Microwave Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Submitted by ddawge
Tender beef meatballs swimming in tangy-sweet pineapple sauce with crisp green peppers, ready in under an hour with microwave magic.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
25 minREADY
45 minThis microwave sweet and sour meatball recipe turns weeknight dinner into a restaurant-style experience without the stovetop chaos.
Brown your meatballs in a skillet first for that essential caramelized crust, then let the microwave work its magic on a glossy sauce made from pineapple juice, brown sugar, and vinegar.
The beauty here is flexibility: make the meatballs and sauce ahead, refrigerate them separately, then nuke everything together when hunger strikes.
Serve over crunchy chow mein noodles for textural contrast that’ll have everyone scraping their plates clean.
Chef Tips
- Skillet browning is non-negotiable: Those caramelized bits on your meatballs add depth the microwave alone can’t deliver.
- Make-ahead friendly: Cook meatballs and sauce up to 2 days ahead, then combine and reheat when you’re ready to eat.
- Crisp-tender peppers: Add green peppers in the final heating stage so they stay snappy, not mushy.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine meatball ingredients.
Shape mixture into 20 meatballs.
Cook in a skillet, over medium heat until browned and cooked through.
Set aside.
In a 2-c measure, combine reserved pineapple juice with enough water to equal 1⅓ c; set aside.
In a 2-qt casserole, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, cornstarch and soy sauce.
Blend in the pineapple juice mixture.
Microwave at high for 7 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture is clear and thickened, stirring 3 or 4 times during cooking.
Set aside.
At this point the meatballs and sauce can be refrigerated, for later preparation.
Add meatballs, green pepper slices and pineapple chunks to the sauce.
Microwave at high for 4 to 6 minutes, or until mixture is hot, stirring once or twice during cooking time.
Serve with chow mein noodles.
Comments
