Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipes

These sweet and sour meatballs are great for dinner or as an appetizer for any get together.

I've listed two different recipes here. Not only are they delicious, they're also quick and easy to put together.

One of our recipes is grape jelly meatballs recipe.

It came to me from my friend Gail and I have made it over and over again. Each time people love it.

Each of these recipes can also be made ahead and reheated when you need them, a bonus for any busy cook.

Oven Baked Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 cups dry bread crumbs
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

Combine meats with bread crumbs, milk, eggs and salt. Mix well. Shape into 1" meatballs and place them in a shallow baking dish.

Mix all of the sauce ingredients together. Pour the mixture over the meatballs. Bake uncovered at 325ºF for 45 minutes. Baste the meatballs often with the sauce to keep them moist.

Makes about 48 meatballs.

Sweet and Sour Jelly Meatballs

This is absolutely the easiest recipe for sweet and sour meatballs that you will find and my personal favorite. The ingredients sound odd but baked together with the meatballs it is fabulous. Give this one a try the next time you are looking for an easy party recipe.

meatball recipe from above
10 ounce jar chili sauce (the recipe specifies Heinz)
10 ounce jar grape jelly (the recipe specifies Kraft)

Combine the chili sauce and grape jelly in a saucepan and melt. Add the meatballs and simmer for 1/2 hour with the lid on and then 1/2 hour with the lid off.

Note: I find that if I cook the meatballs longer with the lid off, the sauce becomes thick and sticky, great for a party appetizer recipe.

Happy munching!

Tips and Variations:

• Either of these tasty recipes can be made the day ahead and reheated when you need them.
• Using the small pre made frozen meatballs makes life even easier! Protein foods at their easiest.
• These meatballs are great on a buffet table too, or as part of an easy Chinese dinner.
• The jelly and chili sauce recipe says that you can use cocktail sausages too, or cut up wieners. I prefer just the meatballs, but try it with both if you prefer.
• Crockpot variation - Either of these recipes can be cooked in a crockpot. The meatballs should be browned first to prevent them from clumping together. Then put them in the crockpot with the sauce for about 5 or 6 hours.