These saucy Baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs are an easy and delicious dinner time favourite.
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I remember having these growing up, and they were always called "Hawaiian meatballs". But, I've been to Hawaii several times and have never seen this on a menu there. So it all had to do with the pineapple, I'm thinking.
Baked Meatballs: An Easy Peasy Meal
No matter what you call them, this classic dish is sure to please. All you need is some rice to make the meal complete. The recipe has a long list of ingredients, but don't let that scare you off. It's easy to make, and not time consuming at all. While the meatballs are in the oven you can get the sauce done on the stove top. If you have an air fryer, you can also air fry your turkey meatballs, like I do with Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs.Â
Any Ground Meat Works For Meatballs
You can make these oven baked sweet & sour meatballs with ground beef, chicken, or any other ground meat, but I like to use lean ground turkey frequently because it's a versatile, and economical source of lean protein. Turkey is also a good choice when there is a sweet element to the dish.
This sauce combo, of ginger & sesame, along with pineapple juice, rice vinegar and a little shot of spice from the sriracha, is delicious. When you bake your meatballs, there's a bonus of no added fat.
Make Extra Meatballs to Freeze for Later
And here's a little tip: make double the amount of meatballs, bake, cool and freeze half to have on hand. Cooked meatballs freeze beautifully, and you will have meatballs all ready for this, or any other meatball recipe. If you're looking for more meatball recipes, try this one for Hoisin Meatballs, or these Cajun Meatballs
Kids Love These Meatballs
These sweet & sour meatballs are always a hit with kids. It's nice to make your meatballs a little on the smaller side for them. If you happen to have fresh pineapple, substitute that for the canned chunks.
Recipe
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Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs regular or gluten-free
- 1 egg
- 2 clove garlic minced or crushed
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce gluten-free if needed
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
- 1 red bell pepper cored, seeded, and cut into bite sized chunks
- 8 oz can pineapple chunks drained, reserving juice.
- 1.5 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk all meatball ingredients except turkey in a large bowl. Add turkey and mix with a large fork, or your clean hands until mixed.1 pound lean ground turkey, 1 egg, 2 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- Use a rounded tablespoon to measure turkey mixture. Roll into balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, turning half way through. Meatballs should be nicely browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
- While meatballs are cooking: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together broth, pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, ginger, sesame oil, and 5 spice.½ cup chicken broth, ½ cup pineapple juice, ¼ cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ¼ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
- Add peppers and and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoon cold water and stir into sauce, heating and stirring until sauce is thickened and glossy.1 red bell pepper, 1.5 tablespoon cornstarch
- Stir in pineapple and meatballs, cooking until heated through.8 oz can pineapple chunks
- Garnish with parsley or green onions If desired. Serve hot with rice.
Notes
- Shortcut: Instead of homemade meatballs, use your favorite pre-made frozen meatballs and cook them according to package directions before adding to the sweet and sour sauce. Look for neutral flavored meatballs. You won't, for example, want to use Italian meatballs in this recipe.
- Add spice: If you want to add a spicy element to the sour and sweet, add a pinch of red pepper flakes, chili sauce, or some sriracha sauce to the sauce before thickening it.
- Thickening: Add the cornstarch slurry gradually, while whisking into the sauce. You may not need it all if the sauce is thickened to your liking.
- Appetizers: This easy sweet and sour recipe is a delicious main course, but you can also use it to make sweet and sour cocktail meatballs. Use a toothpick to secure a chunk of pineapple and a chunk of red pepper to each meatball and serve the sauce as a dipping sauce.
- Smaller meatballs: If you're making cocktail meatballs, or serving sweet and sour meatballs to kids, make them smaller. They will need a shorter cooking time.
- Make ahead: Make and cook the meatballs ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to make the sauce.
- Freeze: Cooked meatballs are perfect for the freezer. This meatball recipe can be doubled so you have meatballs to freeze for other recipes or meal prep. To freeze, put cooked meatball on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Freeze for 30 minutes or until firm. Pack into a freezer safe container or zip lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen meatballs in the fridge overnight.
Amber
I am making these right this very moment lol. I did use 1lb lean ground beef and 1lb reg sausage for the meatballs. They smell amazing!! I am also using tricolored quinoa instead of rice. I cannot wait to share this meal with my family. Thanks for the recipe.
Colleen
Hi Amber! I love your sub of quinoa instead of rice! Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope that you and your family love these meatballs as much as we do!
Bernice Hill
Absolutely delicious looking meatballs. Turkey is a tough one to get right and these meatballs get two thumbs up. Great post Colleen!
Colleen
Thanks so much, Bernice. I've been making these for years because my kids always loved them. 🙂
Ginni @Spicy Eggplant
This is a beautiful recipe Colleen, and the Turkey meatballs don't look dry at all. The sauce looks delicious. I often make turkey and chicken meatballs, as an alternative to red meat and bake them too, but I love the pineapple and the sweet savoury flavours in here. Great job! Lovely pictures too 🙂
Colleen
So great to hear from you Ginni! I'm a big fan of yours, and I'm glad you like this recipe. Meatballs are the best! 🙂
MDIVADOMESTICA
Great alternative to beef meatballs. I love baked ones as I find they stay moist and are less greasy.
Nice healthier option! Plus I bet they taste great!
Colleen
Thanks Melissa, they do taste pretty yummy! 🙂