This easy recipe for homemade baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs comes together quick in about 30 minutes. Seasoned and juicy on the inside, they are coated in the best sauce, this snack, a party appetizer, or simple dinner idea is one your whole family will be licking their lips at!
Coat your hands with the oil and roll portions of the meat mixture into meatballs approximately 2 inches in diameter or about the size of golf balls.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Roll the meatballs until they are smooth coating the outside of the meatballs with oil on your hands so they crisp in the oven. It is normal for the mixture to be very soft and wet.
Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. (line with parchment paper for easy cleanup)
Make the Sweet and Sour Sauce
While the meatballs are baking, add the pineapple juice, light brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and ketchup to a medium pot.
½ cup pineapple juice, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon ketchup
Heat the sauce ingredients over medium heat. (Add a few drops of red food coloring, if desired).
Red food coloring
Stir and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
Remove 2 tablespoons of sauce and place it in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add in the 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and mix well
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Stir that mixture back into the sauce and heat for an additional 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens into a glaze.
Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.
Once the meatballs are completely cooked and reach an internal temperature of 165° F on an instant read thermometer, brush the sweet and sour glaze onto them thoroughly.
Place the baking sheet back in the oven and broil on high for 2-3 minutes until the sauce begins to caramelize.
Remove and garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
Serve as an appetizer with any additional sweet and sour sauce on the side or over white rice with a favorite vegetable like steam broccoli, zucchini or snow peas.
Notes
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.Use ground beef or ground pork or a mixture of both if desired.Use regular breadcrumbs if preferred.I like using toasted sesame oil for the best Asian flavors but regular sesame oil or other favorite oil will work as well.Use white vinegar is necessary.Red food coloring is optional It will still have the sweet and sour sauce flavors without it but it won’t have the traditional bright red color.Serve as a party appetizer or over white rice with vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, snow peas or red bell peppers.Swap the ketchup for chili sauce, grape jelly or cranberry sauce.Use frozen meatballs for quick prep.Use an ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop to scoop evenly sized meatballs.