Sweet and Sour Meatballs (糖醋丸子)
Chinese sweet and sour meatballs stand out for their succulent texture and rich flavor. Discover a quick and easy way to make them from scratch!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lb ground pork (or beef, chicken, turkey, see note 1)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 3 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoon black rice vinegar (or white rice vinegar)
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoon water
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1
Shape the meatballs
- 2
Put ground meat into a mixing bowl. Add egg, breadcrumbs, cornstarch, light soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and garlic powder (optional). Mix until well combined.
- 3
Divide the mixture into 20-22 equal portions (about 1 heaping tablespoon each). Use your hands to shape each portion into a ball.
- 4
Bake the meatballs
- 5
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) or 320ºF (160ºC) for a fan-assisted oven.
- 6
Arrange the meatballs on a baking dish (line it with parchment paper if it isn't non-stick). Place the dish over the middle rack of the oven. Leave to bake for about 12 minutes (see note 2).
- 7
Cook the sauce
- 8
In a bowl, combine tomato ketchup, black rice vinegar, sugar, light soy sauce, cornstarch, white pepper, and water. Stir until smooth and lump-free.
- 9
Pour the mixture into a skillet. Cook over low heat while stirring with a spatula constantly. Once the sauce is nearly at the desired consistency, add the baked meatballs.
- 10
Turn off the heat and gently stir the meatballs until they are evenly coated in the sauce. Optionally, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over before serving.