I Love Meatballs!
Come to think about it, I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t love meatballs.
Ground meat of your choice seasoned with your favorite spices or flavorings, and then slathered in your favorite sauce. What’s not to love?
How to Make Sweet And Sour Meatballs
In my family, our sauce of choice for meatballs is sweet and sour sauce. The meatballs I make is seasoned with five-spice powder and the sweet and sour sauce pretty much escalates the taste to the next level.
Imagine sweet, sour, sticky Chinese sauce that coats every inch of the meatballs, on top of a steaming bowl of white rice…ahhh, the best!!
For the meat, I prefer to use ground pork or ground chicken, but I have to say that ground pork tastes better. Ground chicken is great, too.
If you use skinless and boneless chicken thighs, the meatballs will always be juicy and moist. The sweet and sour source is addictive, made of ketchup, Thai sweet chili sauce, a bit of soy sauce and vinegar to bring out the perfect balance of sweet, sour and savory.
This dish is a winner. Double up on this recipe and make a big batch. Trust me, the meatballs will be gone in no time!
This Recipe Goes Well with:
Other Sweet and Sour Recipes:
Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe
Sweet and Sour Meatballs - the best meatballs ever with sweet and sour sauce. These meatballs are so good you'll want them everyday!
Ingredients
- 12 oz ground pork or ground chicken
- 1/2- inch piece peeled ginger, finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder, (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 dashes ground white pepper
- 1 pinch salt
- oil for pan-frying
- 1/2 small onion, quartered
- Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
-
Combine the ground pork or chicken with ginger, garlic, five-spice powder (if using), sesame oil, pepper and salt. Stir to combine well. Wet both hands with some water and shape into 24 meatballs. Set aside.
-
Heat up a wok or skillet with some oil, pan-fry the meatballs until they turn light to golden brown. Drained them on a plate lined with paper towels.
-
Clean the wok or skillet. Heat it up with a little bit oil. Add the onion and do a few quick stirs. Add the sweet and sour sauce and cook it until it's thickened, then add the meatballs. Stir to coat well with the sauce. Dish out and serve immediately.
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william huskey
Excellent as has been every other recipe from this site that I’ve made. We live in Singapore and have easy access to tons of Chinese and Malaysian food, most of it amazing, yet my family loves your dishes more than eating out. This has quickly become my primary go-to recipe site. Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi William thanks for your sweet comment. Yes, my website has amazing recipes, please try more: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Mary Bostow
Thankyou. No seriously. THANK YOU!!! The sauce is A-MAZE-ING! So so so yummy! It has to be said – it tastes better than my local Chinese Restaurant. This is going on the “must make again and again” list because it’s heavenly.
Laya
I’m planning to make it tonight. Was wondering if I could make the meat balls n sauce ready n toss in sauce befr I serve. Wud that b okay? Wud the sauce thicken much if done prior?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can toss before serving. The sauce will kind of soaked inside the meatballs if done prior.
emma hughes
Does Thai sweet chili sauce have any heat to it? i CANNOT eat anything spicy. Could i substitute brown sugar for it,and if so how much would you recommend?
Rasa Malaysia
It’s not spicy at all, just mild. Yes you can use brown sugar.
Pamela
Love this! And love so many of your other recipes as well. The recipes are easy to follow, with ingredients I usually have on hand and the flavors are amazing. We live in a farm community surrounded by small towns. Find a good, Asian restaurant is hard to do but with your recipes…I don’t need to worry! Thank you so much! I look forward to trying even more fabulous dishes!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Pamela, awww, thanks so much for your sweet comment. You can open an Asian restaurant with my recipes, LOL. I am so glad that you are able to make Asian food in your home. :)
Sally
Hello from Australia. I made this dish for dinner tonight. I added re& green capsicum and served it over jasmine rice with a sprinkling of sesame seeds on the meatballs. i will freeze the leftovers for nights when I’m too tired to cook after work. Thx for the recipe! I am keen to try out more of yr ideas soon.
Sherrie Russell
Fantastic! I will never buy – take out – sweet & sour again.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, thanks so much Sherrie. :)
KAREN TONG
Hi, I happened upon your website today and would like to try them out. My kids don’t like them spicy. Is Thai Sweet Chili Sauce very spicy? If it is, can you tell me what’s a good substitute? Thanks.
Rasa Malaysia
No, it’s sweet with a very mild heat. You can skip it and add some sugar.
mia
Hi can the meat balls be baked? I want to make triple the recipe and don’t want to have to fry them all. If so do you know for how long and how many degrees Celsius? thanks
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can. I think you can bake at 375F for 15 minutes? Please check doneness though I am not 100% sure without trying myself.
Samantha
Wow! I’m going to try this! I love your blog by the way.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for your support. :)
Mairzie
I made this for dinner tonight. The sweet & sour sauce is fantastic! Absolutely PERFECT. I did make a few changes, like adding minced water chestnuts to the meatball mixture, and some slivered green, red & yellow bell peppers along w/ the onion. So delicious served with steamed white rice. Thanks so much!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Mairzie, thanks for trying my sweet and sour meatballs recipe. :)
Charmaine
Silly me i just read the recipe again…..I see rice wine listed. Sorry!
Charmaine
Of course I am missing one ingredient, the cider vinegar. Can I use another kind of vinegar? Rice wine vinger? Or something else?
Adam
I made this twice – the first time it tasted too much like ketchup, so the second time I replaced half the ketchup with honey and it was perfect :) Definitely going in my recipe book!
Rasa Malaysia
Great idea for using honey! :)
Lucinda
Have you tried these in the crockpot? If so, are there any adjustments.
Rasa Malaysia
I haven’t and I am not sure without actually trying.
Sandy
This recipe is easy to make and super yummy.
Marian
It was delicious, I added red pepper bell thinly sliced and pineapple tidbits or chunks.
Rasa Malaysia
Marian, good idea. :)
Steve
Hi
Would using ground beef work just as well for this recipe? I tend to have ground beef on hand. Would you do anything different or add anything to ground beef versus the ground chicken or pork you suggested.
Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes ground beef would work. :)
Pamela Wallace
Hi
Looks wonderful, would you serve this with rice?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes.
Brooke
These look incredible–I will definitely have to try the recipe! I have always loved spaghetti and meatballs, but this recipe looks like it will beat the traditional Italian recipe any day!
Rasa Malaysia
Yep, it sure does in my opinion. :)
Carol
Hi,
It looks so delicious!
But, I doesn’t like vinegar or Apple cider vinegar. Can I replace it with plum sauce? Or do you have a better alternative?
Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes plum sauce will work very well. I use vinegar/apple cider vinegar because it’s more accessible to my American readers.
Stephanie @The Cozy Cook
I LOVE making meatballs and this is a variation I haven’t tried yet, I’m putting this one on the list ASAP! :)
Jane
Hi, may i know , for the ginger, is to be chopped, thinly strips, etc…? Kindly advise. Thanks.
Jane
Hi, may i know , for the ginger, is to be chopped, thinly strips, etc…? Kindly advise. Thablack
Rasa Malaysia
I updated the recipe they are finely minced.
ivy
your recipes are so easy to follow..being of oriental background, but raised in the Caucasian culture. I am now learning to cook the delicious meals on your site. thank you
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Ivy, so glad to hear that you like my easy to follow recipes. :)
Ohmydish
Yum! Looks like a delicious snack, or to make awesome pastra with