Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Kosher Meatballs

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 10m
Cook Time: 45m
Total Time: 55m
Servings: 14
Difficulty: Easy
4.7 (7 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

169
calories
3g
fat
23g
carbohydrates
11g
protein
49mg
cholesterol
366mg
sodium
Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Recipe Description

These Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs are the ultimate comfort food. Think tender and flavorful meatballs but made so much better with the addition of pineapple and chili sauce. The recipe is kosher, easy, and absolutely delicious. The combination of sweet and sour creates an amazing flavor profile that will put your family and guests in a celebratory mood. 

First, make the sauce. For the meat, I use a mixture of ground beef and ground chicken, but ground turkey will work just as well. I seasoned the meat up with paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of cayenne. Be sure to adjust the amounts of cayenne pepper to your liking. Roll the meat into balls and place them into the sauce. Once all the meatballs are added, bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are cooked. Finally, add in the pineapple chunks and let them heat through. Serve these scrumptious meatballs as an appetizer, or pair with a Passover side dish for a more hefty meal.

To make the Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Drain pineapple

    1 min
    Step 1 - Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

    Drain 2 cans of pineapple chunks and reserve the juice.

  2. 2

    Make sauce

    3 min
    Step 2 - Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

    In a medium pot, mix together ¾ cup tomato sauce, ¾ cup ketchup, ½ cup cider vinegar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and the reserved juice from the pineapple cans. Stir together and turn the heat to low to warm the sauce through.

  3. 3

    Make meatball mixture

    2 min
    Step 3 - Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

    In a large bowl, mix together ¾ pound ground beef and ¾ pound ground chicken, 1 beaten egg, 3 tablespoons matzo meal, 1 teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste. If the mixture is too moist or sticky, add another tablespoon of matzo meal and mix to combine.

  4. 4

    Roll meatballs

    3 min
    Step 4 - Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

    Roll the meat into small 1-inch meatballs.

  5. 5

    Add meatballs to sauce

    2 min
    Step 5 - Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

    Place the meatballs into the sauce. Once all the meatballs are shaped, bring the mixture to a boil and stir to cover the meatballs with sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer.

  6. 6

    Simmer

    40 min
    Step 6 - Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

    Let the meatballs simmer for 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are cooked through. If the sauce is reducing too fast or losing too much liquid, add a little water and reduce the heat.

  7. 7

    Add pineapple

    5 min
    Step 7 - Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

    When the allotted time has passed, add the pineapple chunks to the sauce and stir to coat. Let them warm through for 5 minutes.

  8. 8

    Serve

    Step 8 - Jewish Sweet & Sour Meatballs

    Serve and enjoy!

About the author

Lilly Mathuse

Lilly is an enthusiastic and cheerful young mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Lilly's going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7 out of 5 (7 reviews)
Xander Cohen
March 12, 2025
Verified

I made these for my family's Friday dinner, and they loved the sweet and sour flavor! Simple and simply great!

Miriam
April 2, 2024
Verified

Exceptional!

Hank96
February 28, 2024
Verified

Man, these sweet & sour meatballs are bomb! I made 'em for my buddy's dinner party, and everyone went wild! The flavors are crazy good – sweet, sour, and just perfect. It brought back memories of my grandma's cooking. Totally a win!

Gina
May 24, 2023
Verified

Wow! I made these meatballs for my friend’s birthday and they were a hit! The sweet and sour mix reminded me of my Nonna's cooking, it brought back such fond memories. I love how easy they are to make. A perfect dish to bring everyone together. Absolutly delicious!

Hannah Thompson
December 7, 2022
Verified

I made these meatballs for our family gathering, and they vanished within minutes! The sweet and sour flavours took me back to my grandmother's kitchen. Simply superb!

Isaac
August 30, 2022
Verified

Man, these Sweet & Sour Meatballs are lit! Made 'em for Shabbat dinner, and my kids went nuts! The pineapple and chili sauce combo is on point. It's like a flavor party in your mouth! Will def be making these again—so easy and delish. Thanks for the recipe!

Athina
April 11, 2022
Verified

These meatballs are classic crowd pleaser! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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