Teriyaki Meatballs

Easy and flavorful, these Teriyaki Meatballs are a great meal prep or dinner idea. They start with my wildly popular turkey meatball recipe and finish with a sweet and sticky homemade teriyaki sauce.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings servings (6 meatballs each)

Calories 504kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Equipment

Baking sheet (I love Nordic Ware!)
Wire baking rack
Mixing bowl (I recommend using these nesting bowls from Amazon)

Ingredients

For the teriyaki sauce:

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup mirin (see note 1)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (see note 2)
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (see note 3)
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the meatballs:

2 pounds ground turkey (see note 5)
1 cup bread crumbs or panko or rolled oats
2/3 cup onion minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley minced
2 large eggs
3 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil (for frying)

For serving:

cooked rice
steamed brccoli
thinly sliced scallions
sesame seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the teriyaki sauce:

In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, sugar, water, mirin, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium, and simmer.
To make the cornstarch slurry, remove 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce to a small bowl and whisk in cornstarch. Return to the saucepan and continue simmering until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 to 8 minutes (you should have 1 cup sauce). Remove from heat and cool to room temperature while preparing the meatballs.

To make the meatballs:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. Coat a wire rack with nonstick spray and set on prepared baking sheet.
In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, onion, parsley, eggs, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, basil, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Using a strong spatula or your hands (I like to wear latex gloves), mix well. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls (you should have around 48 total).
Arrange meatballs on rack, brush with oil, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with half the teriyaki sauce (about 1 cup sauce).
Return to oven and bake until the sauce is sticky and the meatballs have reached 165 degrees on an internal thermometer for 15 seconds, about 5 to 10 minutes longer. remaining teriyaki sauce on the side
To serve, build a bowl with cooked rice, steamed broccoli, and Teriyaki Meatballs. Drizzle with reserved teriyaki sauce and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Notes

Mirin: Mirin is a Japanese cooking wine that is widely available at grocery stores, Target, and Walmart. If you can’t find it, substitute 2 tablespoons dry white wine OR rice vinegar AND 1 teaspoon sugar for the 2 tablespoons mirin in this recipe.
Ginger: Store the whole root in the freezer, as-is and grate it when you need it. Some grocery stores also sell tubes of grated ginger in the produce area and it works perfectly here (I usually pick up a tube of the garlic paste, too, if I’m going to make teriyaki sauce).
Red pepper flakes: Maybe omit these if you’re feeding children (I always do) or add more if you love heat.
Ground turkey: Look for 93% lean ground turkey. If you get the 99% fat-free ground turkey breast, your meat is going to be dry.
Yield: This recipe makes at least 40 meatballs and 2 cups teriyaki sauce.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition