This is the dinner for nights when a bag of frozen meatballs in the freezer is the only head start needed — the sauce comes together in the same pan while the meatballs heat through.
Sweet, tangy and ready faster than delivery, with pantry staples doing most of the work.
Simmer the meatballs fully covered for the full 12-15 minutes — frozen meatballs need that time to heat through to the center, even though the sauce itself thickens much faster.
Save this recipe for later — pin it to your dinner board.
In a saucepan, whisk together pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
Add frozen meatballs, bell pepper and pineapple chunks to the sauce. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are heated through and vegetables are tender.
Serve over rice.
No — frozen, fully-cooked meatballs can go straight into the simmering sauce; just make sure they simmer long enough (12-15 minutes) to heat through to the center.
Yes, though canned pineapple juice specifically adds sweetness and acidity to the sauce base — if using only fresh pineapple, add a splash of orange juice or extra vinegar to balance the sauce.
Mix an extra teaspoon of cornstarch with a teaspoon of water and stir it in, then simmer another minute or two until it thickens.