This recipe for baked turkey meatballs is a healthy, high-protein dinner option, and the easy, homemade sweet and sour sauce comes together quickly with minimal ingredients.
Baked Turkey Meatballs with Sweet & Sour Sauce
My family loves meatballs so much that even my youngest helps me prepare them. Since chicken meatballs are already a hit, I gave that recipe a twist and made these sweet and sour turkey meatballs. Of course, you can use your favorite ground meat; they’re always a winner!
Ingredients
The leaner the ground turkey, the better. Ground chicken or beef also works. You’ll need an egg and breadcrumbs (or quick-cooking oats) for structure, while dried parsley and garlic powder add flavor. The sauce is made with pineapple juice, rice vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch. I suggest rice as a side for these meatballs.
How to Make Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Check the following steps and then take a look at the recipe card video:
- Form the meatballs.
Combine the meat and the ingredients in a bowl, and form 16 meatballs. Place them on a lined baking sheet as you go along. - Bake the meatballs.
Once formed, bake the meatballs in a preheated oven, making sure to flip them halfway through. - Cook the rice
While the meatballs are cooking, cook the rice on the stovetop. - Make the sauce.
While the meatballs and rice cook, make the sauce in a pot so it’s ready to be mixed with the meatballs right before serving. - Combine & serve.
Once the meatballs are cooked, transfer them to the sauce pot. Stir to combine. Serve the sweet and sour meatballs over rice or one of these must-make side dishes.
Laura’s Tips for This Recipe
The best way to form meatballs without them falling apart is by not omitting the binding ingredient, the egg, and not adding more (or less) breadcrumbs. A single egg helps the ground meat and breadcrumbs stay together.
Yes! To make meatballs ahead, fully cook this recipe, start to finish, or form the meatballs, and keep them covered in the fridge up to 3 days when you're ready to bake them.
To make the sweet and sour sauce ahead of time, follow the recipe directions and keep it in a glass jar in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
You can freeze sweet and sour turkey meatballs uncooked after you form them, or after cooking, once cooled, in the portions you need. You'll either bake them later as directed and make the sauce or simply heat-and-eat.
What to Serve with Sweet & Sour Meatballs
This recipe suggests serving sweet and sour meatballs over white rice, but you can also use seasoned cauliflower rice, creamy Southern mashed potatoes, or a simple side salad.
Easy Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs, or quick-cooking oats
- 1 ½ cups rice
- 1 ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup rice vinegar*
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 ½ teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the meatballs:
- In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, parsley, and breadcrumbs.
- Using your hands, grab about 2 tablespoons of the mixture, a little smaller than a golf ball, and give the mixture a round shape by rolling it between the palms of your hands. Form 16 meatballs and place them on the baking sheet.
Bake:
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the meatballs are browned and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside next to the stove.
Cook the rice:
- While the meatballs are baking, cook the rice according to the package directions.
Make the sauce:
- Make the sweet and sour sauce directly in a large 5qt pot, big enough to add the meatballs back in. Whisk the pineapple juice, rice vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and brown sugar directly into the pot. Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce the heat to low.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Pour it into the sauce and mix to combine.
Combine:
- Once the sauce is ready, add the cooked meatballs to the pot and stir to coat all of them with sauce.
- Serve the meatballs over cooked rice.
Notes
- Slow cooker method: Make the meatballs by following steps 1-3. Place the meatballs in the slow cooker on high, and cook for 5-6 hours. In the last 30 minutes, make the sauce in a saucepan and pour over meatballs. Cook for an additional hour.
- No rice vinegar? You can use apple cider or white wine vinegar.
- The number of meatballs will vary depending on the size of your ball. Typically it’s 12-16 meatballs per pound of meat, about 3-4 meatballs per person.
- Nutrition Information is calculated without rice or pasta.
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Jennifer Harjo says
Was a hit in our house! Definitely will be making it again!
Jaz says
Have not made, sounds delicious to me but my husband doesn’t want me to make it. So I’ll make it for him and see what he thinks. I’ll be back with the update. Lol
Rachel says
What would be a serving size?
Laura Fuentes says
This recipe yields 8 servings, the number of meatballs will vary depending on the size of your ball, typically it’s 12-16 meatballs per pound of meat, about 3-4 meatballs per person.
Matt says
They are in the slow cooker right now.
Sandra says
I made these yesterday and they were GREAT. I froze the leftover prune juice in 1 cup baggies for future recipes.