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Home » Recipes » Main Dish » Beef » Sweet and Sour Meatballs

June 3, 2019 / Updated July 19, 2019 / By Jade

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

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Sweet and Sour Meatballs are an easy Asian main dish recipe that are a kid favorite, and mom too, with hidden veggies in the meatballs and a simple sauce made from scratch.

This is a recipe I have adapted from my mother in law and it is one of my husband’s favorites. It’s the perfect blend of sweetness and tang and the crisp veggies are a nice contrast to the soft meatballs.

Want to get your kids excited about trying new foods? See my guide to raising world food explorers for tips and tricks to help you introduce new foods and flavors to your family.

A plate of sweet and sour meatballs on a bamboo place mat

Ingredients you will need:

  • ground turkey or beef
  • oatmeal
  • milk
  • chopped onion
  • zucchini 
  • carrot
  • salt
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • egg
  • brown sugar
  • cornstarch
  • pineapple chunks
  • red onion
  • red bell peppers

Meatballs are one of my favorite ways to add in a ton of extra veggies without anyone noticing. I finely shred a zucchini and a large carrots to add to the mix. I sometimes also will finely chop spinach or use thawed frozen spinach and add that to the mix.

I use both ground turkey and ground beef equally so use whichever meat is preferred by your family.

a plate of food next to a white napkin and fork

What’s the fastest way to shred zucchini and carrots?

Whenever I am making something that needs finely shredded veggies I use my food processor fitted with the shredding blade. It’s the fastest way to knock out the ingredient prep AND gets the veggies small enough that the kids don’t seem to notice.

Why use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs?

I also always use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs or crushed crackers because of the nutritional advantage. If you’re concerned about the texture so far no one has noticed I use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs.

You could always grind up the oatmeal in a food processor or blender to get a finer mixture.

How to make sweet and sour meatballs:

  1. To cook meatballs, pan fry them over medium heat until brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time. This may need to be done in batches depending on your pan size.
  2. Remove meatballs from frying pan and drain fat.
  3. Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in skillet. Stir in pineapple with juice, vinegar, and soy sauce.
  4. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently.
  5. Add meatballs and reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
  6. Add bell peppers and onion. Cover and simmer until crisp- tender about 5 more minutes. 
  7. Serve with white rice and garlic soy edamame.a plate of sweet and sour meatballs

To bake the meatballs:

I like to bake my meatballs instead of pan frying them because I can get a big batch done at once and go ahead and get started on the sauce. So choose what appeals more to you and go with it.

  1. If baking, cut a piece of parchment paper to the size of the pan.
  2. Place meatballs with a little room in between each one.
  3. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Tips and tricks

I use a medium cookie scoop for meatballs which helps me quickly measure out even meatball sizes. This can also be helpful to quickly divy up meatballs for kids to help roll.

Ways kids can help make this

Kids love to help with making dinner and when they help make the food, they are far more likely to try the food! Here are some ways they can help:

  • Measure and pour ingredients
  • Rolling meatballs
  • Mixing sauce
  • Cutting peppers and onions

For more tips see my quick start guide to cooking with kids 

meatballs with chunks of peppers, onions, and pineapple over rice

[embed_popupally_pro popup_id=”1″] 

Other recipes like this:

  • Cantonese Black Pepper Beef
  • Asian style Pepper Steak
  • Sticky Pineapple Chicken
  • Honey Glazed Chinese Chicken

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Meatballs are an easy Asian main dish recipe that are a kid favorite, and mom too, with hidden veggies in the meatballs and a simple sauce made from scratch.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Main
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 419kcal
Author: Jade Jones

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1 lb ground turkey or ground beef
  • 1/2 cup oatmeal
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 Tbsp onion chopped
  • 1 zucchini finely shredded
  • 1 large carrot finely shredded
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 egg use 2 eggs if using medium eggs

Sweet and Sour Sauce

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 40 oz pineapple chunks or 2- 20 oz cans, reserve the juice
  • 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 red bell peppers cut into thin 1 inch strips
  • 1 red onion cut into chunks

Instructions

  • To cook meatballs, pan fry them over medium heat until brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time. This may need to be done in batches depending on your pan size.
  • Remove meatballs from frying pan and drain fat.
  • Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in skillet. Stir in pineapple with juice, vinegar, and soy sauce.
  • Heat to boiling, stirring frequently.
  • Add meatballs and reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
  • Add bell peppers and onion. Cover and simmer until crisp- tender about 5 more minutes.
  • Serve with white rice and garlic soy edamame.

To bake the meatballs:

  • If baking, cut a piece of parchment paper to the size of the pan.
  • Place meatballs with a little room in between each one.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Notes

Meatballs are one of my favorite ways to add in a ton of extra veggies without anyone noticing.  I finely shred a zucchini and a large carrots to add to the mix.  I sometimes also will finely chop spinach or use thawed frozen spinach and add that to the mix.
I use both ground turkey and ground beef equally so use whichever meat is preferred by your family.
Whenever I am making something that needs finely shredded veggies I use my food processor fitted with the shredding blade.  It's the fastest way to knock out the ingredient prep AND gets the veggies small enough that the kids don't seem to notice.
I also always use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs or crushed crackers because of the nutritional advantage.  If you're concerned about the texture so far no one has noticed I use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs.  
You could always grind up the oatmeal in a food processor or blender to get a finer mixture.  
I like to bake my meatballs instead of pan frying them because I can get a big batch done at once and go ahead and get started on the sauce.  So choose what appeals more to you and go with it.

Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 809mg | Potassium: 810mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 67g | Vitamin A: 3480IU | Vitamin C: 76.6mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 2.2mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @JonesinforTaste or tag #JonesinforTaste!

 

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Filed Under: Beef, Cooking With Kids, Food Explorers, Main Dish, Recipes, Turkey Tagged With: asian, meatballs, pineapple

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Comments

  1. Taryn says

    June 7, 2019 at 12:58 pm

    5 stars
    This sauce is amazing!

    Reply
  2. Wendy O'Neal says

    June 7, 2019 at 9:11 am

    5 stars
    I’m always searching for easy “Asian” recipes because my family loves it. Thanks for a delicious recipe. Loved the meatballs!

    Reply
  3. Jaclyn says

    June 6, 2019 at 7:16 am

    5 stars
    Love these sweet and sour meatballs! Thank you for the fantastic recipe! I wish I had tried using oatmeal in my meatballs years ago — I never knew it was so good!

    Reply
  4. Natalie says

    June 5, 2019 at 5:48 pm

    5 stars
    This was my first time trying sweet and sour meatballs and I loved them! Adding these to our monthly rotation! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
  5. Kelly says

    June 5, 2019 at 3:58 pm

    5 stars
    These are so delicious! I love the sweet and savory combination of flavors!

    Reply
  6. Dini @ Giramuk's Kitchen says

    January 22, 2015 at 2:06 pm

    This is great! I love how there’s sneaky veggies in this – because I love doing that! 🙂 I love sweet and sour without adding any artificial colours or flavours.

    Reply
  7. Jenny @ Honey and Birch says

    January 22, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    Substituting oatmeal is a fantastic idea! And these look delicious – we love meatballs and sweet and sour. I need to try this soon. 🙂

    Reply
  8. Julie V. (Somebody's Dinner) says

    November 4, 2014 at 11:15 am

    Jade, I have so many fond memories of my mom making sweet and sour meatballs growing up. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
    I want to feature you today at the Retro Re-Pin Party on Somebody’s Dinner! Come by to see it and grab a featured button. See you soon!

    Reply
    • Jade says

      November 4, 2014 at 12:23 pm

      Thanks so much Julie. I love meals that bring back wonderful memories that we can then share with the next generation.

      Reply
  9. Kristen says

    August 29, 2014 at 3:57 am

    Our 2 year old would LOVE these! How do I get my 5 year old to eat red meat though? Thanks for linking up to #OneNewFood!

    Reply
    • Jade says

      August 29, 2014 at 6:25 pm

      That’s what I like about meatballs- you can make it with ground turkey or ground chicken. It’s better for you anyways and would appease your little one.

      Reply
  10. Lauren says

    August 29, 2014 at 3:19 am

    Those look great! I love meatballs. Oddly, my kids love meat sauce, but they don’t like meatballs. If I make them with spaghetti sauce, I have to mash them up so they don’t realize what they’re eating. I wonder if they’d eat these ones. I also wonder if I could sub out the breadcrumbs for oatmeal in the recipe I use for spaghetti and meatballs. I’m realizing the making healthy changes to things the kids will already eat is the best way to introduce new, healthier options!
    Thanks for linking up with #ONENEWFOOD!!

    Reply
    • Jade says

      August 29, 2014 at 6:28 pm

      Absolutely, revamping what they eat already is the easiest way to condition them. You could try making the meatballs smaller and baking them for a little less time. I never use breadcrumbs anymore and instead substitute oatmeal in all kinds of meatballs and meatloaf, I just did a guest post for healthy meatball subs which you could do use for spaghetti and meatballs as well. I even throw it in my smoothies just because it adds that little extra bit.

      Reply
  11. Carie Spence says

    August 19, 2014 at 7:27 pm

    They look great! Meatballs fans in my house so these would go over just fine. Thank you for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party. I have pinned your post to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest board.

    Reply
  12. Meredith Wouters says

    August 19, 2014 at 12:36 pm

    I was going to make meatloaf for dinner tonight, but this looks much better! I think it’ll be a hit with my kids (what kid doesn’t love a meatball?) and I even have extra zucchini and carrots on hand. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Jade says

      August 20, 2014 at 9:04 pm

      I’m glad you were inspired Meredith! Let me know how you’re kids liked them.

      Reply
  13. Tamara says

    June 21, 2014 at 10:30 pm

    I am going to have to try these sweet & sour meatballs, since I have only had the sweet & sour chicken. Sounds great!
    Thanks for sharing & linking up at the Tasty Tuesday linkup.

    Reply
  14. Kimberly says

    June 16, 2014 at 11:42 pm

    So delicious! Pinned! Thanks for being a part of our party. Please join us tonight at 7 pm. We love having you! http://loulougirls.blogspot.com
    Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls

    Reply
  15. Lisa says

    June 2, 2014 at 5:15 am

    These look SO good! I can’t wait to try them. 🙂 This was one of the most viewed posts from last week’s Try a New Recipe Tuesday! 🙂 Congratulations! Be sure to grab an “I’ve been featured” button from my sidebar for your blog. The new post should go live Monday morning. I hope you will be able to join us again this week.

    Reply
    • Jade says

      June 4, 2014 at 7:10 pm

      Thanks so much Lisa! I enjoy linking up every week with you. 🙂

      Reply
  16. [email protected] says

    May 28, 2014 at 3:43 am

    Thanks for linking up with us! Sweet n sour meatballs are some of my favorite!

    Reply
    • Jade says

      June 4, 2014 at 7:23 pm

      Anytime Meranda!

      Reply
  17. Anna @ The Beauty Section says

    May 27, 2014 at 2:39 am

    This sounds really good! I love sweet and sour chicken so I bet I would really like this too!

    Reply
    • Jade says

      June 4, 2014 at 7:23 pm

      You could totally use the sauce over chicken too! Just pan fry the chicken and pour the sauce over.

      Reply
  18. Kelsie says

    May 26, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    My husband would absolutely love these. I’ll have to add them to the meal plan this week!

    Reply
    • Jade says

      June 4, 2014 at 7:24 pm

      I make them because my husband loves them. I’d love to hear how it goes.

      Reply
  19. Paula Parker says

    May 25, 2014 at 2:30 pm

    I like the oatmeal instead crumbs idea. Great. Looks yummy.

    Reply
    • Jade says

      June 4, 2014 at 7:25 pm

      Yeah, oatmeal just makes me feel better about the dish I am putting on the table and no one has ever noticed.

      Reply
  20. Renee @ CreativeMamaMessyHouse says

    May 25, 2014 at 4:06 am

    I have these on the menu plan for next week! Can’t wait to try them out on my kids. My toddler is again anti-meat so I will see if he will eat any or just eat all the pineapple up.

    Reply
    • Jade says

      June 4, 2014 at 7:25 pm

      I was so happy to see your post on Instagram and that your little guy loved them. Mommy win!

      Reply
  21. Neva @ Retire for the Fun of it says

    May 25, 2014 at 1:17 am

    What a great mom to make such yummy and healthy food for your family. Adding veggies to the meat is a great addition.

    Reply
    • Jade says

      June 4, 2014 at 7:26 pm

      Sometimes it takes being sneaky but it is totally worth it!

      Reply
  22. Amberjane says

    May 24, 2014 at 11:15 pm

    Looks tasty and healthy,another great recipe Jade 🙂

    Reply
  23. Alicia @ Felt With Love Designs says

    May 24, 2014 at 11:11 pm

    Thank you for sharing the recipe! Looks great!

    Reply
  24. Erlene says

    May 20, 2014 at 3:45 am

    I like the healthy ingredients you have in these. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday Linky Party.

    Reply
  25. Jade says

    May 19, 2014 at 10:45 pm

    My kids ate this up too which was awesome because they don’t always do that. I am all about making our favorite restaurant dishes at home. It just makes me feel better to know exactly what is in their food, especially if that means extra goodness for them.

    Reply
  26. Renee @ CreativeMamaMessyHouse says

    May 19, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    My kids love sweet and sour, and I love that this sauce isn’t artificially red like the kind you get at the restaurants. Also, sneaking vegetables into the meatballs? Pretty clever! Thank you for linking up to Farmer’s Market Friday!

    Reply

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About Me

I’m a mom to 4 very busy world explorers and budding chefs. My blog is inspired by my mixed heritage and the many places my family has lived so far (4 states and 2 countries).

I help families learn about new people and places from around the world through food, travel, and education. I empower families to look beyond their comfort zone and embrace the diverse world around them. Read More…

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