Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs
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Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs are a delicious and easy meal that can be made for a quick family dinner or as a weekly meal prep item. This recipe is Whole30 and paleo-friendly which makes it lower in sugar, but still bursting with flavor.
Make some delicious sweet and sour meatballs for a healthy weeknight dinner
This recipe for sweet and sour chicken meatballs is my absolute favorite kind of recipe to create for my blog. It has all of them favorite components. It is easy, makes a delicious sauce and is Whole30 compliant.
This recipe helps prove my point that embarking on the Whole30 does not need to be bland or boring. On the contrary, it was flavorful, but simple meals like these sweet and sour chicken meatballs that helped to keep me on track when I wanted to cheat. If I knew I had something like this waiting for me at the end or the day, it was easier to say no to that cookie in the break room.
All of that said, this recipe is wonderful even if you aren’t on the Whole30, don’t even know what it is and have no plans of ever even attempting it. I kept the spice level low on this recipe and tried to focus on making it flavorful with simple ingredients. This would be a perfect recipe for those picky kiddos that you are trying to get to eat healthy.
How should I enjoy these chicken meatballs in a sticky sweet and sour sauce?
Like I said above, I created this sweet and sour chicken meatball recipe with Whole30 participants in mind. If you’re on the Whole30 then I recommend eating this dish with some zoodles, cauliflower rice or sauteed zucchini.
If you are not on Whole30 and you like to eat grains, then you gotta try this with some fluffy rice. I recently perfected the art of cooking rice in my instant pot and my life is forever change. Check out the caption on this Instagram post to see how I make it.
Can I make these Whole30 chicken meatballs and freeze them?
If you want to make a big batch of these chicken meatballs ahead of time, you can cook a big batch and freeze them. Then when you are ready to eat them, allow them to defrost and warm up in the oven.
You can wait to prepare the sauce when you reheat the meatballs because it only takes a few minutes to make. Then, once the meatballs are reheated, toss them in the sauce and serve them.
What ingredients do you need to make this paleo sweet and sour chicken?
Because I wanted these sweet and sour chicken meatballs to be Whole30 compliant, I knew that I could not make them sweet with any sweetener. I made them naturally sweet by using a little pineapple juice and ketchup. I love using Primal Kitchen Foods or Tesemae’s for Whole30 friendly ketchup options.
In addtion to the ketchup, the ingredients you will need for the meatballs are ground chicken, an egg, almond flour, avocado oil, salt and pepper. For the sauce you will need the pineapple juice and ketchup, as well as coconut aminos, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Feel free to use soy sauce in place of the coconut aminos if you aren’t on the Whole30.
I used arrowroot starch to thicken my sweet and sour sauce. I only use a tiny bit of this at the very end of cooking. If you don’t feel comfortable using this ingredient, or just don’t want to, you can leave it out of the recipe.
Let’s make some Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs
Step 1: Prepare and bake the meatballs
To begin, preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, add meatball ingredients (ground chicken, egg, almond flour, 2 tbsp ketchup, salt, and pepper) to a large mixing bowl.
Mix thoroughly and use a scoop or spoon to scoop eighteen 1 tbsp meatballs on to a baking sheet. Then, bake at 400F for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare the sauce
While the meatballs bake, prepare a sauce by combining pineapple juice, coconut aminos, sesame oil, sriracha, rice vinegar, and ketchup in a small bowl.
When the meatballs are almost finished cooking, add the sauce to a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat until it bubbles. Then, educe to a simmer and simmer for 4 minutes
Next, remove the meatballs from the oven. Then, prepare a slurry of arrowroot starch and water to thicken the sauce.
Step 3: Mix the meatballs and sweet and sour sauce together and enjoy!
Increase the heat of the sauce to medium-high and pour the slurry into the pan. Next, mix vigorously to thicken the sauce and then reduce heat to low.
Finally, toss the meatballs in the sauce until they are coated and then remove the pan from the heat. Garnish with green onion and serve with rice or cauliflower rice.
How long can I keep these Whole30 chicken meatballs?
Once prepared, place the meatballs in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.
Check out these other delicious chicken meatball recipes!
You can find the entire recipe down below. If you make my sweet and sour chicken meatballs, please leave me a comment down below or let me know on Instagram!
Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs
Whole30 chicken meatballs in a sticky sweet and sour sauce
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken breast
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- Optional: 1/2 tbsp arrowroot starch mixed with 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Add meatball ingredients (ground chicken, egg, almond flour, 2 tbsp ketchup, salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl)
- Mix thoroughly and use a scoop or spoon to scoop eighteen 1 tbsp meatballs on to a baking sheet
- Bake at 400F for 15 minutes
- While the meatballs bake prepare a sauce by combining pineapple juice, coconut aminos, sesame oil, sriracha, rice vinegar, and ketchup in a small bowl
- When the meatballs are almost finished cooking add the sauce to a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat until it bubbles
- Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 4 minutes
- Remove the meatballs from the oven
- Prepare a slurry of arrowroot starch and water to thicken the sauce
- Increase the heat of the sauce to medium-high and pour the slurry into the pan
- Mix vigorously to thicken the sauce and then reduce heat to low
- Toss the meatballs in the sauce until they are coated and then remove the pan from the heat
- Garnish with green onion and serve with rice or cauliflower rice
Jenn says
First off, this looks AMAZING! Can you substitute Tapioca flour for almond flour?
Madeline Tague says
Thank you! It might dry them out a bit so don’t use as much. Maybe a 1/4 cup or so.
Marissa says
I made this sweet and sour sauce for a shrimp, onion, and pepper stir fry and it was AMAZING!! Love this sauce so much. Will need to use on the meatballs but needed to say sauce is 10/10 with anything you want to put it on.
Madeline says
That is such a good idea!! I think I need to do just a regular chicken stir fry with this sauce!!
Karen says
Made these last night! Oh my! They were so yummy!!
Madeline says
Ah I am so glad you enjoyed!!
Lizzy says
I have a long work day so using my precious free time meal prepping is challenging. Spending the time and $ on almond flour was worth it. I’ve been snacking on these all week and they’re getting me through my day feeling nourished.
★★★★
Madeline says
AW this made me smile! I agree that time is precious so if you’re going to use it and your money it better taste great!!!
Emily Britt says
Can’t wait to try this. I am allergic to Pineapples – do you recommend I sub this with anything specific?
Madeline says
Hi!! Orange juice would work great if you can have that ☺️
Nicole C. says
What do you recommend as a substitute for almond flour ? Would regular be okay ?
Madeline says
Yes! Regular flour will work!
Amanda says
YUM! This was delicious. Hubs says they are addictive. Thank you!
★★★★★
Madeline says
ah thats amazing!! I am so glad!
Emily says
Easy and delicious
★★★★★
Madeline says
awesome!!
Danielle says
Yum yum yum- I could eat these meatballs every day. My husband was skeptical when I told him about this dish- but the meatballs were so moist- even on reheat. The sauce is delicious and brought great flavor to the rice. Really great dinner that’s not even pricey! I appreciate the ingredients were all thinks I consider pantry staples.
★★★★★
Madeline says
Wonderful!! I really try to keep my ingredients straightforward so that makes me so happy!
Bethany Thomas says
This was such an easy recipe and the sauce is amazing! I made these for lunches this week but could see using the sauce with shrimp or other meats for a different meal. I used no sugar ketchup, which I honestly hate, and using in this recipe was perfect and the sauce is great. I’ll make this again to use up the ketchup and not waste it, so happy I found this recipe!
★★★★★
Madeline says
wonderful!! thank you so much!!
Abby says
Loved this recipe! Easy to make and delicious!
★★★★★
Madeline says
Thank you!!
Meghan says
This recipe was delicious! I made it with a side of basmati rice and roasted broccoli. The meatballs came out perfectly. I will definitely make it again.
★★★★★
Madeline says
That sounds lovely!!
Whitney says
These came together so quickly and were so flavorful. Looking forward to adding them to the rotation!
★★★★★
Madeline says
YAY! love to hear that!
Alden says
This recipe was so delicious! I am always looking for a new way to love meatballs and this tasted so fresh and was perfect for my round of Whole30. Had it over cauli rice with snow peas!
★★★★★
Madeline says
that sounds awesome!!
Devon says
This is SO GOOD. I had been meaning to try it for some time and was holding off because I dislike the extra effort involved in making meatballs, but this was SO EASY. I’m a medical student, and easy, quick, healthy and tasty is absolutely key because I have to meal prep a lot. I also love a good sweet and sour from a Chinese restaurant, and this is just as tasty if not better, and it’s cheaper and way easier for meal prepping.
I made a few very small tweaks and it was still absolutely delicious–I swapped bread crumbs for the almond flour as I’m not gluten free; I also added a splash more pineapple juice and a little more ketchup to the sauce, because I like that tangy taste to my sweet and sour sauce. It came out perfectly.
★★★★★
Madeline says
AMAZING!! so glad to hear that! tahnk you!
Emily says
These didn’t work out for us. Nothing in the recipe list could garner the color of the sauce that is indicated in the photos either. Not really sure what happened here. I ended up googling another sauce recipe.
★
Madeline says
Aw so sorry to hear that! Not sure what the issue was because i’ve made this recipe many times with a successful result, but hate to hear its not working for others
Emily R. says
So easy to make on a weeknight and perfect combo of flavors!! Lots of leftovers too
★★★★★
Madeline says
yay glad you liked it! love when theres leftovers.
Darlene Torgrim says
I have been looking for your recipe for Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup. Everyone Loves it.!!!!! Could you Please send it to my e-mail ? Thank You !!
Madeline says
https://madaboutfood.co/roasted-red-pepper-and-tomato-soup/