These Teriyaki Meatballs are made with a delicious homemade teriyaki sauce that is super easy and fast. The meatballs are juicy and flavorful, and the sauce is sweet, tangy, and savory. This recipe is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, or for a party appetizer.
We love meatballs of all types around here! If you love them, too, you also need to try these Crockpot BBQ Grape Jelly Meatballs, these Asian Meatballs, or these Sweet and Sour Meatballs.
We love this Teriyaki Meatballs recipe, and I know you will, too! Here’s why:
EASY: These meatballs so easy, even the kids could help make them. There is very little chopping to do, and the only time consuming part of the recipe is rolling the meat into balls.
FAST: This one might not come in under 30 minutes, but hands on time is only about 15 minutes.
TASTY: The meatballs on their own are super flavorful, but add in that teriyaki sauce and you have a real winner! Serve them up with some Egg Rolls for the perfect easy dinner
Ingredients
- Ground Beef: I like to use an 85/15 ground beef. Any leaner and the meatballs tend to be dry, but if you use a fattier ground beef, they can be too greasy.
- Bread Crumbs: I like to use Panko breadcrumbs. They are bigger than regular breadcrumbs.
- Green Onion: You could also use a white or yellow onion, but I like the more mild flavor of green onions in this recipe.
- Eggs: You need 2 large eggs.
- Sesame Oil: I love that a little bit of sesame oil goes a long way. The flavor really comes out and brings in some more of the Asian flavors.
- Ginger: I prefer to use fresh ginger in these meatballs, but if you don’t have any, you can use about 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Salt & Pepper: These are for flavor.
- Garlic: Again, I like to use fresh garlic. If subbing in garlic powder, use about 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Teriyaki Sauce: This is the star of the show. I always use my homemade teriyaki sauce because I like it better than any store bought sauce. If you are using a store bought teriyaki sauce, you’ll probably want to get a teriyaki glaze – you want it thick enough to coat the meatballs.
How to Make Teriyaki Meatballs
Combine all of the ingredients except the teriyaki sauce in a large bowl.
Work the ingredients together just until they are combined.
Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through.
Remove the meatballs to a bowl, then add the teriyaki sauce and stir to coat the meatballs.
Tips and Tricks
When mixing your ingredients together, do not overwork the meat. The less you can work it together, the more tender your meatballs will be.
You can serve these meatballs as an appetizer or you can serve them as a main dish. We like to eat them as a main dish over rice, then topped with green onions and sesame seeds.
I like to use a cookie scoop to make the meatballs. It keeps them uniform and just makes it easier and faster.
You don’t need to turn the meatballs as they are baking. But make sure you spray the foil covered baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray so that the meatballs don’t stick.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
Meatballs are super easy to make ahead of time, and these are no exception!
You can make the meatballs up to a day in advance and then gently reheat when ready to serve them. I would wait and the teriyaki sauce right before serving, though.
If you want to freeze the meatballs, make the meatballs completely, but do not add the sauce. Place the cooked and cooled meatballs on a baking sheet, then put that into the freezer. Freeze until frozen through, then they can be transferred to a freezer safe container. Reheat the frozen meatballs in the oven, then add the teriyaki sauce before serving.
More Teriyaki Recipes
Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Teriyaki Chicken Pizza
Easy Chicken Teriyaki Wraps
Cast Iron Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Bacon Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
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Teriyaki Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 cups teriyaki sauce*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs green onion, eggs, sesame oil, ginger, salt, garlic, and pepper. Use your hands to gently combine.
- Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. (I like to use a 1 1/2 inch cookie scoop to keep them uniform. You should get about 38 meatballs. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the meatballs are golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the meatballs to a large bowl. Pour the teriyaki sauce over the top of the meatballs and stir gently to coat the meatballs in the sauce.
- Serve as an appetizer, or over rice or potatoes.
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