Busy week ahead? Sweet and sour meatballs to the rescue! This dish has the best sweet and tangy flavor but it's so easy. I love using homemade meatballs in this recipe, but I also use frozen all the time and it's amazing either way.
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This recipe is a huge easy dinner win. I can get it on the table in about 40-45 minutes alongside some rice and a simple salad or roasted veggie. If I'm using frozen meatballs, cut that down to 30 minutes (maybe even less).
Sometimes I prep, bake and freeze my own meatballs so I can have elevated, homemade flavor in a flash.
If not, I use these frozen Cooked Perfect All Natural Meatballs from Kroger. They're egg and dairy free (we deal with food allergies in our house so this option is perfect for us, but use whatever works for you)!
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Great Weeknight Dinner Or Appetizer!
Affordable: Sweet and sour meatballs are more affordable and BETTER than takeout. Plus, they're easy and straightforward with no crazy ingredients.
Speedy: Whip up your meatballs in 20 minutes, cook them, drain fats and add sauce! Speed things up even more with frozen meatballs if you want (I do it all the time).
Self-serve: Pop a lid on your skillet to keep everything warm! This way people can eat when they're ready. Flexibility is queen for busy nights.
Serve as an app: Meatballs are always a win for game day or a birthday party. Serve with toothpicks and let guests graze.
Grocery Shopping List
Meatballs:
- Ground beef: I use 80/20% for this recipe. Fattier beef binds meatballs together and keeps them from crumbling. Meatballs often contain egg as a binder, but I keep mine egg free since my toddler is allergic.
- Panko breadcrumbs: I use Kikkoman brand, they're available at most grocery stores.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds the BEST flavor punch.
- Mustard: You can use dijon mustard or just regular ol' yellow mustard! Whatever you've got on hand.
- Seasonings: Italian seasonings, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
Sweet & Sour Sauce:
- Ketchup: Whatever brand you prefer. We typically use Heinz!
- Water: Water thins out the sauce for perfect consistency.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark.
- Vinegar: I use apple cider vinegar. Regular white vinegar works, too.
- Orange juice: Or pineapple juice.
- Salt: Balances flavors perfectly.
- Corn starch: For thickening!
How To Make Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Make meatballs mixture
- Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and seasonings in a mixing bowl.
Cook meatballs & make sauce:
- Roll mix into 30 one-inch meatballs. Each will weigh about an ounce, use a food scale to keep them uniform or just eyeball it.
- Brown meatballs in a large skillet over medium-high heat, working in batches if necessary.
- While meatballs are browning, make sauce.
Make sauce:
- Combine ketchup, water, brown sugar, vinegar, juice, salt and corn starch in a small bowl and whisk well.
Serve and enjoy!
- Once meatballs are fully browned, drain excess grease with a paper towel. Pour sauce mixture into the skillet, reduce heat to medium and cover with a lid.
- Allow everything to simmer together for about 10 minutes, then remove the lid and simmer 5 minutes longer until sauce is thick and glossy.
- Serve solo with toothpicks as an appetizer, or spoon over fluffy white rice and serve with green beans or a roasted veggie. Enjoy!
Stacey's Top Tips
- Don't overwork meat mixture. This can make your meatballs tough.
- In a hurry? Frozen meatballs will absolutely do the trick!
- Instead of sweet and sour, sub chili sauce and grape jelly for cocktail meatballs. Also great as an appetizer full meal with rice and veggies.
Meal-Prep This Recipe
Make ahead instructions: Sweet and sour meatballs are a great make-ahead recipe. They freeze beautifully for up to 4 months.
Make the recipe in full, allow meatballs to cool, and transfer them to an airtight container. Pack in one large container or smaller, single portion amounts.
Heat in the microwave in 30-60 second bursts until warmed through completely. You can also heat in a pot on the stovetop. Add a splash of water to thin the sauce if necessary!
Crockpot Instructions
When using a crockpot, you'll need to pre-cook your meatballs in a skillet or in the oven before adding them to the slow cooker (unless you're using frozen, pre-cooked meatballs from the store, of course).
Add cooked meatballs to the crockpot, mix up sauce and pour it in. Cook on high for 1-2 hours. Don't overcook or the meatballs can become tough.
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Sweet And Sour Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet *I use my 3 qt stainless steel skillet for this recipe.
Ingredients
Meatballs *see note below
- 2 pounds ground beef 80/20% *see note below
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs *see note below
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard *regular yellow or dijon
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper
Sweet And Sour Sauce
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- ⅔ cup cool water
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar *or white vinegar, rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup orange juice *or pineapple juice *see note below
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Recipe notes:
Panko: I use Kikkoman brand (they're egg & dairy free). If you're accommodating food allergies like me, be sure to check labels. Meatballs: I love homemade meatballs in this recipe, but frozen are also delicious! I use Cooked Perfect All Natural frozen meatballs because they're egg and dairy free (my daughter has food allergies). You can also make your own meatballs ahead of time for easier weeknight cooking. Ground beef: Fattier beef works best for this recipe. Fat acts as a binder and prevents meatballs from crumbling. Egg is often used as a binder in meatballs, but I keep mine egg free. Fat is a good replacement binder, making egg unnecessary. Juice: If you opt to use pineapple juice from a can of pineapples, you can also choose to mix pineapple chunks into your dish so they don't go to waste.Instructions
- Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl. Mix well to combine but don't overwork the meat which can result in a dense/tough texture.½ cup panko bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon mustard, 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, 2 pounds ground beef 80/20%
- Roll mixture into 1-inch (1 ounce) balls. You'll have about 30 meatballs in total. Brown on all sides in a skillet over medium-high heat. Work in batches if necessary.
- While meatballs brown, combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.⅔ cup ketchup, ⅔ cup cool water, ⅓ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, ⅓ cup orange juice, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon corn starch
- Once meatballs are fully browned, pour sauce into the skillet and stir everything together gently. Reduce heat to medium, place a lid on the skillet and cook everything together for about 10 minutes.
- Remove lid and simmer 5 minutes longer until sauce is thickened and glossy.
- Serve and enjoy!
Storage:
- Leftovers: Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate 3-4 days. Freeze up to 4 months.Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop. Add a splash of water to thin if needed.
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