Sweet and sour meatballs made with a delicious 2 ingredient sticky sauce are simple to make and the perfect recipe for your next meal!
This sweet and sour meatball recipe is on repeat in our house! So simple and tastes great on its own, over rice or in a sub roll. Serve with your favorite veggies like these sautéed vegetables or air fryer broccoli.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Click the button above to save this recipe!
Why you’ll love this easy sweet and sour meatballs recipe!
📌 Bursting with bright and delicious flavors.
📌 The perfect easy to make weeknight dinner.
📌 A great yummy appetizer option.
Sweet and Sour Meatball Ingredients
- Meatballs – We used a package of frozen meatballs but you can also use our meatball recipe if you want to make it from scratch.
- Jelly – We used peach preserves, but it’s’ also delicious with apricot or pineapple jelly, jam, or preserves.
- Chili sauce – A couple bottles of Heinz (or off-brand) chili sauce is great, but you can also make homemade chili sauce!
- Onion – White or yellow sweet onion.
- Bell peppers – Red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, diced.
- Cornstarch – Plus equal amount of water, for thickening the sauce.
How do you make sweet and sour meatballs? (step-by-step directions)
⭐ First, add meatballs, jelly, chili sauce, water and diced onions to cooking vessel and stir together.
⭐ Then, cook until sauce is hot and bubbly and meatballs are heated through.
⭐ Next, whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry, then stir into the meatballs along with the diced bell peppers.
⭐ Finally, allow to cook a few minutes longer until the bell peppers are tender and the sauce has begun to thicken.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this article for ingredient measurements and detailed cooking instructions.
Stovetop sweet and sour meatballs
To make this on the stove top, use a large dutch oven or a stock pot. Cook over medium low heat, covered. When the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is bubbling, stir in the cornstarch slurry and peppers.
Continue to cook uncovered for a few more minutes until sauce has thickened.
Slow cooker sweet and sour meatballs
The crockpot version is especially great if you’re serving these as an appetizer! Cook on high for 2 – 3 hours or low for 4 – 5 hours. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and chopped peppers 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
Instant pot sweet and sour meatballs
This is a great way to make this recipe super quick without having to babysit it! Cook on high pressure (manual) for 5 minutes, then do a careful quick release. Turn on the sauté function, and add the cornstarch slurry and peppers.
Stir until sauce has thickened, then turn off heat and serve.
Preparation
Can you make sweet and sour meatballs ahead of time?
Yes, you can make these a day or two ahead of time and then reheat if you like. That said, it really is a simple dish and very easy to make on the spot!
What kind of jelly for sweet and sour meatballs?
There’s no particular brand that works better than another, pictured we used peach preserves, but it’s’ also great with apricot or pineapple jelly, jam, or preserves. I don’t personally suggest using apple.
Also, feel free to try marmalades. (For a kick, try one with jalapenos).
What can you add to sweet and sour meatballs?
We add sweet onion and bell pepper to this recipe but you can also add jalapeno if you want it to have a kick, green bell pepper for a a little more color or water chestnuts for some crunch.
Alternatively, you can skip the add-ins entirely and it will still be awesome.
Leftovers and storage
How long do sweet and sour meatballs last?
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days. If the meatballs were kept out at room temperature for more than 2 hours then leftovers should be disposed of.
Can you freeze sweet and sour meatballs?
Yes, if you have leftovers or make a double batch to save some for later, you can totally freeze them.
Allow the meatballs to cool, then store in a freezer safe airtight container for up to 3 months.
Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions
✅ Make it spicy by adding jalapenos, or sriracha sauce.
✅ Try it with chicken for our sweet and sour chicken recipe.
✅ Serve it over rice or in a hoagie roll for an easy dinner idea.
✅ Make it SUPER simple by using frozen meatballs, frozen chopped onion, and frozen chopped peppers!
What to eat with sweet and sour meatballs (serving suggestions)
As a main course, these are fantastic over fluffy instant pot rice and served with a side of veggies like roasted broccoli.
If you’re making these as an appetizer, try serving them with other party favorites like cucumber sandwiches, apple nachos, and french dip sliders.
More delicious meatball recipes
- Chicken meatballs
- Grape jelly meatballs
- Classic homemade meatball recipe
- Swedish meatballs
- Turkey meatballs
- Meatball soup
- Spicy meatballs
- See all our fun meatball recipes!
Other awesome slow cooker recipes
- Honey garlic steak bites
- Slow cooker chocolate chip cookie
- Crockpot turkey breast
- Crockpot stuffed shells
- Slow cooker breakfast casserole
- See all our easy crockpot recipes!
Instant pot recipes you’ve got to try
- Instant pot rice
- Instant pot corn on the cobb
- Instant pot Bailey’s cheesecake
- Instant pot BBQ chicken
- See all our instant pot recipe ideas!
Tools we love
- Instant pot – We love our electric pressure cooker! I have the 6 quart. (Okay, okay, I have two).
- Slow cooker – I have this 7 quart model and it’s perfect.
Get our FREE Easy Casseroles Ebook!
Follow us below!Use #mamalovesfood on Instagram!
How to Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
- 3 to 5 pounds frozen meatballs
- 32 ounces jelly, jam, preserves, or marmalade peach, apricot, or pineapple
- 24 ounces chili sauce
- 1 small onion yellow or white, diced
- 3 bell peppers diced
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS
- Add meatballs, jelly, chili sauce, water, and diced onions to a large pot and stir together.
- Cook covered over medium heat (10 - 15 minutes) until meatballs are hot throughout and sauce is bubbling.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry, then stir into the meatballs along with the diced bell peppers.
- Continue to simmer, uncovered, for up 3 - 5 minutes until the bell peppers are tender and the sauce has begun to thicken.
SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS
- Add meatballs, jelly, chili sauce, water and diced onions to slow cooker and stir together.
- Cook covered on high for 2 - 3 hours or low for 4 - 6 hours.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry, then stir into the meatballs along with the diced bell peppers.
- Cover and continue cooking a few more minutes until sauce has thickened and peppers are becoming tender.
INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS
- Add meatballs, jelly, chili sauce, water and diced onions to Instant Pot and stir together.
- Cook on manual (high pressure) for 5 minutes, then do a careful quick release.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry, then stir into the meatballs along with the diced bell peppers.
- Set Instant Pot to the saute function, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes, until the bell peppers are tender and the sauce has begun to thicken.
Notes
- Cook time - Most electric pressure cookers take about 10 - 15 minutes to come to pressure. The inputted cook time will begin after the pot is pressurized.
- Natural pressure release - Hit cancel and walk away from the pot. It will slowly naturally depressurize. Depending on the contents this can take anywhere between 10 - 20 minutes for a full natural release.
- Quick release - Turn the dial at the top of your pot to allow the pressure to release quickly. Always use a long handled utensil for this to avoid steam burns. Do not quick release under cabinets or you may cause steam/water damage. If there is sputtering, quickly turn dial back to 'sealing' and allow it to naturally depressurize a few minutes before trying again.
Nutrition
⭐Save This Recipe⭐ Send it to your email!
I consent to receive email from this site 💌
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Click the button above to save this recipe!
Jessica says
My new fave! I made these for a get-together and game night this weekend and they were a hit!
Allyson Reed Zea says
These were so tasty, even my picky kids love them!