Sweet and Sour Meatballs

These sweet and sour meatballs are bursting with tangy pineapples and peppers. It’s an easy, 20-minute version of Chinese takeout.

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Sweet, Sour + So yummy!

These sweet and sour meatballs are one of our FAVORITE weekday dinner ideas when we’re craving Asian-inspired food. 

The sauce has all the complexity, richness, and balance of a takeout dish. But because it uses pre-made meatballs, it takes less than 20 minutes to make! So anytime we’re craving Chinese takeout, we make this easy recipe instead! 

There’s a rich sweetness from brown sugar and ketchup, some tang from the vinegar, pineapple chunks, and pineapple juice, and a fresh element from peppers and scallions.

For more sweet and sour favs, check out our: Sweet and Sour Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork.

Ingredients

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

COOK TIME: 15 minutes

• ½ cup brown sugar loosely packed – light or dark brown sugar
• ½ cup rice vinegar – add more for a more sour flavor
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2¼ cups pineapple juice, divided – add more for a sweeter dish
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 25 all-purpose meatballs (frozen is fine) – ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken
• 2 bell peppers chopped (optional) – or other veggies like carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, and onions
• 1 cup drained small pineapple chunks
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions for garnish
• rice for serving – Instant Pot Brown Rice or Crock Pot White Rice
• optional spice – Add heat with chili flakes or minced chilis when you add the meatballs and peppers for a deep, spicy kick. Or replace some of the ketchup with sriracha. 
• balance flavor out a too-sweet flavor – Add in something acidic like more vinegar or citrus juice. If the dish is too sour, add a sweetener like additional brown sugar, pineapple juice, or honey.

how to make Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1. SAUCE. Add ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 2 cups of pineapple juice to a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
   • In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and the remaining ¼ cup of pineapple juice, whisking to get out all the lumps.
2. MEATBALLS. Whisk into your skillet and 25 meatballs and 2 chopped red bell pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are heated through.
3. SERVE. Stir in 1 cup pineapple chunks. Garnish with 2 tablespoons sliced green onions and serve warm over rice.

Complete The Meal

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Chicken Lettuce Wrap Recipe

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1 hr 18 mins

Collections

Asian Appetizers

Asian Dinner Ideas

Easy Dinner Ideas

Quick Dinner Ideas

4.98 from 398 votes

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

By: Kristyn Merkley

These sweet and sour meatballs are bursting with tangy pineapples and peppers. It's an easy, 20-minute version of Chinese takeout.

Servings: 6

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ½ cup brown sugar, loosely packed
• ▢ ½ cup rice vinegar
• ▢ ¼ cup ketchup
• ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ▢ 2¼ cups pineapple juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 25 all-purpose meatballs, frozen is fine
• ▢ 2 bell peppers, chopped (optional)
• ▢ 1 cup drained small pineapple chunks
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sliced green onions, for garnish
• ▢ rice for serving

Instructions 

• Add brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and 2 cups of pineapple juice to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
• In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and the remaining ¼ cup pineapple juice, whisking to get out all the lumps. Whisk into your skillet.
• Add meatballs and chopped peppers. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are heated through.
• Stir in pineapple chunks. Serve warm over rice. Top with green onion.

Video

Notes

Balance the flavor. Balance out a too-sweet flavor by adding in something acidic like more vinegar or citrus juice. If the dish is too sour, add a sweetener like brown sugar, pineapple juice, or honey.

Serving size. For a party appetizer plan 2-3 (2-inch) meatballs per person. For the main entrée plan 4-5 (2-inch) meatballs per serving. Keep warm in a crock pot.

Freezer meal. Cook the sauce according to the recipe and simmer to thicken. Remove from the heat and cool. Add meatballs and peppers, place in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can heat them up in the slow cooker or stovetop. 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or up to 3 months in the freezer. For best results reheat in the oven, but the microwave also works.

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 301mg, Potassium: 480mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 36g, Vitamin A: 1341IU, Vitamin C: 65mg, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

Adapted from foodnetwork.com