Jewish Sweet and Sour Meatballs – Traditional holiday recipe with pineapple and chili sauce. A perfect easy appetizer or entree, with dozens of possible variations.
I started this website on January 1, 2010, when food blogs were somewhat new to the web and the internet felt a bit like the “Wild West.” Let’s be real, it still feels that way sometimes. One of the ways I connected with readers was by launching recipe contests, where people could submit their favorite family dishes. Blog reader Susan Fedrow submitted a Sweet and Sour Meatballs recipe back in September 2010. At the time, I launched the contest to encourage readers to share their family recipes and holiday traditions. I loved Susan’s simple recipe made from pineapple chunks and bottled chili sauce.
Over time I developed my own version of this classic dish with a from-scratch sauce and optional modifications for Passover. These Jewish Sweet and Sour Meatballs are always a crowd pleaser, and they couldn’t be easier to make. Though the preparation method is a bit different from Susan’s recipe, the result is every bit as tasty as the original.
Susan’s mother made a similar meatball dish growing up, but she used different ingredients. Susan learned her own twist on the recipe just after she got married:
“I got this recipe when I was a newlywed,” she told me. “We met a few couples on our honeymoon and got together every month at each other’s houses and made a dish… this dish was made by one of the women, and since it was so delicious and easy, it became an instant family favorite.”
Susan usually prepares these tasty mini-meatballs for Hanukkah, but I think this dish would make a great addition to pretty much any holiday buffet. Throughout the years other readers have shared their twist on the dish in the comments. Apparently there is more than one way to make sweet and sour meatballs! However you decide to make them, enjoy in good health. L’shana tova!
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Jewish Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
- 40 ounces pineapple chunks in their own juice (no sugar added) (2 cans)
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar (for Passover use a KFP vinegar)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- 3/4 pound lean ground beef
- 3/4 pound dark meat ground chicken
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3-4 tablespoons matzo meal or breadcrumbs (use matzo meal for Passover, or omit breadcrumbs to make gluten free)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne (or more to taste-- add carefully, it's very spicy!)
NOTES
Instructions
- Drain your two cans of pineapple chunks and reserve the juice.
- In a medium pot, mix together tomato sauce, ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and the juice from the pineapple cans. Stir together and turn heat to low to let the sauce slowly warm.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl use a fork to mix together the ground beef and chicken, egg, 3 tbsp matzo meal, paprika, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne. I like a little heat in the meatballs, so I add a heaping 1/4 tsp of cayenne. If you don't want them spicy, you can omit it completely-- or just add a pinch for depth of flavor.
- Form the meat mixture into small 1-inch meatballs. If the mixture seems too moist or stick, add another tablespoon of matzo meal to the mixture. Place the meatballs into the warming sauce.When all the meatballs are formed, bring the mixture to a boil and stir to cover the meatballs with sauce. Lower the heat to a low, even simmer and cover the pot.
- Let the meatballs cook for 40 minutes, stirring frequently, till sauce thickens and meatballs cook all the way through. If the sauce seems to be reducing too fast or losing too much liquid, lower the heat and add a little water to thin it.
- After 40 minutes, add the pineapple chunks to the sauce and stir to coat. Let the chunks warm in the sauce for 5 minutes.
- Serve. You can serve this as an entree with a Passover-friendly starch, as a side dish, or with toothpicks as an appetizer. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Can these be made ahead and frozen? If so, should I add the pineapple when reheating?
Hi Stacy, I have never frozen this, but I’m guessing it should be fine – I would just make it as written and freeze, no need to separate the pineapple.
Hi,
Have you ever tried placing the meatballs in a pan, pour over the sauce then baked covered ?
Thanks
I have not, but I think that would work out fine.
Hi Tori…..First I must tell you your Western Style African Brisket is Absolutelty to die for. Definitely a keeper. However, I am having a problem making the Sweet and Sour Meat Ball recipe. I have 3 times to make it and it comes out watery instead of some thicker consistency. Any suggestions. I am determined to make it like Bubbe made it.
Hi Cindy! I can’t take credit for the West African brisket – that is Michael Twitty’s recipe, he shared it with me when we celebrated Passover together. It is a great one!
As for the meatballs, are you using lean ground beef? If using beef that is not lean, you’ll end up with more rendered fat in the sauce, which would make it more soupy. Lean beef is best here (or grass fed, even better!). You can also try cooking the meatballs uncovered, stirring a bit more often to make sure the meatballs cook evenly. This will allow the liquid in the sauce to evaporate faster, which should help you end up with a thicker sauce. Good luck!
I have made this recipe many times for Passover with KFP Ketchup. It is DELICIOUS and everyone loves it. I have a question please. KFP ketchup does not have vinegar. I would now like to make this with regular ketchup, which has vinegar. Should I still add the cider vinegar? Thank you for your time. Please take care and be well.
Hi Abbie – just a guess here, but I don’t think I would omit it completely. Maybe cut the vinegar in half. The ketchup won’t have enough vinegar to fully compensate for the ACV in terms of flavor. Glad you’ve been liking this one!
Could you use ground Turkey instead of beef. Also could you just use all beef not with chicken
What is the reason for mixing the two beef and chicken?
Thank you for your reply
Yes, you may use either or. We like the flavor and texture of mixing the two, but either way will work.
Can these be made ahead and frozen? If so, should I add the pineapple when reheating?
I made this for Chanukah tonight using Impossible Burger instead of chicken and beef. Everyone loved both the meatballs and the sauce. I grew up using canned cranberry sauce and ketchup; this is less processed and a bit healthier, but just as good.
Lovely thank you kindly
MerryAnne
I love this, definitely gonna try it out this weekend. I ve always cooked the Italian way never tried the sweet sour one but I think I will still brown the meatballs before putting it into the sauce to simmer.
want to make sweet/sour meatballs for Passover. How many meatballs per person if it serves 14? Can I keep same sauce amount and increase my meat by 1/4 lb each?
Made these tonight as part of my Hanukkah dinner. We are vegan so I used Beyond Meat to create the meatballs and omitted the egg and we really enjoyed it. Thanks for the inspiration
Typo. For sauce you wrote neat and it should be heat. Turn the heat to low.
Thank you, it’s been corrected.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, up to 48 hours.
Howdy Tori,
Another recipe successfully followed.The kids absolutely loved the sweet and sour meatballs.
Thank you so much.
Glad to hear it!
This tastes exactly like the meatballs I remember getting from the Kosher butcher when I was a kid. Absolute perfection! I haven’t been able to eat them in 20 years because I’m a vegetarian, but I used a vegetarian ground meat substitute and it worked great.
I couldn’t get canned pineapple, so instead I pureed some cut-up pineapple and it came out delicious. I also could not get tomato paste, but it didn’t suffer any. Very tasty.
This is the second recipe of yours that my family loved during quarantine due to Coronavirus. Luckily during Passover we happened to have all the ingredients on hand. We served it over sautéed cabbage for an incredible dinner!
We made the sweet and sour meatballs and they were delicious! Recipe perfect for cooking from pantry and freezer items during quarantine.
Hi Tori! I’m thrilled to have found your blog since I too love food history. I’ve also been wanting to know more about Jewish cuisine so I’m really glad I found you! I made your babka cinnamon recipe yesterday and it was great!
What do you usually serve/eat with this? I was thinking of maybe naan and couscous? As a Cuban, we typically eat ground beef with rice, salad, fries etc. but it seems that perhaps side dishes that can soak up the sauce would be best.
Hi Ambar, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Happy to hear from a fellow food history lover and that you had success with the cinnamon babka. These meatballs can be served with any starch you like! Couscous or rice are both great options.