Baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs

from 63 votes

Forget the frozen meatballs and whip up a fast and fresh recipe for Baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs in 30 minutes or less!

Baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs with pineapple on top of white rice in a white bowl

Homemade meatballs make a weekly appearance at our house and are a dinnertime favorite of both of my eating machines (read: my husband and 17-month-old!).

And a quick search for “meatballs” around here will lead you to more than six takes on good ol’ balls-o-meat.

Glass bowl with ground turkey, garlic, onion, egg, salt, pepper and breadcrumb mixture

We’ve got the classic Baked Turkey Meatballs, the handheld Baked Asian Meatball Lettuce Wraps, the takeout-fakeout Baked Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs, and now, rounding out (food pun count: 1) the lineup: Baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs.

White spatula with homemade sweet and sour sauce with more in saucepan in background

So what separates these rotund beauties from all of their culinary cousins? A lick-the-spatula-and-your-plate homemade sweet and sour sauce that pairs perfectly with the garlicky meatballs but would work equally as well atop chicken breasts, as a dipping sauce for egg rolls or simply drizzled over white rice, if you’re into that sort of thing. #iam

Baked meatballs in glass bowl with sweet and sour sauce being poured over them

Toss in a few chunks of fresh pineapple and there will be multiple candidates for President of the Clean Plate Club.

Best of all? The meatballs are baked at a high temp so they’re ready for tossing in minutes, and that means dinner is on your table in 30 minutes or less. Just add fried rice or lo mein noodles to complete your feast!

A white plate containing white rice and Sweet and Sour Meatballs with pineapple

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Main Course

Baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less with this easy recipe for extra-moist baked sweet and sour meatballs tossed in a homemade sauce.
Author: Kelly Senyei
4.97 from 63 votes
Baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs with pineapple on top of white rice in a white bowl
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 24 meatballs

Ingredients 

For the meatballs:

  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey, chicken, pork or a combination
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2/3 cup minced yellow onion
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the sauce:

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1 cup diced pineapple

Instructions 

Make the meatballs:

  • Preheat the oven to 500°F. Grease 9x13 baking dish or mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and milk and let sit for 5 minutes. 
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, garlic, onion, egg, salt, pepper and breadcrumb mixture, mixing with your hands just until combined. 
  • Using your hands, break off 2 or 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll it into a ball. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
  • Bake the meatballs for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are cooked through. While the meatballs bake, make the sauce.

Make the sauce:

  • Add the olive oil to a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Once the oil it hot, add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown.
  • Whisk in the pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce and cornstarch mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Transfer the cooked meatballs to a large bowl then add the diced pineapple. Add the prepared sauce and toss to combined. Serve immediately. 
  • ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 70kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 163mg, Potassium: 139mg, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 50IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 0.4mg

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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.


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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I didnt have pineapple juice or pineapple, so i substituted with o.j. and mango. Tasted great.
    I will do the pineapple next time. great recipe.

    1. I made these meatballs today, and they were delicious! It’s so nice to find healthy recipes that are so good! I will probably make these once a week.

  2. 5 stars
    Wow this is really really lovely. What a clever lady my family love this sweet and sour sauce with everything including the meat balls. Big hit without the vinegar. 10/10

  3. Hope this question doesn’t sound stupid…but you mentioned baking this in a muffin tin and in the recipe it’s a baking dish…my question what is the difference from using a muffin tin to a baking dish….does the meatballs keep their shape better in a muffin tin and is the cooking time the same….

    1. Hi Diane – Not a stupid question at all. My secret weapon for extra-juicy meatballs is a mini muffin pan. All of the juices released as the meatballs cook get soaked back into them. The cooking time is the same whether you use a baking dish or a mini muffin pan. Hope that helps! :)

  4. 5 stars
    This is so simple and delicious. I had to use gluten free crumbs and non dairy (oat) milk due to my intolerances. The recipe is still a fantastic meal! Thank you for presenting it to us!

  5. 5 stars
    Your recipes are excellent and easy to follow. How many times have I found an online recipe that just didn’t quite work out. So happy I found you :o) we LOVE these. I have a feeling it will become one of our go-to recipes!

  6. 5 stars
    Looking for an easy appetizer to bring to a potluck Found this online. Very easy and delicious. The only addition I made was to add 1 TBSN of distilled white vinegar to give the sauce more of a sour taste. Am making it again tonight for dinner to serve over white rice. Definite keeper!! Thank you so much!

  7. 5 stars
    Perfect quick meal! I served it to my husband and my mom and we all loved it which rarely happens. Putting this in my rotation. Thank you.

  8. 5 stars
    This was the best sweet and sour turkey meatball recipe I have ever had! I ate it with stir fried peppers and onions over rice. It was the perfect blend of flavors. Thank you for this recipe as it took me all day to find one that looked delicious with the right blend of ingredients. I will be back to this site.

    Amber

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