My Mom’s sweet and sour meatballs recipe! These meatballs are baked in the oven in a retro sweet and sour sauce that can’t be beat!
How to Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs
The success of these sweet and sour meatballs is all due to the sauce – and this is a great sauce. The ketchup is a must have in it, and adds that extra zing! Mike’s mom used to make this for him many years ago and it’s still one of his favorite recipes. The best sweet and sour meatball recipes simply must have ketchup in it, that’s what makes this classic old fashioned meatball recipe the best one you’ll ever taste!
- Combine the meatball ingredients : bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, egg, onions and ground beef
together in a stand mixer bowl. Use the paddle attachment and mix on low until combined. - Roll the meat mixture into meatballs, it makes approximately 24.
- Place the meatballs into a preheated 375°F oven.
- After about 20 minutes, take the meatballs out and drain the fat.
- Now you can cover those meatballs up with sauce. Pour the sauce over the meatball, covering them
completely. Finish cooking them until done. This can take up to another 20-
30 minutes depending on the size of your meatballs.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe Video
Sweet and Sour Sauce ingredients
The sweet and sour sauce is really simple! All you need is:
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
How to Make Sweet & Sour Sauce
- Preheat your oven to 375 °F
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium sized sauce pan until fully combined.
- Bring to a low rolling boil, and cook until it thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe Step by Step Photos
Mix the brown sugar, soy,vinegar, water and ketchup in a pot.
Combine the breadcrumbs, egg and ground beef together in a bowl.
Roll the meat mixture into meatballs, whichever size you want. I prefer slightly larger ones, they don’t dry out as quickly.
Pop them into the 375 degrees oven and start them cooking.
Mix your flour or cornstarch in cold water….
..and add it to the sauce.
After about 20 minutes, take the meatballs out for a second, and drain the fat out of them. And to gross you out and demonstrate why I do this, look at the cup of fat that I drained. Eeeew.
Now you can cover those babies up with sauce.
Finish cooking them until done, and they look oh-so saucy and delish like this!
When cooking meatballs I like to insert a thermometer in them and make sure they have reached a temp of at least 165 degrees. With all the beef recalls lately, it’s far better safe than sorry! It’s also good to be familiar with safe internal temperatures.
I love sweet and sour meatballs on rice, especially bad-for-you, white rice!
You don’t have to commit to eating these on rice, however. If you really want to go all retro, stick toothpicks in these babies and call them an appetizer. I’m thinking that these might make it into my second cookbook as just that : sweet and sour meatball appetizers.
Nothing says classy like a sweet and sour meatball on a toothpick…..
Happy cooking everyone! These meatballs are one of THE most popular recipes here on The Kitchen Magpie, and I’m sure it’s because they are a retro delight! Everyone loves a good sweet and sour meatball!
Also, if you love sweet and sour, check out my Retro Sweet & Sour Meatloaf
Happy cooking!
Love,
Karlynn
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatball Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup of diced onion (if you like onion in them)
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 °F
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium sized sauce pan until fully combined. Bring to a low rolling boil, and cook until it thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Combine the meatball ingredients : breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, egg, onions and ground beef together in a stand mixer bowl. Use the paddle attachment and mix on low until combined. This makes for the BEST distribution of egg and crumbs through the meat!
- Roll the meat mixture into meatballs, whichever size you want. I prefer slightly larger ones, they don’t dry out as quickly.
- Pop them into the 375 degrees oven and start them cooking.
- After about 20 minutes, take the meatballs out for a second, and drain the fat out of them.
- Now you can cover those meatballs up with sauce. Pour the sauce over the meatball, covering them completely.
- Finish cooking them until done, and they look oh-so saucy and delicious. This can take up to another 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your meatballs.
- When cooking meatballs I like to insert a thermometer in them and make sure they have reached a temp of at least 165 degrees. With all the beef recalls lately, it’s far better safe than sorry!
- I love sweet and sour meatballs on rice, especially bad-for-you, white rice! Serve with the side of your choice.
Judy says
I made these for a church supper and they loved them. I cut the sugar back to about 1/2 cup. I am making for my family tonight. Thank you.☺️
Myrna says
Hubby loves this new recipe to take for his work lunch. I combined beef and pork, used scallions instead of onions (he has IBS, so no garlic or onions for him), and I got 30 good-sized meatballs. Thanks for this new addition to his “regulars”.
Brigitte says
Made this recipe tonight, it was fantastic. I liked that there was plenty of sauce to be extra generous when serving. Not too sweet was just right. 😋
MaryAnne says
This recipe is the best one I have ever found! Thank you!
ROBERT BATEMAN says
Must try! Great meat balls.
Rena says
Question: It doesn’t say, do you bake them covered or uncovered? I assume covered but I want to be sure.
Darlene says
Would this recipe with work with 1 lb of ground beef and 1 lb of ground pork?
Debbie says
I have a question on your sweet and sour meatballs. Can you make them ahead and place in the freezer? Or will the cornstarch in the sauce breakdown upon re-heating?
Thanks,
Mr. Kitchen Magpie says
Yes you absolutely can.
Christine says
Just made these! They are deliciously simple and perfect. Even my 13 year old daughter ate them up happily and she is a picky eater. Most times she doesn’t like sauce on her meatballs- but this one did the trick 😉
I used one pack of ground beef (about a pound) and I found that I had way too much sauce – I will probably cut some of it down for next time. Great recipe! Thanks
Dallas says
Wow! I really enjoyed this and so did my family! and it made so many meat balls. I didn’t have vinegar so i replaced it with lemon juice and it was very good! definitely gonna try again and i’ll have to get vinegar
Shannon says
The first time I made these, I didn’t have any white vinegar so I had to use apple cider vinegar. They were good, but I just knew once I had white vinegar they’d be perfect… so I went out and got the white vinegar and made them again 2 days later. Magical! These are the best meatballs! Thank for this wonderful piece of classic comfort food perfection.
Nellie Atleo says
So so good! Instead of water I used organic orange juice from Costco, added red and green pepper and onion to the sauce. Thank you!
Ida says
I have never left a comment on a recipe before- here is a first! After a way too sour sweet and sour sauce recipe fail, I tried your recipe to see if I can salvage my meatballs. It was so so good! I did add a clove of garlic to the sauce recipe. Thank you for saving my meatballs!
Michelle says
I did everything exactly as written and it was SO delicious! Bonus – there was enough left over for lunch tomorrow after feeding 5 tonight. Awesome recipe!
Aimee says
These are SO good. Didn’t change a thing. Perfection!!
Tammy says
Yup, this is it… my go to sweet and sour meatball recipe. Easy and we all love it.
Tammy says
I’m giving these a 5 star rating because they are pretty much exactly what I remember from childhood. And so easy to make! Given my adult palette, I would probably ease up on the brown sugar and add a little more soy sauce. But YUM! Loved them in all their over sweetness as a Christmas Eve treat.
Melissa says
Cannot wait to try these. I was wondering if adding a can of pineapple chunks would be good?
Francyne says
In the meat balls can you had fresh ginger
Char says
Agreed I do 3/4 brown sugar and 4 tbsp soy sauce, love it so good everytime
Mariah French says
I love this recipe! I don’t consider myself a cook at all, but it’s so easy to follow and it actually uses normal ingredients that I already have.
Char says
My go to recipe, my hubby loves it and so do I. Its so easy to make and i usually have everything already in my pantry and fridge.
Marcy P Gutierrez says
HI. I just ran across the Sweet and Sour Meat Balls. I enjoy the recipe collection. Let’s just say I had a memory of my Mom & and Dad making it! Being from a large Irish family, They always made these in the Crockpot! I’m making them tomorrow!Thank you for a wonderful memory that I didn’t know that I had!!! God bless 🙏.
Joyce cantin says
Thanks so much! Loved this recipe. Served with soba noodles and brocoli , just the right amount of sweet and sour
Mitch says
It’s good and easy to make. Not the best ever, but still great!
Karyn says
Oh Karlynn! Thankyou for this recipe!! I have been hunting for this (lost) recipe for years…many searches but never exactly quite right…this is the one…big hug to you!!
David Ashley says
Love it, simple easy recipe.
Carmen de la Chevrotiere says
I made just the sweet and sour sauce for ready-made meat balls. It was a hit and will now have to replace my current go-to sweet and sour sauce recipe!!