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sweet and sour meatballs on a white serving platter.
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4.93 from 14 votes

Sweet And Sour Meatballs

Tossed together with chunks of sweet pineapple and stir-fried veggies, these tasty quick and easy Sweet and Sour Meatballs can be baked or air fried! Made with juicy ground beef and coated in a simple sweet tangy sauce, these delicious meatballs are a dish that the whole family will love!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: sweet and sour meatballs
Servings: 8
Calories: 375kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 large onion shredded or finely chopped
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Sweet And Sour Sauce

Main Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium green bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ½ cup pineapple chunks
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl. Form the meatballs into small golf ball size meatballs.
    process shots showing how to make sweet and sour meatballs.
  • Place the meatballs in the basket of your air fryer and air fry for 10 minutes at 380°F shaking them halfway through. To bake, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
    process shots showing how to make sweet and sour meatballs.
  • In a medium bowl, combine all the sweet and sour sauce ingredients together, whisk well. Set aside.
    process shots showing how to make sweet and sour meatballs.
  • In a large wok or pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.
    process shots showing how to make sweet and sour meatballs.
  • Pour the sweet and sour sauce mixture in the wok and stir well until the sauce get thick and glossy.
    process shots showing how to make sweet and sour meatballs.
  • Add the meatballs and pineapple chunks to the wok, toss everything together well. Cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat.
    process shots showing how to make sweet and sour meatballs.
  • Serve immediately over rice.

Video

Notes

  1. Recipe yields around 36 meatballs.
  2. Use a cookie scoop. For the most uniform and evenly cooked meatballs, use a small cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to make them all exactly the same size and shape. 
  3. Temp the meatballs. Use an instant-read digital thermometer to ensure that the ground beef meatballs have reached an internal temperature of at least 160°F (74°C) before serving them.
  4. Make it spicy. If you want to add a little kick to the dish just mix in about a tablespoon of sriracha into the sauce mixture. You could also stir-fry some sliced jalapeno with the onion and bell pepper mixture.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 603mg | Potassium: 639mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 679IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 4mg