These sweet and sour Mongolian meatballs are tender and juicy made on the stovetop in just 20 mins. The brown sugar and soy sauce adds sweetness and color while the vinegar and tomatoes add a sour zing. A great crowd pleaser and fun to have around guests.
Place ground beef and all meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Combine well but do not over mix.Pro tip - if you overmix, the meatballs tend to become hard. You want them to just hold their shape and soak up all the sauce.
Make equal size meatballs - you can use a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to make them similar in sizePro tip - dipping your hands in water or oiled hand makes it easier to work with ground beef.
Add the meatballs and sear them on all sides gently turning as they cook. Pro tip - if a meatball is suck to the pan means it needs more time so let it. Try again later. If you force them out they will break.
Once the meatballs are browned on all sides about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the meatballs to a plate and set aside - keep warm. Pro tip - the meatballs are not cooked at this time just seared so they have a nice color. They will cook further in the sauce later.
Sauce
In the same skillet add all the sauce ingredients and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium to low heat. The sauce will turn into a dark glossy syrup-like consistency
Add the meatballs and toss them gently in the sauce coating each and every meatball. If the sauce is too thick - add a few tablespoons of waterPro tip - this dish is supposed to have a thick syrupy sauce so do not add too much water.
Turn the heat to low. Cover the pan and cook for five minutes letting the meatballs soak up as much of the sauce as they canPro tip - Check sauce consistency again - if needed add a few tablespoon of water before you remove from heat
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and fresh parsley
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you