This Sweet and Sour Meatball recipe features Asian inspired chicken meatballs that is juicy and flavorful, coated in an irresistible sticky homemade sweet and sour sauce.
I am always completely satisfied after this meal of Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs combined with roasted red peppers and fragrant Jasmine rice … and then I get so excited about tomorrow’s dinner … because leftovers! 🙂
Brace yourself because you are about to experience some meatball magic!!
Meatballs in Sweet and Sour Sauce
Okay true story. When I first attempted this sweet and sour meatball recipe I didn’t have much expectations for it.
I just wanted some clean eating in my diet, a meal prep friendly meal to prepare for a busy week, and I figured they would taste… decent.
Here’s what I got instead: meatballs that were out-of-this-world flavorful, juicy, and delicious, coated in the most the tangy, sweet and savory sweet and sour sauce that is similar to the sauce in my Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe.
My husband and I were oo-ing and ah-ing at the dinner table, and I got SO excited about eating these sweet and sour meatballs for dinner the next day … and the next day … and the next day.
The rumors are true and these meatballs coated in sweet and sour sauce are indeed so much better than store-bought. No fillers, no fake chicken, just the real thing!
Similar to Chicken Parmesan Meatballs, you can evenbulk prepare sweet and sour chicken meatballs ahead of time and save the meatballs in the freeze for months!
Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs have became a regular thing in our household. We are ALWAYS excited when it’s Sweet and Sour Meatball night.
We still oo and ah over it like we have never had it before.
In a pinch? There’s no shame, use those store-bought frozen meatballs and cut down the cook time! You can bake the meatballs then smother them in sweet and sour sauce.
Or throw the frozen meatballs and sauce into a slow cooker or crockpot and cook it for 4 hours on low.
Ingredients
Here are all the yum things that make up these sweet and sour meatballs:
- Ground meat – I typically use 97% lean 3% fat ground chicken. If using fattier meat, the meatballs may come out softer (circumvent by adding more panko to the mix). Ground turkey, beef or pork works as well.
- Panko breadcrumbs – a type of light and crispy (almost flaky) Japanese breadcrumbs that adds texture to the meatballs. This helps firm up the meatballs.
- Egg – used to tie it all together.
- Crushed pineapple (canned) – the sweetness adds an extra dimension of flavor. You can also use canned pineapple chunks and chop it into smaller pieces.
- Garlic cloves: GHG, aka Gotta Have Garlic! Use fresh garlic instead of powder for best flavor. It’s just not the same!
- Ground ginger – a staple in East Asian cooking. If you have fresh ginger feel free to mince it up and use that instead.
- Soy sauce – another staple in Asian cooking! We are adding soy sauce into the meatball mixture to give it that umami flavor.
- Sesame oil – a nutty oil used a lot in Asian cooking that will adds fragrance to the meatballs.
OK, so the meatballs are amazing. But it gets even better. OH YES.
The sauce, my friends. THE SAUCE.
Sweet and Sour sauce that is tangy, sweet, slightly savory …. I never fail to clean off my plate when this sauce is present.
And here are the sauce deets:
- Ketchup – brings sweetness and a hint of tomato flavor to the sauce
- Rice vinegar – apple cider vinegar or white vinegar works too – this adds the tangy flavors to the sweet and sour sauce.
- Sugar – this adds to the “sweet” part of “sweet and sour”. Brown sugar can be used as well.
- Soy sauce – adds to and enhances the other sauce flavors
- Garlic – use fresh garlic for best flavor.
- Sesame oil – for added fragrance
How to make Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs
There are two main components of this dish, and we’ll break it down step by step:
Making the Meatballs
Bring together all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl: ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs, an egg, soy sauce, garlic, ground ginger, sesame oil and crushed pineapple.
Give ingredients a good mix.
Note: if the mixture feels too wet and doesn’t come together, add more panko breadcrumbs (or a pinch of flour) to it.
Roll into 1 1/2 – 2 inch balls.
Heat up canola oil or vegetable oil in a large skillet pan. Once oil is hot, add meatballs to skillet to sear.
Avoid overcrowding and cook in two batches if needed. Sear meatballs on one side for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, then continuously flip and sear other sides to make sure the entire meatball is fully cooked.
Cover skillet and lower to medium low heat if needed.
When it is one, carefully remove chicken meatballs to a large bowl.
The meatballs are juicy, soft, and SO flavorful! It has Asian-inspired notes from the soy sauce and sesame oil, are for the mostly savory with hints of sweetness from the crushed pineapples.
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Let’s proceed to make the sweet and sour sauce part of our sweet and sour meatballs.
Combine ketchup, rice/white vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic and sesame oil into a small pot to make that sticky sauce.
Bring to a boil while stirring continuously, then stir until sauce thickens slightly.
Remove from heat when it is done.
Bringing it Together
Bring the meatballs into a large mixing bowl, then drizzle sweet and sour sauce all over the chicken meatballs.
Transfer to a bowl and serve!
How to Serve Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs
My favorite way to enjoy these sweet and sour meatballs is with with sautéed red, orange or green bell peppers because Sweet and Sour Chicken is typically served with crunchy bell peppers and pineapples.
Saute the red and/or orange bell peppers with cooking oil and a little salt and serving it on the side because that tangy sauce and the bell peppers complement each other in taste and textures so very well!
Other veggies you can also saute and serve alongside: onions, broccoli, carrots, green onions etc.
And last but by no means the least, a little Jasmine rice to soak up every last bit of the sauce and not let it go to waste. Because you just must.
Okay, am I the only one or are you also wishing you could reach into the screen to grab and inhale those sticky juicy sweet and sour meatballs?!
This is a meal I could eat all day everyday! (Insert drooling emoji, thank you very much)
Tips and Tricks
- Firmer meatballs: Add more Panko breadcrumbs if you want to the meatball mixture to be firmer. If you are not using lean meat, you will probably need to add more Panko breadcrumbs to firm it up as well.
- Even cooking: When pan-frying meatballs, cook on medium low heat so that meatballs cooks all the way on the insides without burning the outsides. Cover skillet to retain heat and cook it faster if needed.
- Reduce splatter: Use a splatter guard to prevent oil from splattering and burning you!
- Avoid overcrowding meatballs: Use a large skillet and cook in two batches if necessary to get the crispy texture.
- Make it spicy: Add some chili flakes or sriracha to the meatball mixture and/or sauce for added kick!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! They are just as tasty! Substitute ground chicken with ground turkey or pork and follow the rest of the instructions! Note that you may have to adjust the amount of panko breadcrumbs if not using lean meat (this recipe was created with 93% lean 7% fat ground chicken).
Fret not! Add some more panko (or some flour, if you’ve run out of panko) a little at a time until the mixture holds together better.
Yes, bake them in a preheated oven at 400F for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through
Yes! Cooked or uncooked, these meatballs are the perfect candidate for freezing!
Put the meatballs in an airtight bag or container (if uncooked, roll them up into balls first) and pop them in the freezer for up till a month. Thaw completely in refrigerator overnight before reheating (or pan-frying, if the frozen meatballs are still uncooked).
About a week in the refrigerator. Also store in an airtight container.
Make Ahead and Storage
I love making ahead these Sweet and Sour Meatballs.
The key is to store meatballs and sauce separately is making ahead. Make sure they are in an air tight container or bag.
Refrigerate them for up to 5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
If frozen, let it come to a full defrost the night before reheating.
You can reheat both the meatballs and the sweet and sour sauce using the microwave. The meatballs can also be reheated (covered) in the oven at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes.
what to serve with sweet and sour chicken meatballs
Serve with some of my favorite Asian sides!
- Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice
- Asian Style Green Beans
- Egg Drop Soup
- Sautéed Garlic Brussel Sprouts and Carrots
- Easy Chicken Fried Rice
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
Other Asian inspired Meals!
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Asian Salmon Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing
- Easy Chicken Fried Rice
- Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Easy Baked Orange Chicken
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lbs lean ground chicken turkey, pork or beef
- 1 1/4 cups Panko breadcrumbs more if needed
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup crushed pineapple drained
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- cooking oil
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all meatballs ingredients except cooking oil. Mix well. If mixture is not firm enough to roll into balls, add more Panko breadcrumbs 1 tbsp at a time.
- Grab a small piece of the meat mixture and roll into 1 1/2 – 2 inch balls (see Note 1).
- Add cooking oil to skillet and set to medium heat. Once oil is heated, bring meatballs to skillet. Avoid overcrowding and cook in two batches if needed. Sear on one side for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, then continuously flip and sear other sides to make sure the entire meatball is cooked. Alternatively, you can bake it in the oven for 20 minutes at 400℉.
- Cover skillet and lower to medium low heat if needed (see Note 2).
- Once meatballs are cooked or reaches 165º F when using a meat thermometer, remove from skillet and bring to a large bowl.
- Using the same skillet (add more cooking oil if needed), saute sliced bell peppers until softened. Season with a pinch of salt. Remove from heat.
- Heat a small pot to medium heat and bring all the Sweet and Sour Sauce ingredients to a boil. Lower to medium low heat and cook for another few minutes until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat.
- Toss chicken meatballs evenly in sweet and sour sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
I’ll fight you for this dish! You and me, fork and fork! LOL! Love this MinShien, printed and planning on making this week! Thanks!
Haha! You had me LOL so hard! I can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
I was looking for a recipe that used ground chicken instead of beef, and these chicken meatballs were delicious! The sauce was easy to prepare and tasted better than bottled sauces from the store. I made the dish last night with jasmine rice and broccoli, and my husband and I really enjoyed it. We had plenty left over for tonight’s meal, and it was just as yummy on night 2! Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you so much for the kind review! Makes me so happy to hear that you guys enjoyed it! 🙂
Super yummy! Served it with rice and broccoli for dinner then as left overs the next day with rice and asparagus! Very filling and high in protein, happy the meat balls fit into my macros!
Thank you so much! Happy to hear that!
Had the family recently for our Easter get together and made the chicken meatballs with the peppers & rice….
Was definitely a great dish and everyone loved it….especially the sticky Asian inspired sauce….
A big tick from me ✅……I’ll be making it again and also requested by 2 of my family for the recipe…..
That’s fantastic! Happy to hear everyone enjoyed it so much!
Very easy and tasty. I used a bit less sugar.
Thanks for sharing Jeff!
I rarely leave comments for recipes, but wow this was good! it was very easy to make, didn’t require a whole lot of ingredients, and it turned out amazing. Will definitely be making this regularly. thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks so much for the feedback, Christy! Love hearing from you!
You know the best thing is that I didn’t have to go and do an almost endless scroll to get to the recipe. I am so grateful for the to-the-pointness of the entire thing and the cherry on top is the recipe is a 5/5. The plates were licked clean.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Dee!
Wonderful recipe! ove been making this for my tiny household for awhile now but now we’re starting to count our calories! how many calories are the meatballs without the sauce per serving? Thank you so much 🙂
I’m so glad you’ve been making this and enjoying it! Unfortunately, I am not able to get the calorie information for just the meatballs without the sauce.
This was easy and delicious! I cut down the sugar by about 3/4 of the sugar in the recipe. My picky family enjoyed it as well. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch today. definitely adding this to the favorites list!
So glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing. It’s some of my favorite recipes as well <3
Really good!
Made the meatballs per the recipe. Baked instead of fried.
Used the rest of my can of pineapple and juice in the sauce, cut the sugar to 1/4 cup.
Chopped up an onion and a red pepper, cooked both for 5 minutes and put it in the sauce too.
Served with basmati rice.
Will definitely make again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing your modifications!
Loved these so much!!! Thanks for a delicious and easy dinner option!
Yay! So happy to hear that, Amy! <3