Jewish-style sweet-and-sour meatballs are a classic comfort recipe, with tender beef meatballs simmered in a tangy and slightly sweet tomato sauce. It's an easy, flavorful recipe that's made with just a handful of pantry staples.
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About This Recipe
Jewish-style sweet-and-sour meatballs are a staple in Jewish home cooking and you’ll find them showing up for weeknight dinners, Shabbat meals, and holidays like Hanukkah or Passover. Inspired by my mom’s sweet-and-sour brisket, this version swaps the brisket for tender beef meatballs that simmer in a tangy and slightly sweet tomato sauce made from simple, pantry-friendly ingredients.
Families all have their own nostalgic variations, but this version sticks to that old-school tradition with tomato sauce, brown sugar, and fresh lemon juice, giving it that perfect sweet-and-tangy balance that makes these meatballs so comforting and distinct.
📋 Ingredients
- Ground Beef: Use 80/20 ground beef, meaning that there is 20% fat to 80% of the beef. The fat content will keep the meatballs tender and flavorful.
- Spices (garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, parsley): Simple, straightforward seasonings that give the meatballs a flavorful but familiar profile.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Helps bind the meatballs while keeping the texture light.
- Tomato Sauce: Canned tomato sauce keeps things easy, but you can also use crushed tomatoes, strained tomatoes, or even roasted and blended fresh tomatoes.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness with a deeper, slightly caramel flavor compared to white sugar.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is what gives that signature sour pucker in the tomato sauce. Or add a bit of citric acid, as my mom used. It brightens the sauce and brings out the sweet-and-sour contrast.
- Red Wine: Use a medium-bodied wine, such as a Cabernet or red blend. The wine will add a lovely layer of flavor to the sauce without being overpowering.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Different Ground Meats: Ground veal or ground chicken both work well. Ground turkey is leaner and will taste a bit different, so I don’t recommend it for this recipe.
- Tomato Options: You can use tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, strained tomatoes, or roasted tomatoes blended smooth.
- Without wine: Simply skip it. The sauce will still be delicious. Or, you can also add a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar for deeper tang.
- For Passover: Substitute the panko breadcrumbs with matzo meal.
⏲️ Instructions
Sauté the onions: Cook the onions until soft, then add red wine and let it reduce until the pan is nearly dry.
Make the sweet-and-sour sauce: Stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, and lemon juice, then let the sauce gently simmer for a few minutes.
Add the meatballs: Nestle the uncooked beef meatballs into the simmering sauce in a single layer.
Simmer until tender: Cover and cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 25-30 minutes.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Do not overmix the meatballs: Mix until the ingredients are just combined. Overworking the mixture can make the meatballs tough.
- Taste the sauce before adding the meatballs: Adjust the sweetness (add more brown sugar) or tanginess (add more lemon juice) based on personal preference.
- Freeze Ahead: Roll the meatballs and freeze uncooked, then they can be simmered straight from frozen.
- Make in Advance: Cook the full recipe ahead of time, then reheat gently on the stove. If the sauce thickens, add up to ½ cup water to loosen it.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve over white rice. It’s classic and soaks up the sweet-and-tangy sauce beautifully.
- Pair with potato latkes for a Hanukkah dinner.
- Add a starter like matzo ball soup for a full holiday menu.
More Ground Beef Recipes To Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Jewish-Style Sweet and Sour Meatballs
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20 (80% beef, 20%fat)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs add more if the mixture feels too wet
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Sauce
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup red wine
- 32 ounce tomato sauce
- ½-1 cup water use the tomato can to rinse
- ½ cup brown sugar add more to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar about 1 juicy lemon
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, panko, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined, do not overwork the meat.
- Form into one-inch meatballs (about twelve) and set aside on a plate.
- Start the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large braiser or deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened and lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes.
- Deglaze with wine: Pour the wine in and let the wine reduce for about a minute.
- Add the tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, lemon juice, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer for 3-5 minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness or tanginess.
- Add the meatballs: Nestle the meatballs into the sauce in a single layer. Spoon some sauce over the top.
- Simmer: Cover, leaving a small opening and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Serve: Taste one more time for seasoning. Serve hot over rice and spoon extra sauce on top.
Notes
- Do not overmix the meatballs: Mix until the ingredients are just combined. Overworking the mixture can make the meatballs tough.
- Taste the sauce before adding the meatballs.: Adjust the sweetness (add more brown sugar) or tanginess (add more lemon juice) based on personal preference.
- Freeze Ahead: Roll the meatballs and freeze uncooked, then hey can be simmered straight from frozen.
- Make in Advance: Cook the full recipe ahead of time, then reheat gently on the stove. If the sauce thickens, add up to ½ cup water to loosen it.
- Yields about 12 meatballs.
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