Description

Sweet and Sour Meatballs with Pineapple offers a delightful blend of tangy and sweet flavors combined with tender, homestyle meatballs and colorful bell peppers. This vibrant skillet dish is perfect for a quick yet comforting meal, featuring a sauce made from brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire, and soy sauce, thickened with cornstarch and enhanced with pineapple chunks for a burst of tropical sweetness.

Ingredients

Scale

Meatballs and Sauce

26 ounce bag frozen homestyle meatballs
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons butter

Vegetables

1 medium red bell pepper (cut into 1″ pieces)
1 medium green bell pepper (cut into 1″ pieces)
1 cup yellow onion (cut into 1″ pieces)

Thickener and Pineapple

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup pineapple chunks in 100% juice (reserve ⅓ cup pineapple juice in a small bowl)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare the sauce mix: In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and minced garlic. Whisk these ingredients thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well combined, then set aside for use later.
Sauté the vegetables: Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red and green bell peppers along with the yellow onions, cooking them for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened but still crisp.
Add sauce and meatballs: Reduce the heat to medium and pour the prepared sweet and sour sauce into the skillet with the vegetables. Stir well to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add the frozen meatballs into the skillet.
Thicken the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the reserved pineapple juice with cornstarch until no lumps remain. Pour this mixture into the skillet over the meatballs and stir to evenly coat everything. Continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, allowing the meatballs to heat through and the sauce to thicken.
Add pineapple chunks: Stir in the pineapple chunks, making sure they are fully coated with the sauce. Cook for an additional minute or two until warmed through.
Serve: Serve the sweet and sour meatballs hot, ideally over steamed rice, and garnish with sesame seeds for an extra touch of flavor and presentation.

Notes

This recipe can be prepared and cooked in about 20 minutes, making it a quick weeknight dinner option.
The sauce perfectly balances sweet, tangy, and umami flavors thanks to the combination of brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and soy and Worcestershire sauces.
Use frozen meatballs for convenience and quick cooking; ensure they are fully heated through before serving.
Adjust the amount of garlic or soy sauce to suit your flavor preferences or dietary needs.
Garnish with sesame seeds or chopped green onions for added texture and visual appeal.
Serve over white or brown rice, or even noodles for a satisfying meal.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 469 kcal
Sugar: 23 g
Sodium: 433 mg
Fat: 30 g
Saturated Fat: 12 g
Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
Trans Fat: 0.2 g
Carbohydrates: 27 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 22 g
Cholesterol: 98 mg