Although most American meatball recipes have derived from European cuisine influences, sweet and sour sauce is thought to have originated in China. The use of sauces is popular in Chinese food culture, and certain sauces are tied to specific meats, with sweet and sour sauce most often being paired with pork. Traditional Chinese sauces are made from sugar or honey with rice vinegar, soy sauce, and spices such as ginger and cloves. American sweet and sour sauce recipes often include fruit such as pineapple or vegetables like sweet pepper and green onion.
Recipe Servings: 6
Prep Time
15 minutes
+ 5 minutes resting
+ 5 minutes resting
Cook Time
15 minutes
Total Time
35 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- Nonstick cooking spray, as needed
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1½ lb ground turkey, chicken, pork, or a combination
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
- ⅔ cup yellow onion, minced
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Sauce:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water
- 1 cup pineapple, diced
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Stir together the breadcrumbs and milk in a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Combine the ground meat, garlic, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and breadcrumb mixture in a large bowl. Mix it just until combined using your hands.
- Shape the meat into heaping tablespoon-size balls and place them in a single layer in the prepared dish.
- Bake the meatballs, uncovered, for 12–15 minutes or until cooked through.
- Add the olive oil to a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook until golden brown.
- Whisk in the pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 3–5 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Transfer the cooked meatballs to a large bowl and add the diced pineapple.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs and stir or toss to combine.
- Serve the meatballs immediately.
For Meatballs:
For Sauce:
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