Sweet and Sour Meatballs
These homemade Sweet and Sour Meatballs are tender, juicy, and coated in a rich homemade pineapple sweet and sour sauce made with ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, colorful bell peppers, and pineapple chunks. Perfect for weeknight dinners, parties, potlucks, meal prep, or holidays, this easy recipe comes together in under an hour and tastes even better than takeout. Whether served over steamed rice or as a crowd-pleasing appetizer, these homemade sweet and sour meatballs are guaranteed to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
For The Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ medium onion finely grated
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1½ cups pineapple juice
- ½ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar or light brown
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated, or ground ginger
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- ½ sweet onion sliced
- 1½ cups pineapple chunks fresh or canned, drained.
Cornstarch Slurry
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp cold water
Instructions
For The Meatballs
- Preheat your oven to 400℉. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Gently mix all the ingredients into a large bowl. Roll into approximately 24 meatballs using about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes until lightly browned. The meatballs do not need to be completely cooked since they'll finish simmering in the sauce.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil. Cook onions and bell peppers for 4–5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger. Cook another minute.
- Whisk together pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.
- Pour into skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Whisk together cornstarch and cold water. Slowly stir into simmering sauce.
- Continue stirring until thick and glossy.
- Add pineapple chunks. Gently stir. Add baked meatballs.
- Cover and simmer 10–15 minutes until meatballs are fully cooked and coated in sauce.
- Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice. Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, chopped parsley (optional)
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Use 80/20 ground beef for the juiciest meatballs.
- Grated onion adds moisture without noticeable chunks.
- Fresh ginger creates brighter flavor than ground ginger.
- Bake the meatballs before simmering to help them stay together.
- Don't overcook the meatballs in the oven—they'll finish in the sauce.
- Taste the sauce before serving and adjust the sweetness or tang to your preference.
- Double the sauce if serving over rice.
- Fresh pineapple gives the best flavor, but canned pineapple packed in juice works wonderfully.
- Freeze baked meatballs separately for easy future dinners.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day.