These Sweet and Sour Meatballs are so easy to make and the perfect delicious appetizer to serve for parties or any gathering. This recipe is based on my Mom’s classic party meatball and so good!

A Spin on My Mom’s Classic Sweet and Sour Meatballs

My family threw Christmas parties every year when I was growing up and my mom’s sweet and sour meatballs were always on the menu. The meatballs were always tender and well seasoned and tossed in the perfect sweet, sticky, and tangy sauce.

I knew I wanted to create a version of her classic recipe with my unique All the Healthy Things spin and they came out so good. These meatballs are so easy to make (even easier than my mom’s…shh, don’t tell her) and perfect for any holiday party or gathering. The meatballs are made with just a few simple ingredients and they can stay warm in the slow cooker for hours.

Watch How to Make This Recipe

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Meatball Ingredients

Ground Turkey: lean ground turkey is the perfect choice for these meatballs. I like to use dark meat ground turkey for these meatballs.

Egg: you’ll need one large egg to help bind the meatballs together.

Almond Flour: traditionally breadcrumbs are used to help keep the meatballs moist, but almond flour is a great grain and gluten free substitute that also helps to keep the meatballs tender.

Yellow Onion: this helps to build in some delicious flavor in the meatballs.

Seasonings: for the meatballs and the sauce you’ll need a combination of various spices and seasonings like, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.

Ketchup: this works as the base for the sweet and sour meatball sauce.

Brown Sugar: to give the sauce that classic sweetness you’ll need a bit of dark brown sugar.

Apple Cider Vinegar: and for that classic sour tang this recipe uses apple cider vinegar.

Ingredient Substitutions

ground turkey – you can easily swap the ground turkey in this recipe for ground chicken or ground beef if you prefer. My mom makes her classic recipe with lean ground beef.
almond flour – can’t use almond flour? swap it for breadcrumbs instead. If you need to keep the recipe gluten-free, use your favorite gluten free breadcrumbs.
brown sugar – you can replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar if you prefer.
Worcestershire sauce – if you need a gluten free replacement for Worcestershire sauce, try swapping it for coconut aminos.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

How to Make These Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Step One: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.

Step Two: Add the ground turkey, whisked egg, almond flour, onion, dried parsley, salt, pepper, and minced garlic to a mixing bowl and use your hands to gently mix together until well combined. Use a tablespoon measure to scoop and roll the ground turkey into meatballs.

Step Three: Drizzle the olive oil over the lined sheet pan and then place the meatballs on the sheet pan. Bake the meatballs at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Step Four: Whisk together the ketchup, dark brown sugar, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and apple cider vinegar.

Step Five: Once the meatballs are done cooking transfer them to the base of your slow cooker. Pour over the sauce and gently toss the meatballs to ensure they are covered. Cook the meatballs on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.

Step Six: Serve warm, garnished with thinly sliced green onion and toothpicks for serving.

My Favorite Tips and Tricks

If you want to make the meatballs on the smaller side, I’d recommend using a half a tablespoon size scoop to measure the meatballs and bake them for just 10-15 minutes until cooked through.
Once the meatballs have cooked in the slow cooker for the required time, you can place the slow cooker on the ‘keep warm’ setting or turn it off completely until you’re ready to serve.
If the sweet and sour sauce thickens a bit too much while cooking or keeping the meatballs warm you can add a bit of water or chicken broth to thin it out.
You can serve the meatballs on a platter with toothpicks for a quick grab and go option or leave them in the slow cooker.

Storage and Reheat Instructions

Store: You can store your meatballs in the slow cooker or transfer them to an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Reheat: I like to reheat the meatballs in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time until warmed through. Be sure to cover them with a wet paper towel to prevent them from drying out and sauce from splattering in the microwave.

Reader Favorite Appetizer Recipes

I hope you give these Sweet and Sour Meatballs a try! They are so easy to make and delicious! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

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Author: Ashlea Carver
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 20 meatballs 1x
Category: Appetizer
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Description

These Sweet and Sour Meatballs are easy to make and the perfect delicious cocktail appetizer for parties or gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale

Meatballs

1 pound ground turkey
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup finely ground almond flour
1/2 cup finely diced or grated yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
Make the meatballs: Add the ground turkey, whisked egg, almond flour, onion, dried parsley, salt, pepper, and minced garlic to a mixing bowl and use your hands to gently mix together until well combined. Use a tablespoon measure to scoop and roll the ground turkey into meatballs.
Drizzle the olive oil over the lined sheet pan and then place the meatballs on the sheet pan. Bake the meatballs at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees.
Make the Sauce: Whisk together the ketchup, dark brown sugar, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and apple cider vinegar.
Once the meatballs are done cooking transfer them to the base of your slow cooker. Pour over the sauce and gently toss the meatballs to ensure they are covered. Cook the meatballs on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
Serve warm, garnished with thinly sliced green onion and toothpicks for serving.