Sweet & Sour Pork Meatballs

These sticky, tangy sweet and sour pork meatballs are the ultimate family dinner. Ready in just 30 minutes, they deliver all the flavour of your favourite takeaway — but with fresh, wholesome ingredients and way less fuss.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• ✅ Healthier than takeaway
• ✅ Great for kids and adults alike
• ✅ Can be served with noodles or rice
• ✅ Freezer-friendly for easy weeknight meals
• ✅ Sweet, savoury, sticky and satisfying

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 600g pork mince
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated (or 1 tsp minced ginger)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp minced garlic)
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oil for frying (canola or vegetable)

For the Sweet & Sour Sauce:

• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup tomato sauce
• 3 tbsp pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp water (slurry)

Veggies & Extras:

• 1 small onion, chopped into chunks
• 1 red or yellow capsicum, chopped (or half of each)
• 250g can pineapple pieces, drained

To Serve:

1 tsp sesame seeds

2 packets udon noodles (or serve with rice)

¼ cup coriander leaves

Time-Saving Tips

• Use pre-minced garlic and ginger
• Prep the meatballs in advance and refrigerate until ready to cook

Budget Notes

• Swap pork mince for chicken or beef
• Use frozen stir-fry veggies if you’re out of fresh

Variations & Substitutes

• Bake meatballs in the oven instead of frying for a lighter option
• Add extra veg like broccoli, snap peas or carrots
• Swap noodles for rice or serve in lettuce cups for a low-carb version

Notes

• This dish freezes well — just reheat in a pan or microwave until piping hot
• The sauce is mild and kid-friendly, but you can add a splash of chilli sauce if you like heat
• Serve family-style and let everyone build their own bowls with toppings!
  
  Now on to the method:
  
  
  Print

  Sweet & Sour Pork Meatballs

  An easy and healthier twist on a family favourite. I hope you love this one as much as we do.

  Author Jana Macpherson

  Instructions

  1. In a medium sized bowl, add the mince, ginger, garlic and salt, and mix together. I like to use my hands for this. Using wet hands roll tablespoon sized meatballs.

  2. At this point I fry the meatballs but see NOTES BELOW for baking.

  3. Place a nonstick frypan over a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil.

  4. Fry the meatballs in batches until browned on each side and cooked through.

  5. When cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.

  6. While the meatballs are cooking, take a small bowl, add sugar, vinegar, tomato sauce, pineapple juice, soy sauce and oyster sauce, and mix to combine.

  7. When ready to assemble, place a wok or a large pan over a medium to high heat and add the oil and once hot add the onion. Cook for around 1 minute, stirring.

  8. Add the capsicum and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

  9. Add the sauce ingredients and stir. Turn heat down to medium and when sugar has dissolved, and sauce is bubbling, add the cornflour slurry.

  10. Bring to a simmer, stirring, and cook for approximately 2 minutes until sauce is syrupy.

  11. Add the meatballs and pineapple and stir to coat with sauce and warm through.

  12. Remove from the heat and serve with noodles and scatter with coriander and sesame seeds.

  Recipe Notes

  TIME SAVING NOTES
  Make the meatballs up to 24 hours in advance and store in the fridge.
  Mix sauce ingredients together (NOT the cornflour slurry) up to 24 hours in advance.

  BUDGET NOTES
  Pork mince is usually affordable, but you can use chicken or beef or a vegetarian mince product.
  If capsicum is not at a good price you can use frozen capsicum or swap for zucchini or green beans.

  PROTEIN CHANGES
  You can use chicken or beef or a vegetarian mince product.

  NOTES
  Instead of frying the meatballs you can bake them. Take a lined oven tray, spray them with a little oil, and bake at 200 degrees fan bake for around 15 minutes or until cooked through.

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