These juicy pork meatballs are loaded up with minced green onions and water chestnuts with ginger and soy and then cooked up in a pineapple sweet and sour sauce! Simple, delicious, and nutritious, this recipe is amazing!
For some other great meatball recipes, why not make this recipe for Rich and Creamy Swedish Meatballs? Or try this recipe for Easy Baked Meatballs instead?
Sweet & Sour Pork Meatballs
Pork meatballs are amazing in their own right, but they can sometimes be a bit lacking on their own. Every meatball needs a flavorful sauce to go with it, whether that is a marinara sauce or something a bit more interesting, like this recipe for sweet & sour pork meatballs.
This recipe comes together really simply and quickly, resulting in some really tender and flavorful meatballs.
Sweet & Sour Pork Meatballs Ingredients
Make sure you look at the recipe card at the very bottom for the exact amounts so that you know exactly what to buy for this recipe.
• Ground pork
• Large eggs
• Can of water chestnuts, drained and then minced
• Bread crumbs
• Minced green onions
• Fresh ginger
• Soy sauce
• Salt & pepper
Sweet & Sour Sauce
• Brown sugar
• Water
• Distilled white vinegar
• All-purpose flour (or cornstarch)
• Soy sauce
• Ketchup
Vegetables
• Green pepper
• Red pepper
• Can of pineapple chunks
How To Make Sweet & Sour Pork Meatballs
• Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium-sized saucepan until fully combined
• Bring to a low rolling boil and cook until it thickens
• Remove from the heat and set aside, stirring the peppers and pineapple
• Combine the meatball ingredients together until combined
• Roll the meat mixture into large balls, whichever size you want
• Bake them for 10 minutes at 375 Fahrenheit
• Drain the fat, and then pour the sauce with vegetables over the meatballs, totally covering them
• Finish cooking for another 30 minutes until the middle of the meatballs are 165 Fahrenheit
• The pineapple should be heated through, and the vegetables are tender-crisp
• Remove and serve over your favorite rice!
How To Change The Texture Of Your Dish
This recipe should result in some really flavorful meatballs and a tangy, slightly chunky sauce. However, if you aren’t a fan of those thicker pepper slices, you can always alter the texture to your liking.
If you personally prefer softer peppers, you can always cook them in the sauce for a few minutes first before placing them in the oven. This will help make the pepper a bit tenderer, though it will also remove a little bit of that vegetal flavor that green peppers usually have.
You could also do the same to the pineapple chunks; cook them in the sauce for a little bit to soften them up, or even blend them down! If you blend them into the sauce, expect the pineapple flavor to be really diminished, though it will certainly be a lot more acidic and ‘fresh’ tasting.
Is Ketchup Really Needed?
A common complaint many people have on seeing ketchup listed in the ingredients is that it’s processed.
While you certainly could cook down a bunch of tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and MSG into a thick liquid and use that instead, ketchup is cheap and easy to find everywhere.
Despite the fact that it might feel like cheating, ketchup is the best thing to use in this recipe for taste!
Looking for more delicious Pork recipes? Try these out:
• The Best Juicy Brown Sugar Baked Pork Chops
Enjoy!
Love,
Karlynn
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Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 2 large large eggs
- one 8 ounce can water chestnuts drained and chestnuts minced finely
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup minced green onions white part included
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
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
Vegetables
- 1/2 cup green pepper sliced
- 1/2 cup red pepper sliced
- 1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium-sized saucepan until fully combined. Bring to a low rolling boil, and cook until it thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside. Stir in the peppers and the pineapple.
- Combine the meatball ingredients together until completely combined.
- Roll the meat mixture into large meatballs, whichever size you want. I prefer slightly larger ones, they don’t dry out as quickly.
- Place them into a large roaster.
- Bake for 10 minutes then drain the fat, leaving the meatballs in the roaster.
- Pour the sauce with vegetables over the meatballs, covering them completely.
- Finish cooking for another 20-30 minutes, until the middle of the meatballs are 165 °F minimum when tested with an instant-read thermometer. The pineapple should be heated through and the vegetables tender-crisp in the sauce.
- Remove and serve over your favorite rice.
Notes
- If you like soft peppers you can cook them in the sauce for 2-3 minutes BEFORE placing them in the oven.
Cindy S. says
Haven’t rated it yet, but I know it will be a keeper! I haven’t found one of yours yet that wasn’t. Gonna plan on taking this one on vacation. It sounds very easy and quick, which is perfect. An how can you go wrong with something so easy and few ingredients! Made for vacation!!!
Bobby says
So many things we sign up for in cooking and recipes are a “one hit wonder”. Your choices and layout is tops!!
Love the magpie suggestions