Sweet and sour meatballs made with frozen, store-bought chicken meatballs and a homemade sweet and sour sauce.
The chunky pieces of pineapple and peppers in the sweet and sour sauce add a tropical feel and amazing flavours to the meatball recipe.
They make a quick appetizer or lunch with a bowl of rice.
use frozen meatballs for sweet and sour recipe
As much as I would like to make homemade meatballs from scratch, there’s not enough time in the day to make everything this way.
It takes time and at least 40-50 meat meatballs for a family of 6.
So for me, the best option is to use frozen chicken meatballs and some of the homemade sweet and sour sauce recipe which makes a large batch and can be refrigerated.
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serving ideas for sweet and sour meatballs.
- Serve with various rice dishes.
- Serve with noodles or pasta dishes.
Utensils and appliances needed
- Chopping board and knife.
- Large frying pan to make the sweet and sour meatballs.
More sweet and sour recipes
- Sweet and sour sauce. (BIG BATCH)
- sweet and sour chicken.
- Eggplant sweet and sour curry(Sri Lankan brinjal pahi).
More meatball recipes
- Beef Meatballs in Pepper Onion Sauce.
- Sri Lankan beef meatball curry.
- Sri Lankan chicken meatball curry
RECIPE DIFFICULTY-EASY
Ingredients to cook the sweet and sour meatballs
The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons
To make the sweet and sour sauce
1 small can of pineapple chunks or 1 and 1/2 cups of freshly cut pineapple cubes(refer to prep work below for more details)
1/4 cup of tomato sauce(also known as ketchup)
1/2 a cup of sugar(can be white, brown or honey for a healthier version)
2 tablespoons of white vinegar(increase to 1 more to heighten the sour taste)
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper powder
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1/2 a cup of hot water to dissolve the cornstarch
To cook the meatballs
3 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon of minced ginger(1″piece ginger minced or grated)
3 banana peppers or bell peppers sliced fine
500g of frozen chicken meatballs
How to make sweet and sour chicken meatballs
Prep work
Place the frozen chicken meatballs in a bowl of water to defrost.
Pineapple chunks- you can use a small can of pineapple chunks or a small fresh pineapple.
If you are using fresh pineapple then clean and cut them into small chunks and cook in 1/3 cup of water until water evaporates to soften the pineapple cubes before adding to the sauce.
Making the sweet and sour sauce.
If using fresh pineapple.
Cook the fresh pineapple in 1/3 cup of water until the fruit cubes turn soft then add them to the cooking sauce as per the instructions given below.
If using a small canned pineapple.
Add sugar, ketchup(or tomato sauce), soy sauce, vinegar, and pineapple chunks with the syrup to a medium-sized cooking pan.
Slow simmer for 10 minutes while stirring to dissolve the sugar.
While the ingredients are cooking over a low fire, add cornstarch to 1/2 a cup of water(use the microwave to heat water).
Stir until all lumps are removed.
add the dissolved cornstarch to the cooking sweet and sour sauce.
Reduce heat to low. stir and cook for 5-7 minutes or until you notice the sauce thickening.
Taste and make necessary adjustments.
Remove the sauce and let it cool.
Once cooled, should you find the sauce to be too thick, simply add a few tablespoons of water to bring it to the correct consistency.
cooking sweet and sour meatballs.
Place a large frying pan over medium fire.
Pour in the oil and add the minced ginger, gently let it fry for a few seconds until it releases its aroma.
Add the sliced banana peppers(substitute with chopped bell peppers).
Cook over low heat for 2 minutes until the peppers turn soft.
Add the chicken meatballs to the pan and let them brown for 2-3 minutes.
Once the chicken meatballs are cooked through, add the sweet and sour sauce with pineapple.
Reduce heat to low and combine with the meatballs.
Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce covers the meatballs in a thick coating.
Remove from stove and serve.
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Sweet and sour meatballs with pineapple
Sweet and sour meatballs made with frozen, store-bought chicken meatballs and a homemade sweet and sour sauce.
The chunky pieces of pineapple, and peppers in the sweet n’ sour sauce adds a tropical feel to it and gives amazing flavours to the meatball recipe.
Ingredients
- Ingredients to cook sweet and sour sauce
- 1 small can of pineapple chunks or 1 and 1/2 cups of freshly cut pineapple cubes(refer prep work below for more details)
- 1/4 cup of tomato sauce(also known as ketchup)
- 1/2 a cup of sugar(can be white, brown or honey for a healthier version)
- 2 tablespoons of white vinegar(increase to 1 more to heighten the sour taste)
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1/2 a cup of hot water to dissolve the cornstarch
To cook the meatballs
- 3 tablespoons of oil
- 1 tablespoon of minced ginger(1″piece ginger minced or grated)
- 3 banana peppers or bell peppers sliced fine
- 500g of frozen chicken meatballs(I have used frozen chicken meatballs here)
Instructions
Prep work
Place the frozen chicken meatballs in a bowl of water to defrost.
Pineapple chunks- you can use a small can of pineapple chunks or use a small fresh pineapple.
If you are using fresh pineapple then clean and cut them into small chunks and cook in 1/3 cup of water until water evaporates to soften the pineapple cubes before adding to the sauce.
Making the sweet and sour sauce.
If using fresh pineapple.Cook the fresh pineapple in 1/3 cup of water until the fruit cubes turn soft then add them to the cooking sauce as per the instructions given below.
If using a small canned pineapple.
Add sugar, ketchup(or tomato sauce), soy sauce, vinegar, and pineapple chunks with the syrup to a medium-sized cooking pan.
Slow simmer for 10 minutes while stirring to dissolve the sugar.
While the ingredients are cooking over a low fire, add cornstarch to 1/2 a cup of water(use the microwave to heat water).
Stir until all lumps are removed.
add the dissolved cornstarch to the cooking sweet and sour sauce.
Reduce heat to low. stir and cook for 5-7 minutes or until you notice the sauce thickening.
Taste and make necessary adjustments.
Remove the sauce and let it cool.
Once cooled, should you find the sauce to be too thick, simply add a few tablespoons of water to bring it to the correct consistency.
Making the sweet n sour meatballs.
Place a large frying pan over medium fire.
Pour in the oil and add the minced ginger, gently let it fry for a few seconds until they release aroma.
Add the sliced banana peppers(substitute with chopped bell peppers).
Cook over low heat for 2 minutes until the peppers turn soft.
Add the chicken meatballs into the pan and let them brown for 2-3 minutes.
Once the chicken meatballs are cooked through, add the sweet and sour sauce with pineapple.
Reduce heat to low and combine with the meatballs.
Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce covers the meatballs in a thick coating.
Remove from stove and serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 629Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 898mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 6gSugar: 44gProtein: 29g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.
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