About
Island Meatballs are a whole continent of flavor! The meatballs are savory, beefy, and delightfully spiced! Not to mention the sauce! The meatballs are coated in a thick, sweet, tangy, and tropical sauce that will get your lips smacking. Together, they bring out the best of their flavors. You can relax with a plate of Island Meatballs in just 40 minutes, so it's ideally suited for weeknights when you need to be whisked away.
Ingredients
- For the meatballs:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound lean ground pork
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, optional
- For the pineapple sauce:
- 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks, juices reserved
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- green onions, optional, to taste, chopped, to serve
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 -Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3 -Mix the ground beef, the ground pork, the breadcrumbs, the milk, the garlic powder, the onion powder, the sea salt, the black pepper, and the chili flakes in a large bowl.
Step 4 -Form the meat mixture into 1-1/2-inch balls.
Step 5 -Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until browned and cooked through at 145 degrees F internally, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 6 -Pour the juices from the pineapple can into a large frying pan with high sides. Reserve the pineapple chunks.
Step 7 -Add the barbecue sauce, the soy sauce, the rice vinegar, and the ginger.
Step 8 -Bring the sauce mixture to a simmer over medium heat and continue to simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens, for about 5 minutes. It should have a consistency similar to barbecue sauce.
Step 9 -When the meatballs finish cooking, add the meatballs to the sauce in the pan.
Step 10 -Add the pineapple chunks and cook until heated through.
Step 11 -Serve garnished with the green onions.
