Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Frozen meatballs in a glossy pineapple, ketchup and vinegar sauce with peppers, thickened at the end and served over rice.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes4
hoursFrozen meatballs in a glossy pineapple, ketchup and vinegar sauce with peppers, thickened at the end and served over rice.
Ingredients
2 lb frozen fully cooked meatballs
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks in juice
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 small red onion, cut into wedges
2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
3 cups cooked white rice
2 sliced green onions
Directions
- Drain the pineapple and keep 1/2 cup of the juice.
- Whisk the reserved juice, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder and ginger in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the frozen meatballs, bell pepper and red onion and stir to coat.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours.
- Stir in the pineapple chunks for the last 30 minutes.
- Check the center of a meatball with a thermometer. It should read 165°F.
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook on HIGH, lid on, for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce is glossy.
- Switch to WARM as soon as the sauce has thickened.
- Serve over rice and top with green onions.
Notes
- Frozen meatballs release water, so skip adding extra liquid. Add the pineapple late so it keeps its shape. The sauce keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freezes well.
Why Sweet and Sour Meatballs stay glossy
Frozen meatballs shed water as they heat, so the sauce starts thick and loosens on its own. That is why no extra liquid is needed. The late cornstarch stir gives the sauce its shine. Peppers go in at the start, so they cook to soft and sweet.
The bell pepper and red onion are cut in large pieces on purpose. They soften but keep a little bite, so they read as vegetables and not as sauce. Brown sugar rounds out the vinegar, and a spoonful of reserved pineapple juice ties the whole thing together.
Swaps
Apple cider vinegar works if you are out of rice vinegar, though it tastes sharper. Orange juice can replace the pineapple juice in a pinch. Do not swap in fresh pineapple. Its enzymes make the meatballs mushy and the flavor flat.
What to put next to it
Plain white rice is ideal. Add a bowl of steamed green beans or a cucumber salad with sesame oil for crunch.
Storing and the common error
The sauce keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freezes well. Reheat with a spoonful of juice or water. The usual mistake is adding the pineapple at the start, where it breaks down and turns the sauce cloudy. Keep it for the last 30 minutes.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs at a glance
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 4 hours
- Servings: 8 servings
- Ingredients: 13, led by frozen fully cooked meatballs, (20 oz) pineapple chunks in juice, ketchup, rice vinegar
Tips for Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Frozen meatballs release water, so skip adding extra liquid. Add the pineapple late so it keeps its shape. The sauce keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freezes well.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs FAQ
How long does Sweet and Sour Meatballs take?
Sweet and Sour Meatballs takes 4 hours of cooking after 10 minutes of prep.
How many people does Sweet and Sour Meatballs serve?
This recipe makes 8 servings.
What do I need to make Sweet and Sour Meatballs?
13 ingredients, led by frozen fully cooked meatballs, (20 oz) pineapple chunks in juice, ketchup, rice vinegar. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
