Fantastic Sweet and Sour Barbecue Meatballs
Get ready to transform your mealtime with these Fantastic Sweet and Sour Barbecue Meatballs, a crowd-pleasing recipe bursting with bold flavors and a perfect balance of tangy and sweet! Juicy meatballs made from a savory blend of ground beef and pork are baked to perfection and then simmered in a luscious homemade sauce crafted from ketchup, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and a hint of apple cider vinegar for that signature sweet-and-sour zing. Thickened with a quick cornstarch slurry and infused with soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, this glaze clings beautifully to each meatball. Perfect as a party appetizer or served over steamed rice for a hearty main dish, these meatballs are easy to make and ready in under an hour. With their irresistible flavor and versatility, they’re sure to become a new family favorite!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 0.5 lb ground pork
- 0.5 cup breadcrumbs
- 0.25 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 0.5 cup ketchup
- 0.5 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly combined.
Using your hands, form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until they are fully cooked and browned on the outside.
While the meatballs bake, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the ketchup, pineapple juice, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and bring the mixture to a simmer.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with water until it forms a slurry. Gradually add this slurry to the simmering sauce, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Once the meatballs are cooked, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the baked meatballs to the skillet and pour the sweet and sour barbecue sauce over them.
Gently toss the meatballs in the sauce to evenly coat them. Let them simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Serve the sweet and sour barbecue meatballs immediately as an appetizer or over steamed rice for a delightful main dish. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
2611 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 173.5 g | 222% | |
| Saturated Fat | 59.2 g | 296% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 16.8 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 658 mg | 219% | |
| Sodium | 3172 mg | 138% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 129.4 g | 47% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.9 g | 10% | |
| Total Sugars | 73.1 g | ||
| Protein | 132.9 g | 266% | |
| Vitamin D | 2.6 mcg | 13% | |
| Calcium | 323 mg | 25% | |
| Iron | 15.9 mg | 88% | |
| Potassium | 2127 mg | 45% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
