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:
Drain 2 cans of pineapple chunks and reserve the juice.
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.
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.
Roll the meat into small 1-inch 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.
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.
When the allotted time has passed, add the pineapple chunks to the sauce and stir to coat. Let them warm through for 5 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
I made these for my family's Friday dinner, and they loved the sweet and sour flavor! Simple and simply great!
Exceptional!
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!
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!
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!
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!
These meatballs are classic crowd pleaser! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Dairy-Free Recipes
Spicy Recipes
