Sweet and sour meatballs are a favorite with everyone, young and old. It’s probably because that balance of sweet, sour, and savory elements all come together for a sauce you can’t resist. Plus, the meatballs come out with this very soft and tender texture that is a brilliant contrast to the bounty of crunchy colorful vegetables within. It’s a dish that looks bright and cheerful on your table. And while many sweet and sour meatball recipes use tons of sugar, you can feel good about this one. I’ve found a way to limit the sugar so you get a sauce that is still sweet and delicious without making you guilty.
Sweet and sour meatball ingredients
One thing you’ll love if you’re a parent is that I’ve hidden plenty of veggies in these meatballs. Along with the breadcrumbs, they render the texture so soft and fluffy. And with that sauce, your kids won’t notice that they’re getting more veggies in every mouthful. When you’re done prepping, your table should have the ingredients below before you start cooking. If you’d like your sweet and sour meatballs to be slightly spicier, I recommend blending either sriracha or chili garlic sauce into the ketchup. If you have kids, you can keep some of the sauce less spicy for their portions so that everyone is happy.
Cooking process
In my steps below, I’ll show you how to make these super-easy meatballs. You’ll never buy the store-bought ones again! They taste so good and once you make them once, you’ll want to make them for every meatball occasion. I love making sweet and sour meatballs on a busy weeknight. The ingredient list might look long but it’s quite easy to put together. Make enough of them so that you have leftovers and you will have a wonderful lunch to enjoy the next day, as well.
More delicious easy chicken recipes
Crispy Baked Chicken Leg Three Cup Chicken (三杯鸡) Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai) One-Pan Chinese Chicken and Rice Chicken Chop Suey
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
