Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs

Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs are an easy, healthy, juicy and perfectly seasoned in a savory sauce. Made with simple all-natural ingredients like ground chicken, soy sauce and ginger, they are easy to make and a family loved recipe. 

Try these other homemade meatballs too! Sweet and sour meatballs, grape jelly and ketchup meatballs, and cranberry sauce meatballs are all must make too!

Teriyaki Meatballs with Ground Chicken 

This teriyaki chicken meatball recipe is quick to mix up and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. While the meatballs cook, you make the sweet teriyaki sauce to coat them in.

They would also be fabulous as an appetizer too! I would probably make them small meatballs to make more of them. Place them in a slow cooker to keep them warm.

What to Serve with Teriyaki Meatballs? 

We love these homemade meatballs served with rice and roasted green beans for a perfect healthy dinner. We also love it with roasted broccoli or edamame.

They are great over fried rice, lo-mein or rice noodles. 

Ingredients Needed

For the meatballs 

• Ground Chicken – for the base of the meatballs.
• Bread Crumbs (Gluten-Free if needed) – Helps bind the meatballs. Use regular or panko breadcrumbs.
• Egg – helps the meatballs hold their shape.
• Soy Sauce  – Feel free to use reduced sodium or gluten free tamari.
• Ginger – I love fresh minced ginger but you can also use ginger paste that is found in most produce departments.
• Scallions – Or green onion, thinly sliced.
• Toasted Sesame Oil – Adds a nice nutty flavor

For the Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

• Soy Sauce – Again, feel free to use low-sodium soy sauce or gluten free tamari.
• Water 
• Ginger – freshly grate or use ginger paste.
• Brown Sugar –  Use light or dark.
• Toasted Sesame Oil – You can also use a neutral oil like olive oil if you’d like.
• Cornstarch – To thicken the sauce

Variations/Substitutions:

1. Use ground turkey, pork, or beef instead of chicken.
2. Honey for Sugar: Use honey instead of brown sugar in the sauce.
3. Add Vegetables: Mix diced bell peppers or mushrooms into the meatball mixture for added flavor.
4. Spicy Kick: Add in a tablespoon of chili sauce or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the sauce for added heat.
5. Swap the water in the sauce for pineapple juice for more intense flavor. 
6. Add a few cloves of minced garlic to the meatballs.

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lightly oil a baking sheet.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, bread crumbs, egg, soy sauce, minced ginger, chopped scallions, and sesame oil. Mix well to combine

Step 3: Make the meatballs. Shape the mixture into about 20 meatballs and place them on the prepared cookie sheet.

Step 4: Bake for 20 minutes.

Make the Teriyaki Sauce

Step 5: While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce in a large skillet by combining the soy sauce, water, minced ginger, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Heat over medium until warm.

Step 6: Place the meatballs in the sauce in the skillet, turning several times to coat. You can also .

Step 7: In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water, then add this mixture to the skillet. Stir and simmer over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Step 8: Garnish with additional chopped scallions, if desired. Serve over cooked rice.

 Tips:

• Make sure meatballs are spaced out on the cookie sheet to make sure they cook evenly.
• Feel free to double the recipe for a large crowd or to freeze for later. 

How to Store Leftover Meatballs 

• Refrigerate: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: Freeze the meatballs and sauce in airtight container for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: Reheat on the stove over medium heat until warmed through, or in the microwave in 30-second intervals.

Frequently Asked Questions