Sweet and Sour Meatballs (糖醋丸子)

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• About the dish
• Ingredients
• Cooking procedure
• Serve & make ahead
• Other takeout favorites
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About the dish

No doubt “sweet and sour” is an iconic flavor combination in Chinese cuisine. Today, I’m sharing a recipe for Sweet and Sour Meatballs (Táng Cù Wán Zi/糖醋丸子) to expand my collection. If you’ve enjoyed Sweet and Sour Ribs or Sweet and Sour Fish, this might become your next favorite!

As its name suggests, this dish features tender, juicy meatballs coated in a tangy, sweet, and aromatic sauce. It’s as succulent as Pearl Meatballs, offers a richer taste than Chinese Meatball Soup, and is much easier to prepare than Lion’s Head Meatballs.

While testing this recipe, I made it multiple times over the past week. My family loved being taste testers and kept asking for more. I’m confident you’ll enjoy it too!

 

Ingredients

You’ll need two sets of ingredients for this recipe: one for the meatballs and one for the sweet and sour sauce.

For the meatballs

• Ground meat. It can be pork, beef, chicken, or turkey. For a better taste, use one with a high content of fat.
• Egg. It helps tenderize the meat and binds the mixture together.
• Cornstarch. It also serves as a tenderizing agent.
• Panko breadcrumbs. They add lightness and help retain moisture in the meatballs.
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• White pepper
• Salt
• Garlic powder, optional

For the sauce

• Black rice vinegar. It provides tanginess and adds a complex aroma to the overall flavor. White rice vinegar can be used as a substitute, but the former is preferable.
• Tomato ketchup. It complements the vinegar to enhance the rich, sour taste.
• Sugar. Regular white sugar or traditional Chinese rock sugar can be used.
• Cornstarch. It thickens the sauce.
• Light soy sauce
• White pepper

🌟 NOTE: Feel free to adjust the ratio of sour ingredients (vinegar and ketchup) to the sweet component (sugar) to achieve your preferred balance.

Cooking procedure

Step 1: Prepare the meatballs

Begin by mixing all the ingredients for the meatballs. Avoid overmixing; once the mixture is cohesive and well-combined, proceed to the next step.

Divide the mixture into small, evenly sized portions. I use a heaped tablespoon for each, which weighs approximately 1 oz (28 g) as a reference.

Next, use your hands to shape each portion into a round meatball.

🌟 NOTE: I wear kitchen gloves to roll the meatballs, which helps prevent sticking. Alternatively, you can use bare hands coated with a thin layer of cooking oil.

Step 2: Bake the meatballs

Place all the meatballs into a baking dish. If your dish lacks a non-stick coating, unlike mine, make sure to line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Put the dish over the middle rack of a preheated oven at 350ºF (180ºC), or 320ºF (160ºC) if fan-assisted. Bake for about 12 minutes.

🌟 NOTE: The cooking time may vary slightly depending on your oven’s performance. If unsure, check one meatball with a kitchen thermometer. The internal temperature should reach 160ºF (71ºC). Be careful not to overcook, as this can make the meatballs less juicy and tender.

Step 3: Cook the sauce

Mix all the ingredients for the sauce thoroughly.

Then, pour the mixture into a skillet. Heat it over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula.

Watch closely as the consistency changes. When the sauce is just thick enough to coat the spatula, proceed to the next step.

🌟 NOTE: The sauce thickens quickly, so be careful not to overcook it, as this can cause it to become lumpy.

Step 4: Combine the dish

Add the baked meatballs to the thickened sauce with the heat turned off. Gently toss them to ensure they are evenly coated. Finally, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds (optional) and serve immediately.

Serve & make ahead

The simplest way to serve sweet and sour meatballs is over a bed of freshly steamed rice, accompanied by a vegetable side such as Garlic Broccoli, Bok Choy Stir-Fry, or Tiger Skin Peppers.

When preparing this dish as part of a multi-dish feast that requires significant time and effort (e.g. Chinese New Year Feast), I usually bake the meatballs in advance. Just before serving, I reheat them by tossing them in a little oil and then adding the sauce to combine.

Other takeout favorites

Looking for other recipes for takeout dishes? Try these:

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