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Easy seasoning! Sweet and Sour Meatballs

4.4

(85 reviews)

Time

approx. 30mins

Coat pan-fried meatballs with a basic sweet and sour sauce for a satisfying dish with bold flavor that pairs perfectly with rice. You can also season the meatballs with ketchup for a Western-style meatball variation.

  • Calories

    471kcal

  • Carbs

    18.2g

  • Fat

    29.9g

  • Protein

    23.5g

  • Net Carbs

    17.9g

  • Sodium

    1100.4mg

* per serving

* Nutritional values are based on the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan and may differ from U.S. food composition data.

* Sodium is estimated from the recipe's salt content (1 g salt ≈ 393 mg sodium).

Ingredients [ 2 servings ]

  • ground pork250 g
  • onion¼ (50 g)
  • vegetable oil3 tablespoons

☆ Meatball seasonings

  • sake2 tablespoons
  • potato starch½ tablespoon
  • salt¼ teaspoon

★ Sweet and sour sauce

  • mirin1 tablespoon
  • sugar1 tablespoon
  • vinegar2 tablespoons
  • soy sauce1 ½ tablespoons
  • water1 tablespoon

Potato starch slurry

  • potato starch½ tablespoon
  • water1 tablespoon
Cooking notes

Please Note

When pan-frying in oil, the oil temperature can rise quickly and may cause a fire. Be sure to follow these precautions while cooking. 1) Never leave the stove unattended while frying. 2) If white smoke begins to rise, it is a sign that the oil is too hot, so turn off the heat immediately. 3) Shallow frying uses a smaller amount of oil, so the temperature rises quickly. Do not fry over high heat while cooking.

Ingredients may vary by product and region. If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, please review all ingredient labels carefully before cooking. Consult your doctor or a registered dietitian if you have any health concerns.

Instructions

1

Finely chop the onion.

2

Put the ground pork, onion, and the seasonings marked with ☆ in a bowl, and mix until sticky. Divide into 10 equal portions and shape into balls.

Note:

If you like, add about 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger to the meat mixture. To shape the balls neatly, lightly wet your palms with a little water or vegetable oil.

3

Add the vegetable oil to a frying pan and heat over medium heat. Add the meatballs and shallow-fry until browned. Turn them over, then shallow-fry over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, rolling them occasionally, until cooked through. Turn off the heat, move the meatballs to one side, and wipe out the excess oil with paper towels.

Note:

When shallow-frying, keep the heat between low and medium.

4

Add the sauce marked with ★ and the potato starch slurry, and mix. Heat over medium heat and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens and coats the meatballs.

Note:

Turn off the heat once before adding the seasonings and potato starch slurry to prevent the slurry from cooking too quickly and forming lumps.

Reviews

4.4

(85 reviews)

*Automatically translated from reviews posted in Japan.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    I made triple the amount using two frying pans, but my family of three polished it off in no time.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    It was easy to make and very delicious. The kids loved it too.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    Regarding Step 2, I added about 1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger to the meat mixture, but I felt it would have been better not to. I also learned for the first time to put a small amount of water on your palms when shaping the mixture into balls, and I tried it right away. Until now I had only used salad oil, but that made my palms sticky, so I thought this water method was extremely helpful. It was incredibly useful as a reference, and I learned something new.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    I made five servings all at once on a hot plate. It was easy to make and delicious.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    I made it with double the amount. Partway through, I got confused and thought, "Huh?" about the sauce measurements, but I still managed to make it well 🎵🫡

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    I made and froze these for lunch boxes. My kids loved them and said they were still tasty even after cooling. They’re so easy that I’m making them a regular in our home.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    Make them small so they’re great for lunch boxes, too.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    It was delicious.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    Delicious seasoning! It goes great with rice.