by Diana Rattray
This sweet and sour combination is a tasty dish to serve over rice. The list of ingredients might look daunting, but it is really quite easy to make. The meatballs can be cooked and refrigerated a day in advance, so it can made any day of the week. The meatballs are pictured with Instant Pot coconut rice, but feel free to make your favorite basic rice or use a convenient microwave “ready” rice.
I used a combination of peppers and sliced onion, along with pineapple, but you might choose to use some thinly sliced celery or carrot as well. Or vary the color of the peppers. I love Mae Ploy Thai sweet chili sauce, but if you have a favorite brand, go ahead and use that.
Make It Ahead:
Prepare and cook the meatballs the day before and refrigerate them until it’s time to add them to the vegetables.
Prepare the sauce a day or two in advance and refrigerate it until it’s time to add it to the vegetables.
Cooking Tips:
Replace all or part of the ground pork with ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground beef.
If you lack the ingredients or want to save some time, use a commercial sweet and sour sauce.
Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs
Treat your family to sweet and sour pork meatballs. Easy-to-make with an irresistible flavor combination of pineapple and Mae Ploy Thai sweet chili sauce. Serve over your favorite rice!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Total Time: 52 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Meatballs, Asian Flavors
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
The Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground pork
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce ()
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 4 green onions finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
The Sauce
- 4 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple chunks, below)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Stir Fry
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits (drained, reserve 2 tablespoons of the juice for the sauce)
Instructions
- Combine the ground pork, breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, the chopped cilantro, green onions, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Mix well and shape into 1-inch balls (about 3/4 ounce each). Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. The meatballs will register at least 165 F in the center.
- In a small bowl, combine the chili sauce, ketchup, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. Whisk the water and pineapple juice with the cornstarch in a small bowl; add it to the sauce mixture and blend well.
- Heat the oil in a wok or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red and green bell peppers when the oil is hot but not smoking. Cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are just tender. Add the sauce mixture, the pineapple tidbits, and the meatballs. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are hot.
