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Sweet and Sour Meatballs are a perfect blend of tender pork and beef, grilled to perfection on skewers. This recipe pairs juicy pineapples and crisp bell peppers with a sticky, irresistible glaze that caramelizes beautifully as it cooks.
While you’re here, try other meatball recipes like my Mongolian Meatballs and Sriracha Honey Garlic Meatballs next!
While I love the classic pairing of meatballs with tomato sauce, there’s something undeniable about meatballs with sweet and sour sauce. It’s a tasty, tangy way to shake up your weeknight dinner.
These grilled meatball skewers are strewn with a blend of ground beef and pork, fresh fruit, and veggies. Then, we brush them with a tangy homemade sweet and sour sauce made with ketchup, soy sauce, apricot jam, rice vinegar, honey, and hoisin or oyster sauce. The final product is sweet, savoury, caramelized meatballs served hot off the grill.
Table of Contents
- Can you grill meatballs?
- Why do people put grape jelly in meatballs?
- Ingredients
- Recipe Variations
- How to Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Recipe Tips
- What to Serve with Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Storage
- To Make Ahead
- Can I freeze sweet and sour meatballs?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Delicious Recipes
- Sweet and Sour Grilled Meatballs Recipe
Can you grill meatballs?
You can grill meatballs. They turn out delicious with a smoky flavour. To prevent them from falling apart, it’s important to chill the meatballs before grilling. I skewer them for easy cooking and add pineapples and pepper for taste and presentation. The heat from the grill caramelizes our sticky glaze.
Why do people put grape jelly in meatballs?
People often put grape jelly in meatballs to create a sweet and tangy sauce that pairs perfectly with the savoury meat. In my recipe, I use apricot jam instead, which gives the meatballs a similar fruity sweetness that complements the tangy flavours from the other ingredients. This creates a delicious, sticky glaze that makes the meatballs extra flavourful when grilled.
Ingredients
Grilled Meatballs
- Meat: I mix ground beef and pork for homemade sweet and sour meatballs with a bold, juicy flavour. The beef brings richness, while the pork adds a bit of extra fat and tenderness, making the meatballs more succulent.
- Breadcrumbs: This helps to bind the meatballs together while keeping them tender. They also absorb some of the meat juices as the meatballs cook, adding to their overall flavour.
- Eggs: Eggs act as a binding agent. They hold the meatballs together so they don’t fall apart on the grill. They also add a bit of richness to the texture.
- Green Onions: Finely chop the onions so they are easy to mix. The green onions add a subtle onion flavour without overpowering the meatballs, and they bring a nice freshness to each bite.
- Seasoning: A simple seasoning of garlic powder, salt, and pepper enhances the meat’s natural flavours without taking over. The garlic powder infuses a mild garlicky note, while the salt and pepper bring everything together.
- Pineapple: Cut into chunks, the pineapple adds a sweet and tangy burst of flavour that perfectly complements the savoury meatballs. As it grills, the pineapple caramelizes, adding a touch of sweetness.
- Tri-Colored Sweet Bell Peppers: For the sweet bell peppers, red, green, and orange look great, as do yellow blends with the pineapple. Their natural sugars caramelize on the grill, adding depth to the overall flavour profile.
- Red Onion: Cut into 1-inch pieces, red onion adds a bit of sharpness and crunch to the skewers. Grilling them mellows out their flavour, making them a perfect complement to the other ingredients.
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Ketchup: Ketchup is the base of our sauce, providing a tangy, slightly sweet flavour that pairs well with the other ingredients. It also gives the sauce its characteristic red color.
- Soy Sauce: The sauce adds a savoury, umami depth, balancing out the sweetness and adding complexity.
- Apricot Jam (or any stone fruit jam): I love using apricot jam for its sweet and slightly tart flavour. It enhances the sauce’s fruity notes and helps create that sticky, irresistible glaze. You can substitute with other stone fruit jams if you prefer.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar adds a mild acidity that balances the sweetness of the sauce, giving it that classic sweet and sour taste.
- Honey: This naturally sweetens the sauce. It also helps achieve that glossy, sticky texture when it is brushed onto the meatballs.
- Hoisin Sauce or Oyster Sauce: Hoisin sauce adds a rich, slightly sweet, and savoury flavour, while oyster sauce brings a briny, umami depth. Either option works beautifully in the sauce, depending on your preference.
Recipe Variations
- Meat: For leaner meat, opt for ground chicken or turkey. Just note that this alters the texture and flavour of the grilled meatballs.
- Crockpot Sweet and Sour Meatballs: To adjust this recipe for the crockpot, I brown the meatballs in a skillet, then transfer them to the crockpot and mix in the sauce ingredients. I cook everything on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours until the meatballs are tender. About 30 minutes before serving, I add the pineapple and bell peppers to the crockpot to soften slightly while keeping their texture.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef (and ground pork if using), breadcrumbs, green onions, eggs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix everything together until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Shape the mixture into 40-gram meatballs, making about 26 in total. Arrange the meatballs on a baking sheet or plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight, to let them firm up.
When ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium heat. Take the chilled meatballs out of the refrigerator and thread them onto skewers along with the pineapple chunks and prepared veggies, starting with pineapple, followed by a sweet pepper, red onion, and a meatball. Repeat this pattern until the skewer is 1/3 full, then repeat.
In a saucepan, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, apricot jam, rice vinegar, honey, and hoisin or oyster sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes until the sauce is heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.
Grill the meatball skewers for about 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking. Halfway through, brush the skewers generously with the sweet and sour sauce. Continue grilling for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce caramelizes slightly. Remove from the grill and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Chill the meatballs for at least 30 minutes before grilling to help them hold their shape.
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill.
- Cut the pineapple, bell peppers, and red onion into uniform 1-inch pieces for even cooking.
- Brush the sweet and sour sauce onto the skewers halfway through grilling for a caramelized glaze.
- Use tongs to carefully turn the skewers on the grill to keep the sweet and sour meatballs and veggies intact.
- Grill veggies separately if you prefer them more tender, then add them to the skewers after cooking.
What to Serve with Sweet and Sour Meatballs
I love serving these grilled meatballs over white rice for a casual weeknight meal. But these skewers taste just as good on their own as a low-carb snack, appetizer, or light lunch. I would also suggest trying them with cauliflower rice or Garlic Chili Oil Noodles.
Storage
Store leftover meatball skewers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, you can either microwave them in 30-second intervals until heated through, or place them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 10-15 minutes, until warmed.
To Make Ahead
Making the meatballs gives them time to set and ensures they won’t fall apart when threading them onto the skewers. You can also prep the pineapple and veggies the day before.
On the day of, simply assemble the skewers (you can even do this the night before if you have enough time for chilling, or just pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes), make the sauce, and grill them up.
Can I freeze sweet and sour meatballs?
If you want to freeze the leftovers, allow the meatballs to cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.
To reheat from frozen, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat using the methods mentioned above, or you can reheat them directly from frozen in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 20-25 minutes, until fully warmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both methods have their advantages, but for my recipe, baking or grilling the sweet and sour meatballs first is better because it gives them a nice crust and helps them hold their shape. Cooking them directly in the sauce can make them tender, but they may not develop the same depth of flavour or stay as firm.
Avoid overmixing the meat mixture, as this can make the meatballs tough. Also, don’t skip chilling the meatballs before grilling; it helps them firm up and hold their shape better during cooking.
If you don’t have a grill, you can bake the skewers in the oven at 400°F for about 15-20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the veggies are tender.
More Delicious Recipes
- Pineapple Jerk Chicken & Shrimp Skewers
- Jerk Chicken Skewers
- Baked Honey Mustard Salmon
- Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe
- Cajun Garlic Butter Lobster Tails
- Pan Seared Steak with Chunky Tomato Avocado Salsa
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Sweet and Sour Grilled Meatballs
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Baking Sheet or plate
- Skewers wooden or metal
- Grill
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1 pound Ground Pork, optional, or use 2 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Green Onions, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Pineapple, cut into chunks
- Tri-Coloured Sweet Bell Peppers, green, red and orange, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Red Onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 6 tbsp Ketchup
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Apricot jam or any stone fruit jam
- 4 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 4 tbsp Honey
- 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce or Oyster Sauce
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef (and ground pork if using), breadcrumbs, green onions, eggs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix the ingredients together using hands until well combined.
- Form the mixture into 40-gram meatballs, which should yield about 26 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet or plate and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to overnight to firm up.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat. Remove the meatballs from the refrigerator and thread them onto skewers along with the prepared pineapple and veggies, starting with pineapple, then adding a sweet pepper, red onion, and a meatball. Repeat this pattern until the skewer is 1/3 full, then repeat.
- In a saucepan, combine ketchup, soy sauce, apricot jam, rice vinegar, honey, and hoisin or oyster sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is heated through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Grill the meatball skewers for about 8-10 minutes, turning them occasionally to ensure even cooking until cooked through. At the halfway point, brush the skewers generously with the sweet and sour sauce. Continue grilling for another 2-3 minutes to allow the sauce to caramelize slightly. Remove from grill and enjoy!
