Sweet and Sour anything is my go-to dish whenever I eat Chinese food. I have always liked sweet and sour sauces… even in Italian cooking. So, when I saw these meatballs, I couldn’t resist and I had to try them. And boy, was I glad I did! They were a super hit with my family as well. My kids love meatballs, so I knew they would enjoy the dish. If you want to save some time, energy (and calories), you can also bake the meatballs instead of frying them (see notes at the end of the recipe). So, tell me, what is your favourite Chinese dish? Let me know in the comments!
Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs
Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs – made with the perfect Sweet & Sour Sauce which is truly like what you get at good Chinese restaurants.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 700 gms – 1 ½ lbs. pork mince
- 1 tsp ginger paste or 1 inch piece
- 2 tsp garlic paste or 4 cloves
- ½ tsp Chinese 5 spice
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
Stir Fry
- 1½ tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ onion halved and sliced
- 1 red capsicum / bell pepper cut into bite size pieces
- 250 gms – 8 oz. canned pineapple pieces in natural juice.
Sauce
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp pineapple juice from the canned pineapple pieces
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Oyster Sauce
- ¼ tsp salt
Thickener
- 1 tbsp corn starch + 2 tbsp water mixed together
Instructions
Meatballs
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Using your hands, mix together all the ingredients in a big bowl.
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Wet both hands with some water and shape into about 50 meatballs. Set aside.
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Heat up a wok or skillet with some oil, pan-fry the meatballs until they turn light to golden brown. Drain them on a plate lined with paper towels.
Stir Fry
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Mix together the sauce ingredients and keep aside.
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Mix together the thickener in a separate small bowl.
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Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the onion, and cook for 1 minute.
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Add the bell pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes.
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Add the mixed sauce ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce begins to bubble.
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Add the thickener. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Then cook until the sauce thickens to a syrup consistency – this will take about 2-3 minutes.
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Add the meatballs. Stir to coat well with the sauce.
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Add the pineapple pieces (just to warm) and remove from the stove.
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Serve hot with steamed rice or fried rice.
Recipe Notes
You can also bake the meatballs. Simply spray them with oil and bake at 210°C – 425°F for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
MEATBALL MAGIC. These seriously look so incredible- basically drooling just looking at the pics. Cannot wait to try!
Sweet Chinese Pork!! You got me diving in for seconds for sure!! Thanks for the post!!
I didn’t have 5 spice so I just skipped that and I halved the meat and bake them but kept the same amount of sauce because our house likes extra sauce and they were absolutely delicious! Definitely making this recipe again!
I just made the sauce – I substituted pear juice for pineapple and it was heavenly – we were nearly fighting over the last dregs of it in the pan. Thanks
Awww I am so glad you liked it! I love sweet and sour sauce too!