Hawaiian Meatballs

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

These Hawaiian meatballs in a sweet-and-sour pineapple sauce with green bell pepper make a delicious main dish when served over white or brown rice.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, juice reserved
1/3 cup water, or as needed
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 green bell pepper, chopped

Directions

1 Make the meatballs: Mix ground beef, ginger, garlic powder, and black pepper together in a large bowl until well combined. Shape into 1 1/2-inch balls.
2 Sauté meatballs in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned, about 10 minutes.
3 While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the sauce: Pour pineapple juice into a liquid measuring cup, and reserve pineapple chunks; add enough water to pineapple juice to make 1 cup. Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
4 Transfer meatballs to a plate, reserving the pan drippings. Add pineapple juice and brown sugar mixtures to the warm pan drippings. Stir in vinegar and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
5 Return meatballs to the skillet; add pineapple chunks, and green pepper. Simmer until meatballs are no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).