar together in a medium saucepan.
Add the soy sauce, vinegar, and the juice from the can of pineapple to a measuring cup and top off with enough water to make 1 cup, if needed.
Heat on medium heat, stirring regularly until the sauce thickens.
Add the meatballs, crushed pineapple, and yellow peppers and continue cooking until everything is hot, about 2 minutes more.
Serve over hot cooked rice and garnish with fresh chopped parsley or enjoy over quinoa, on a salad, in a sub roll, sliced on pizza, oras an appetizer!
Notes
- Leftover meatballs can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer (in a freezer bag) for up to 3 months.
Freezer Directions:
Frozen meatballs can be the basis for a last-minute dinner on a weeknight or in a pinch! There are a few ways to do this:
- Cook the meatballs and sauce separately then freeze them in separate bags, combining them once they’re thawed. They can be put in a pot and warmed together.
- Combine the meatballs and sauce immediately and freeze them altogether.
- Make just the meatballs, freeze them, and make the sauce fresh.
No matter which option you choose, make sure the meatballs and/or sauce are completely cooled before freezing. Pack them in gallon bags and squeeze out excess air before stashing them in the freezer.
Reheat meatballs and sauce together in a saucepan on the stove.
If you’re only warming the meatballs, cover them with foil to keep them moist. Set the oven to 300°F and bake for about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 841kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 823mg | Potassium: 666mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 5mg
Did You Make This Recipe?
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