Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and sour meatballs are a tangy combination of both sweet and sour flavors, hence their name. They are usually made in a skillet or saucepan over the stove, but if you don't have a lot of time to stand over a stove, you can bake them instead. Whichever method you choose, you are bound to end up with something truly delicious!

Ingredients

Basic Sweet and Sour Meatballs[1]

Meatballs

  • 1 pound (450 grams) ground beef
  • Worcestershire sauce, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons (15 grams) breadcrumbs
  • Oregano, to taste
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vegetable oil

Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) vegetable oil
  • ½ cup (75 grams) onion, chopped
  • ¾ cup (150 grams) brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon (15 milliliters) lemon juice
  • 1 cup (240 grams) ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) soy sauce

Serves 4

Baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs

  • 1 pound (450 grams) ground beef
  • ½ cup (45 grams) fine breadcrumbs
  • 3 tablespoons (21 grams) onion powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon allspice
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • ¾ cup (180 milliliters) heavy cream
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

Sauce

  • 1 cup (100 grams) sliced celery
  • 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch (2.54 centimeters) pieces
  • 1½ cups (360 grams) water
  • ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) white vinegar
  • ⅓ cup (65 grams) brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Serves 4

Quick n' Easy Sweet and Sour Meatballs[2]

  • 20 ounces (567grams) canned pineapple chunks
  • ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) water
  • 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) soy sauce
  • ½ cup (100 grams) packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (22.5 grams) cornstarch
  • 1 batch of 30 frozen meatballs, thawed
  • 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch (2.54 centimeters) pieces
  • Cooked rice, for serving (about ½ cup/125 grams per person)

Serves 6

Steps

Making Basic Sweet and Sour Meatballs

  1. Crack open an egg into a large mixing bowl, and beat it with a mini whisk or fork. Beat the egg enough so that the yolk breaks and mixes in with the white. Make sure that the bowl is big enough to hold the rest of your ingredients for the meatballs.
  2. Fold in the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, oregano, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. You can use as much Worcestershire sauce, oregano, salt, and pepper as you'd like. Try not to overdo it, however; a pinch or dash of each ingredient would be plenty. Stir everything with a rubber spatula until all of the ingredients are evenly combined.
    • Do not add the oil; you will be using it for frying.
  3. Roll the meat mixture into 1-inch (2.54 centimeters) balls. A great way to ensure that each meatball is getting the same amount is to measure out the mixture with a spoon. Roll the mixture into a ball between the palms of your hands.
  4. Fry the meatballs until they turn golden-brown. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of vegetable oil into a large skillet, and let it heat up over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs, and fry them until they turn golden-brown.[3] Don't worry if they aren't cooked through; you will continue cooking them in the sauce later on.
  5. Set the meatballs aside on some folded paper towels to drain. During this time, you can start preparing the sauce.
  6. Fry the onion in a medium-sized saucepan. Pour 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of vegetable oil into a medium-sized saucepan and let it heat up over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, and let it cook until it turns soft. Stir it occasionally with a spatula to prevent burning.
  7. Stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, ketchup, and soy sauce, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Whisk the ingredients together until everything is mixed, then let them simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.[4] During this time, the sauce will start to thicken.
  8. Add the meatballs, and cook everything over medium heat for 1 hour. Give the meatballs a stir once you add them in so that they get coated evenly with the sauce. Then, raise the heat back to medium, and let the meatballs cook for 1 hour.[5]
  9. Serve the meatballs. They taste great paired with white or brown rice.

Making Baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch (22.86 by 33.02 centimeters) baking dish.[6] You can grease the dish with some butter, cooking oil, or even baking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, allspice, egg, cream and salt. Beat the egg using a fork or mini whisk in the bowl first, then add the rest of the ingredients. This way, you will dirty up fewer dishes and have less to clean at the end. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold everything together.
  3. Form the mixture into 1 to 2-inch (2.54 to 5.08 centimeters) meatballs.[7][8] A great way to make sure that each meatball gets the same amount is to measure everything out with a spoon. Roll the meat mixture into a ball-shape between the palms of your hands.
  4. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer in the bottom of your prepared baking dish. The meatballs can be touching, but they should not be squished or piled on top of each other. Set the baking dish with the meatballs aside when you are done.
  5. Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the water, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch in first, then give them a stir to combine them. Stir them together with a whisk to combine, then add the sliced celery and bell pepper.
    • If you'd like something sweeter, use canned pineapple chunks instead of celery.
  6. Cook the sauce over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir the sauce often to prevent a skin forming on top. You will notice the sauce thickening as it continues to cook. Once the sauce gets hot, take it off the stove.
  7. Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Gently turn the meatballs with a spoon so that they get evenly coated with the sauce.[9]
  8. Bake the meatballs, uncovered, for 1 hour.[10] The meatballs are done when they are no longer pink inside. If they are still not done, bake them for another 30 minutes, or until they are no longer pink inside.[11]
  9. Serve the meatballs over rice. White rice is the most common pairing, but you can also use brown rice if you'd like something healthier.

Making Quick n' Easy Sweet and Sour Meatballs

  1. Drain the canned pineapple chunks, save the juice, and set the chunks aside. Place a strainer over a measuring cup, then pour the pineapple chunks into the strainer. Jiggle the strainer to get any last juice out, then set the strainer aside.
  2. Make sure that you have about 1 cup (240 milliliters) of pineapple juice, then pour it into a large skillet. Take a look at the measuring cup, and make sure that if you have about 1 cup (240 milliliters of pineapple juice. If you don't, add water until you have enough to fill 1 cup (240 milliliters). Pour the pineapple juice into a large skillet.[12]
  3. Stir in the water, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Pour ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) of water into the skillet, then add the vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Stir the ingredients together with a mini whisk or fork until everything is combined.
  4. Cook the sauce over medium heat until it turns thick. Stir the sauce often with a rubber spatula to prevent it from scorching or forming a skin on top.
  5. Add the pineapple chunks, meatballs, and green bell pepper, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and let everything cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are heated and cooked through.[13]
  6. Serve the meatballs over rice. You will need about ½ cup (125 grams) of cooked rice per person. White rice would be the most traditional, but you can also use brown rice instead, if you'd like a healthier meal.



Things You'll Need

Making Basic Sweet and Sour Meatballs

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Fork or mini whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • Spoon, for shaping meatballs (optional)
  • Large skillet
  • Medium-sized saucepan
  • Folded paper towels

Making Baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Fork or mini whisk
  • Medium-sized saucepan
  • 9 by 13-inch (22.86 by 33.02 centimeters) baking dish
  • Spoon
  • Whisk

Making Quick n' Easy Sweet and Sour Meatballs

  • Measuring cup
  • Strainer
  • Large  Skillet
  • Fork or mini whisk
  • Rubber spatula

Related Articles

References

  1. ↑ http://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-and-sour-meatballs-88991
  2. ↑ http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/tangy-sweet-and-sour-meatballs
  3. ↑ http://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-and-sour-meatballs-88991
  4. ↑ http://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-and-sour-meatballs-88991
  5. ↑ http://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-and-sour-meatballs-88991
  6. ↑ http://www.momontimeout.com/2014/01/grandmas-sweet-and-sour-meatballs/
  7. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/219287/sweet-and-sour-meatballs-in-sauce/
  8. ↑ http://www.gonnawantseconds.com/2014/10/easy-baked-sweet-and-sour-meatballs/
  9. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/219287/sweet-and-sour-meatballs-in-sauce/
  10. ↑ http://www.momontimeout.com/2014/01/grandmas-sweet-and-sour-meatballs/
  11. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/219287/sweet-and-sour-meatballs-in-sauce/
  12. ↑ http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/tangy-sweet-and-sour-meatballs
  13. ↑ http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/tangy-sweet-and-sour-meatballs
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