These sweet and sour meatballs are easy to make, tender, and smothered in the most delicious homemade sweet and sour sauce. They’re perfect as a party appetizer or served over rice and your favorite green veggie for a fun, filling weeknight dinner.
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This recipe is…
MEATBALLS, am I right? They’re so easy to make, so packed with flavor, and honestly, just really fun to eat. These sweet and sour meatballs are no exception! Smothered in a sweet, sticky sauce and then baked to tender meatball perfection, it really just doesn’t get better than this recipe.
Serve these bad boys appetizer-style alongside toothpicks at any party or potluck that you’re a part of, or bake them up on any ole weeknight for the yummiest protein over rice and a green veggie (sautéed green beans are my pick!). Either way you enjoy them, we can guarantee that you’ll love them.
Looking for more meatball recipes? Look no further than these BBQ meatballs and these buffalo chicken meatballs for appetizer-style recipes and these Swedish meatballs served alongside creamy mashed potatoes for an elevated dinner option.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easy – the oven does a lot of the work here, y’all! You’ll need to mix together the meatball ingredients, roll them into balls, and make the sauce, but that’s it.
- It’s a crowd-pleaser – if you’re bringing these to a party or potluck, we know they’ll be a hit. The sweet and sour sauce adds such a fun twist to your average meatball. People are going to rave about this recipe!
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients needed here are super simple and easy to find at any grocery store. You’ll need a few ingredients for the meatballs themselves and then a handful of ingredients for the sauce. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Panko bread crumbs – we used panko here, but feel free to use any bread crumbs you have on hand. As long as they aren’t heavily seasoned, they’ll do the trick.
- Arrowroot starch – the arrowroot starch in this recipe thickens the sweet and sour sauce. Corn starch is a great sub if you have it on hand already.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Make it gluten free – opt for gluten free panko instead of regular (that’s what we did!).
- Use a different protein – any ground protein will work great here. Use ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork – whichever you have on hand!
How to Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs
As meatballs tend to be, this recipe is really, really easy. You’ll need to make the sauce, mix and roll the meatballs, and then bake! Follow along below for the full how-to.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk together the pineapple juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then whisk together the arrowroot starch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Add the arrowroot mixture to the saucepan, and whisk to combine. Reduce the heat to low and remove the sauce from the heat once thickened.
Step 2: Add the ground beef, panko, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl.
Step 3: Using your hands or a spoon, mix the ground beef mixture until everything is well combined.
Step 4: Roll the ground beef mixture into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and place them in a baking dish.
Step 5: Pour the sweet and sour sauce over the meatballs.
Step 6: Bake for 40-45 minutes. Once finished, let the meatballs cool slightly, then serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tip
- Use your hands! While we know that sticking your bare hands in raw meat isn’t the MOST fun, it really is the best way to fully incorporate all of the meatball ingredients together.
How to Serve
Serve these sweet and sour meatballs appetizer-style with toothpicks or metal cocktail picks at your next party or potluck!
If you want to enjoy these atop a starch and veggie for a filling, delicious dinner, we suggest pairing them with fluffy white rice and sautéed green beans or steamed broccoli.
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover meatballs in an airtight container (be sure to pour the excess sauce in the container too!) in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you’d like a longer storage option, pop them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
To reheat leftovers from the refrigerator or freezer, simply pop a couple in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or reheat them in a skillet over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, turning them every so often.
Frequently Asked Questions
The answer to this question varies depending on the recipe, but the meatballs in this recipe are made with ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. The sweet and sour sauce is made with ketchup, pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, and a couple of other simple ingredients.
You’ll need to use a binder in your meatballs to help them stay together, firm, and not mushy. This recipe calls for panko bread crumbs as the binder.
This recipe calls for baking your meatballs IN the sauce, so honestly, it’s the best of both meatball worlds. Baking them in the sauce really allows the sweet and sour sauce flavors to infuse the meatballs.
More Favorite Party Appetizer Recipes
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Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 6 ounces pineapple juice
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
For the Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs, gluten free or regular
- ½ small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk together the pineapple juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then whisk together the arrowroot starch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Add the arrowroot mixture to the saucepan, and whisk to combine. Reduce the heat to low and remove the sauce from the heat once thickened.
- Add the ground beef, panko, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl.
- Using your hands or a spoon, mix the ground beef mixture until everything is well combined.
- Roll the ground beef mixture into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and place them in a baking dish.
- Pour the sweet and sour sauce over the meatballs.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. Once finished, let the meatballs cool slightly, then serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Make it gluten free – opt for gluten free panko instead of regular (that’s what we did!).
- Use a different protein – any ground protein will work great here. Use ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork – whichever you have on hand!
Nutrition
