Ooo yes — sweet & sour meatballs are cozy and crowd-pleasing 🍍🥩
Here’s a simple, grocery-store recipe you can throw together fast.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef (or beef/pork mix)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
Sweet & Sour Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup sugar (or brown sugar)
- ¼ cup vinegar (white or apple cider)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ cup pineapple juice or water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water (optional, for thicker sauce)
Instructions
- Make meatballs
Mix all meatball ingredients gently. Roll into 1–1½ inch balls. - Cook meatballs
- Pan: Brown in a skillet with a little oil, turning to brown all sides
or - Oven: Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 15–18 minutes
- Pan: Brown in a skillet with a little oil, turning to brown all sides
- Make sauce
In a saucepan, whisk ketchup, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and pineapple juice/water.
Simmer 5 minutes. Add cornstarch slurry if you want it thicker. - Combine
Add meatballs to sauce. Simmer 10–15 minutes, stirring gently until coated and glossy.
Serve with
- White rice 🍚
- Egg noodles
- Mashed potatoes
- Toothpicks for parties
Easy upgrades
- 🍍 Add pineapple chunks
- 🌶️ Red pepper flakes or sriracha
- 🫑 Bell peppers & onions in the sauce
- 🧄 Fresh garlic or ginger for more depth
Want a slow cooker version, grape jelly classic, or Asian-style twist?
