Sweet and Sour Meatballs

4.62 from 44 votes
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Sweet and Sour Meatballs - The best tangy meatballs ever with homemade sweet and sour sauce, good for an appetizer or pairing for a great meal!

Delicious homemade meat balls covered in a sweet and sour sauce and onions in a bowl.
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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

How to make Asian sweet and sour meatballs dish, perfectly in a bowl.

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!


Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 363 calories per serving.

Chinese juicy sweet and sour meatballs with ketchup served with rice, being poked with a fork.

What To Serve With Sweet And Sour Meatballs

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

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4.62 from 44 votes

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Meatballs – the best meatballs ever with sweet and sour sauce. These meatballs are so good you'll want them everyday!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 3 people
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Ingredients  

  • 12 oz (350g) ground pork , or ground chicken
  • 1/2 inch (1cm) ginger, peeled, 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 until well combined. Wet both hands with water and shape the mixture into 24 meatballs. Set aside.
  • Heat a wok or skillet with some oil and pan-fry the meatballs until they turn light golden brown. Drain them on a plate lined with paper towels.
  • Clean the wok or skillet and heat it with a little oil. Add the onion and stir quickly for a few moments. Pour in the sweet and sour sauce and cook until it thickens, then add the meatballs. Stir well to coat the meatballs with the sauce. Dish out and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 3people, Calories: 363kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 394mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Bee Yinn Low

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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60 Comments

  1. RL Heat says:

    5 stars
    Bee great!!!

    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      Thanks RL, you’re so nice. Thanks for the 5 stars rating!