Description
Italian-inspired sweet and sour meatballs bring Mediterranean flavors to your dinner table. Juicy beef blends with tangy sauce, creating a memorable dish that will delight your palate and spark conversation around the meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 1 pound (454 grams) ground beef or pork
Meatball Binding Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) milk
- ¼ cup (30 grams) breadcrumbs
Seasoning:
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) pineapple juice
- ¼ cup (50 grams) brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) ketchup
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) water
Instructions
- Blend ground meat, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a spacious mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Carefully craft 1-inch diameter spherical meatballs, ensuring uniform size for consistent cooking.
- Warm of cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers with potential.
- Gently place meatballs into the heated skillet, rotating them every 90 seconds to achieve a golden-brown exterior on all surfaces.
- Cook meatballs for 5-7 minutes until they develop a rich caramelized color and reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
- Transfer browned meatballs to a clean plate, allowing excess oil to drain.
- In a separate saucepan, combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, white vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce over medium heat.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients until brown sugar dissolves completely and the mixture begins to simmer gently.
- Create a cornstarch slurry by mixing of cornstarch with of cold water until smooth.
- Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the simmering sauce, stirring continuously to prevent lumps and promote thickening.
- Carefully reintroduce the browned meatballs into the sauce, allowing them to simmer for 6-8 minutes to absorb flavors.
- Serve the sweet and sour meatballs over steamed rice or egg noodles, garnishing with chopped green onions or toasted sesame seeds for added texture and visual appeal.
Notes
- Elevate your meatball game with this crowd-pleasing sweet and sour combo that transforms ordinary ground meat into a restaurant-worthy dish.
- Perfectly balanced sauce creates a magical coating that clings to every single meatball, ensuring maximum flavor in each bite.
- Quick and easy preparation means you can have a delicious meal on the table in under 30 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknight dinners.
- Versatile recipe allows for customization with different meat types like beef, pork, or even a turkey blend to suit your preference.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop and intensify overnight in the refrigerator.
- Impressive enough for entertaining yet simple enough for everyday cooking, this dish will quickly become a family favorite.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Frying, Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 402 kcal
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 57 mg