These Sweet and Sour Meatballs are an easy 20-minute dinner made with tender meatballs, pineapple, bell peppers, and a homemade sweet and tangy sauce. Brown sugar and pineapple juice bring the sweetness, while rice vinegar adds that classic sour flavor.
We love using fully cooked frozen meatballs because they make this recipe so quick for busy nights, but the homemade sauce still gives it plenty of flavor. A simple cornstarch slurry makes the sauce smooth and glossy, while adding the pineapple near the end keeps it juicy and fresh-tasting.
Serve these meatballs over rice for an easy family meal, or keep them warm and serve with toothpicks for a simple party appetizer. For more sweet and sour favorites, try our Sweet and Sour Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork.
Why You’ll Love Them + Why They Work:
- 20-Minute Dinner. Frozen meatballs make this an easy weeknight meal that gets to the table fast.
- Dinner or Appetizer. Serve them over rice for dinner or with toothpicks for parties.
- Sweet + Tangy Sauce. Brown sugar and pineapple juice add sweetness while rice vinegar gives the sauce its tangy bite.
- Cornstarch Keeps It Glossy. Mixing cornstarch with pineapple juice first helps the sauce thicken smoothly without lumps.
- Pineapple Goes in Last. Adding the chunks near the end keeps them juicy and prevents them from breaking down.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs Ingredients
- Brown sugar, loosely packed (½ cup): Sweetens the sauce and helps balance the tangy vinegar.
- Rice vinegar (½ cup): Adds the sour flavor that makes the sauce bright and tangy.
- Ketchup (¼ cup): Adds sweetness, tomato flavor, color, and body to the sauce.
- Soy sauce (1 tablespoon): Adds savory flavor and helps balance the sweetness.
- Pineapple juice (2¼ cups): Creates the fruity base for the sweet and sour sauce. Use canned pineapple juice or reserve the juice from canned pineapple chunks and add additional pineapple juice as needed.
- Cornstarch (1 tablespoon): Thickens the sauce so it coats the meatballs.
- Fully cooked frozen meatballs (25): Make this recipe quick and filling. Beef, pork, turkey, or chicken meatballs can work.
- Homemade meatballs can also be used, but cook them first, then add them to the sauce as directed.
- Bell peppers, chopped, optional (2): Adds color, crunch, and classic sweet and sour flavor.
- Drained small pineapple chunks (1 cup): Adds juicy sweetness and texture.
- Sliced green onions, for garnish (2 tablespoons): Adds freshness, color, and a light onion flavor.
- Rice for serving: Makes the meatballs a full meal and soaks up the sauce. Use Instant Pot Brown Rice or Crock Pot White Rice.
- Optional spice: Add crushed red pepper, minced chiles, or sriracha to taste for extra heat.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs
SAUCE. Add brown sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup, 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 cornstarch with the remaining ¼ cup of pineapple juice, whisking to break up any lumps.
MEATBALLS. Whisk into your skillet, and add meatballs and chopped red bell pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat the meatballs. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the meatballs are heated through.
SERVE. Stir in pineapple chunks. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve warm over rice.
Slow Cooker Directions
- Add the frozen meatballs, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and 2 cups pineapple juice to a slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or HIGH for 1½ to 2 hours, until the meatballs are heated through.
- During the last 30 minutes, add the chopped bell peppers.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the remaining ¼ cup pineapple juice until smooth. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker, cover, and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat the meatballs.
- Stir in the pineapple chunks just before serving. Garnish with green onions and serve over rice, or keep on WARM for serving as an appetizer.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Use frozen meatballs to make this recipe extra quick for busy nights.
- Whisk the cornstarch with pineapple juice before adding it to the skillet so the sauce stays smooth.
- Add chopped onion with the bell peppers for extra savory flavor.
- Keep the skillet at a simmer after adding the meatballs so the sauce thickens and the meatballs heat through.
- Add the pineapple chunks at the end so they stay juicy and do not break down too much.
- For parties: Transfer the finished meatballs to a slow cooker and keep on WARM for serving.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 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 and cook until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat the meatballs. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the meatballs are heated through.
- Stir in pineapple chunks. Serve warm over rice. Top with green onion.
Notes
- Use frozen meatballs to make this recipe extra quick for busy nights.
- Whisk the cornstarch with pineapple juice before adding it to the skillet so the sauce stays smooth.
- Keep the skillet at a simmer after adding the meatballs so the sauce thickens and the meatballs heat through.
- Add the pineapple chunks at the end so they stay juicy and do not break down too much.
- Make-ahead tip: Make the sauce and meatballs ahead, then reheat gently and serve over fresh rice.
Nutrition
Recipe FAQ
Let it simmer a little longer. If needed, mix a small amount of cornstarch with cold pineapple juice or water, whisk it into the sauce, and simmer until glossy and thickened.
Stir in a splash of pineapple juice or water until it reaches the consistency you like.
Yes. Prepare the sauce as directed and let it cool completely. Add the meatballs, then transfer everything to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. For the best texture, wait to add the bell peppers and pineapple chunks until reheating. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm on the stovetop or in a slow cooker until the meatballs are heated through. Add the peppers during the last few minutes of cooking and stir in the pineapple just before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or 3 months in the freezer. For best results reheat in the oven, or on the stovetop, but the microwave also works.
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This recipe was first shared January, 2017.
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Followed the recipe exactly! Turned out delicious!!! Thank you so much
Thank you for giving them a try and I’m happy to hear they turned out delicious!
Tasted like rice vinegar with a chaser of pineapple juice. Least favorite recipe that I have tried.
Thanks for giving it a try and sharing your honest feedback!
Good