Sweet and Sour Meatballs

An easy recipe for delicious, sticky, sweet and sour meatballs, smothered in a tasty sauce. They are oven baked, healthy and low carb.

An easy recipe for delicious, sticky, sweet and sour meatballs, smothered in a very tasty sauce. Oven baked, they are very easy to make.

How to make sweet and sour meatballs

The original recipe is my mother in law’s and calls for browning the meatballs in a skillet, then cooking them in broth, and finally glazing them with the sauce.

My mother in law’s meatballs are amazing, but I am far too lazy for a three-step recipe! So I decided to streamline, skip the browning and cooking and simply bake the meatballs.

The result is wonderful! Easy and delicious meatballs that are also low carb. Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions.

How to serve sweet and sour meatballs

You can serve them with toothpicks as an appetizer. But I usually serve them as a main dish for dinner. They’re great on a bed of cauliflower rice. I also like to add an Asian-style vegetable such as braised bok choy.

Is this a healthy recipe?

I think it is. Fresh unprocessed beef is very nutritious. The meatballs don’t contain fillers such as breadcrumbs, and carb count is kept to a minimum. Take a look at the nutrition info for these sweet and sour meatballs. I think it’s quite impressive!

What about leftovers?

Leftovers of these sweet and sour meatballs should keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.

More tasty meatball recipes

I have many meatball recipes on this blog because they’re such an easy solution for a family dinner. A few of my favorites are pork meatballs, meatballs in tomato sauce, and baked chicken meatballs.

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4.95 from 89 votes

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

An easy recipe for paleo and low carb sweet and sour meatballs. It’a a one-pan dish and it’s ready in about 30 minutes!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: ground beef, meatballs

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon olive oil for pan

Meatballs:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef (85/15)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened ketchup
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey or a low carb substitute
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or use a gluten-free alternative and add salt as needed)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with a teaspoon of oil.
• Mix the meatballs ingredients in a large bowl. Form 20 meatballs, and place in the prepared baking dish. Bake 10 minutes.
• While meatballs are baking, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.
• Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the sauce over the meatballs, spooning sauce over each meatball to make sure they are well-coated. Bake 10 more minutes, uncovered, until meatballs are well browned and sauce is thick and fragrant. Serve immediately.

NOTES

Nutrition info if using a zero carb honey substitute: Calories 261, Total Fat 17g, Saturated Fat 7g, Sodium 643mg, Carbohydrate 4g, Fiber 0g, Sugars 0g, Protein 21g

NUTRITION INFO Nutrition info is approximate. It is calculated using the SparkPeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Please read the disclaimers in our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Please verify they are before using.

Nutrition Facts

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 293 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17g 26%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Sodium 643mg 27%

Total Carbohydrates 12g 4%

Sugars 8g

Protein 21g 42%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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