These sweet and sour meatballs are a quick takeaway-style dinner you can make at home in about 25 minutes. You brown some meatballs, soften the onion and capsicum, then make a sticky sweet and sour sauce right in the pan with pineapple.
It feeds four and goes down a treat with steamed rice. Using ready-made meatballs keeps it fast, and the homemade sauce beats anything from a jar.
Why You’ll Love It
This one’s a winner. You get takeaway flavour at home in about 25 minutes, with a sticky homemade sauce and no jar. It’s sweet, tangy and a hit with kids, and it feeds four.
The Shortcut That Makes It Work
Ready-made meatballs save you mixing and rolling, so you just brown them and make the quick sweet and sour sauce in the same pan. Tinned pineapple does the rest.
Handy Tips
Brown the meatballs well first so they hold their shape and pick up colour. Mix the sauce ingredients together before they go in so the cornflour does not clump. Let the sauce bubble for a few minutes so it thickens and turns glossy. Tip in the pineapple juice as well as the pieces, it is where a lot of the flavour is.
Make It Suit Your House
Use any meatballs you like, or swap them for chicken, pork strips or tofu. Adjust the cooking time to suit. Make it in the slow cooker: brown the meatballs first, then add everything and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 to 3. Add extra veg like snow peas or carrot to bulk it out.
What To Serve With It
Serve it with steamed rice to soak up the sauce. Some steamed greens on the side make it a full meal.
How to Store It
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently until piping hot.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoyed this Sweet and Sour Meatballs, here are a few more ideas to add to your rotation:
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time
15 minutes 
Total Time 25 minutes 
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a hot pan, brown your meatballs until golden.
- Add the onion, and capsicum, and cook for a few minutes until they start to soften.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar, vinegar, tomato sauce, soy sauce, pineapple juice, Chinese five spice, and cornflour.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the pan with the drained pineapple pieces, stirring well. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce is bubbling hot and thickened to perfection.
- Serve with steamed rice and watch it disappear from plates!
Nutrition
Video
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FAQs
Can I use a different protein?
Yes. Swap the meatballs for chicken, pork strips, or tofu for a vegetarian version. Adjust the cooking time to suit.
Can I make this in the slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the meatballs first, then add everything to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 to 3. Add a little more cornflour mixed with water at the end if it needs thickening.
What should I serve it with?
Steamed rice is the classic, with some steamed greens on the side.
This was as easy to cook as it looks and tastes even better.
New family favourite, everybody loved this dish. Will be making this again. And again