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This Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe is so simple to make and is the perfect appetizer. The odds are you have all the ingredients already on hand!
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
These Sweet and Sour Meatballs are an amazing and simple dish. Perfectly balanced between both sweet and sour you’ll want to make these SOON.
Main Ingredients Needed
For the Meatballs
- Sandwich Bread and Milk – I know the milk and bread sound kind of weird, but trust me, these meatballs turn out SO tender because of it.
- Ground Beef – you could also use pork or a mixture of both.
- Garlic and Onion – great additions of classic meatball flavors.
- Egg – to help hold everything together.
- Salt and Pepper – it is so important to season while you cook versus just doing it afterward. It makes a world of difference.
For the Sauce
The meatballs are going to be cooked in the sauce so it’s super important for flavoring purposes! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ketchup, Mustard, and Worcestershire Sauce – three condiments that create a tangy and savory mixture of flavors! So so good.
- Onion and Garlic – more onion and garlic, the two most basic but flavorful ingredients.
- Brown Sugar – this brings the sweetness and stickiness to this recipe.
- Salt and Pepper – once again, season as you go and season to taste.
Looking for more appetizers to serve? Check these out: Basic Salsa Recipe, Pepperoni Pizza Rolls Recipe, Classic Coleslaw Recipe, and Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Frito Bites.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs
It really is quite easy to make these Sweet and Sour Meatballs. Simply mix up the base, form little balls, and cook until brown. Then make your sauce and let simmer for 30-3 hours! The longer they sit the better they’ll taste! For the full recipe, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Start my mushing sandwich bread and milk all together till it’s all soggy. Weird start to a meatball, I know BUT it makes it really tender. You’ll see!
- Once the bread is all good and squished, add in some more ingredients…pretty typical of any meatball-ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, salt, pepper. Squish that all together with your hands and that’s the base for these little babies.
Forming Your Meatballs
- Now you can scoop your mixture using a cookie scoop {thanks, OXO!} to divide it evenly. I made mine slightly smaller than golf balls.
- Once they’re all nicely portioned, roll them into perfect balls like so! Set these aside. Place a deep skillet on heat and add some canola oil.
- Throw in your meatballs and cook to brown them as evenly as you can. And, you’re only trying to brown these guys…not cook them all the way through.
Sweet and Sour Sauce for Meatballs
- While those are cooking, put all the ingredients together for the sauce. Again, simple things you all probably have in your fridge. Whisk that all together and wait until the meatballs are done browning.
- Once they are, remove the meatballs from the pan, add the sauce and stir to de-glaze and pick up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Pop the meatballs back into the sauce, coat evenly and reduce the heat.
- Cover and cook these from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Just like with anything else, they taste better the longer you cook them. And the longer you cook them the darker and less ketchup-y the sauce becomes. It’s like magic!!
Make it a Meal
If you’d like to serve these sweet and sour meatballs as a main dish instead of an appetizer I suggest serving it alongside some side dishes! Here are some ideas:
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Easy Fried Rice Recipe
- Famous Butter Rice
- Pan Fried Sesame Butternut Squash Noodles
- Fresh Spring Rolls Recipe with Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Sesame Noodle Salad
Leftovers
Any leftover sweet and sour meatballs can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 4 days.
Make-Ahead
If you wanted to make these in advance, just keep them in your slow cooker for the day of the party and by night they will be all slow-cooked and glazed to perfection. Tender, sweet, and delish!
More Meatball Recipes to Love!
- Easy Meatball Recipe (perfect for any dish!)
- Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
- Swedish Meatballs
- Meatball Sub or Hoagie
- Homemade Freezer Turkey Meatballs
My husband goes CRAZY over these Sweet and Sour Meatballs. Seriously. He ate almost all of them by himself. I would have fought him a little harder if I could eat more than my 3-year-old at any one sitting. One day I’ll eat more than a bird…one day.
Anyways, this recipe is one of my favorite EVER and think you all will love them too! Printable recipe card is below!
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatballs-
- 2 slices sandwich bread cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 lb ground beef 80/20
- 1/4 cup onion finely diced
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper to taste
- canola oil for frying
For the sauce-
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons onion finely diced
- 1 clove garlic grated
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, soak pieces of bread in milk until soggy, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients for the meatballs and stir together until well blended.
- Using a cookie scoop, divide the mixture into approximately 24 meatballs. Roll each individual meatball to be evenly round. Heat large skillet over medium heat with canola oil {I used about 2 tablespoons}. Place meatballs into hot pan and brown.
- While meatballs are cooking, measure all ingredients for the sauce together and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Once meatballs are brown, remove from pan and deglaze with sauce. Stir to remove any dark bits at the bottom of the pan and replace meatballs into skillet and coat in sauce.
- Cover and cook anywhere between 30 minutes and 3 hours. The longer they cook, the more delicious they become. Serve as is as an appetizer or over pasta or rice for a main dish.
These meatballs look so good! I subscribe to your emails!
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I follow every delish bite ;)!!!!!
I signed for your emails! Yum, yum, yum
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another fine prize!!i subscribe to your blog. I made these meatballs and they are wonderful. Not usually a big fan of meatballs but I liked these and I make some with cranberry sauce and chili sauce that are always a hit.
I get your emails – love the recipes
Was planning meatballs as one of the appetizers for a Christmas party I’m planning. These sound like they will fit the bill perfectly!
Oh my. I was wondering what to do with my ground beef. This is better than meatloaf! Excellent idea.
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I love meatballs for a party better than in spaghetti. I’m a subscriber 🙂
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Love this recipe, will be making for Christmas Eve…I receive your email as well.
I love Calphalon! I have a set of knives and some pots and love them. I need to replace a few non-Calphalon pots I have and these would be perfect!
These meatballs look really good!! And I’m the opposite only associating meatballs with spaghetti! I get your emails.
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Email subscriber here, thanks for the chance.
I receive your e-mails, meatballs look awesome
These look so yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Those look delicious!
Hi again lauren!
Checking back in again. Made the meatballs for dinner and they were sooo good! Will have to keep the recipe handy for a fast and easy meal. Thanks again for sharing.
I subscribe to your emails and would LOVE these pans!
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Yummy recipe – my mother-in-law makes mini sweet and sour meatballs during the holidays and I really love them! It grosses me out that there is ketchup involved, but it works!
So true- my aunt’s smokies always get devoured first in our family!! These sound so good. I would be the hero of Christmas if I brought these to go alongside the smokies!
My boyfriend’s mom has a full SET of Calphalon stuff and I drool over it every time we visit. Lucky you!!
I’ll take these
These look soo good!!
Love the pictures with your directions – sepecially the ingredient picture! So creative (~_*)
This is one item my whole family loves! Meatballs. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yum Yum!
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Oh these look fantastic! I strangely love making meatballs even though I rarely eat them.
Sounds just like a recipe my grandmother used to make. I remember thinking that adding ketchup was so weird! I receive your emails. Thanks for another giveaway!
Meatballs are something that I am just now putting in our meal plans and my family seems to enjoy them. I’ll have to try this one out. And I’m a subscriber!
These look wonderful, I used to make my meatloaf with a sauce like this instead of ketchup. Can’t wait to try them.
Love meatballs! So simple and easy to make for a party! Usually mine has apricot preserves but these sound delicious!
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Lauren,
I am going to make these meatballs this weekend.
What type of ground beef did you use?
Thanks,
i can’t wait to try this homemade version!!
I loveeeeeeeee meatballs as an appetizer. My favorite is the grape jelly ones that you just throw in the crockpot with a bottle of heinz chili sauce and let it cook and smell up your house. These look really tasty though–I’ll have to try out!
Those are my favorite too! I had to convince someone (who was going to put BBQ sauce on hers!) that this was better. She has come to see my way of thinking.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE meatballs and these look delicious! I will be trying them soon 🙂 I already receive your emails 🙂
I already had plans to do meatballs tomorrow for our game night. I think I’ll use your recipe! 🙂 Thanks!
oh these are my faves every year – thanks for the yummy recipe! I actually crave these things with those baked bagel chips. Not pregnant here lol 🙂
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These sound so simple and tasty! When you cook the meatballs for 30 mins – 3 hrs, do you cook them on medium still or low?
Nevermind, I just now saw where you said to reduce heat. 😛
Hey Lauren!
You saved me again! LOL. Was wondering what to make for dinner on this dreary day and this sounds like just the ticket. Haven’t made these in ages and they are easy peasy. Yummy too. Thanks for sharing.
Delicious! I get your emails!
I love party meatballs..so much more than meatballs and spaghetti too! I can’t wait to try this one out on an upcoming football game!
These meatballs sound amazing!
It sounds a little like a recipe my
Cousin and I used to make years ago, minus the Worcestershire sauce! Yummy! Thanks for all these great ideas!