These Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs are juicy and so flavorful with an easy homemade teriyaki glaze. They come together quickly, making them an easy dinner idea for a busy weeknight over a bed of steamy rice or as a crowd-pleasing appetizer. You’ll love this healthier option using ground turkey and baking instead of frying.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Helpful Reader Review
“This has been a family favorite for the last 3 years I believe… My picky little boys LOVE this dinner and request it often! It’s in our weekly dinner rotation- thanks for the awesome recipe!” – Mary ★★★★★
Homemade Teriyaki Meatball Recipe
Everyone loves these Teriyaki Meatballs. My family meets every Sunday night for a potluck-style meal at my parents’ house, and bite-sized appetizers are always the first things eaten. This is one of my favorite dishes to bring since the meatballs are quick to make and the recipe is easily doubled (or tripled) to feed our crowd. These fly off the plate!
Swapping pork and beef for ground turkey in this teriyaki meatball recipe cuts calories, making these a lighter option. Then I bake the meatballs at a high temperature in the oven instead of frying them, so they still have a delicious crust without drying out.
The teriyaki sauce takes just 5 minutes to mix and reduce on the stove, and then you’re ready to coat the meatballs. If you have any left over, I like to use it over Salmon, like in my Teriyaki Salmon Recipe, in Chicken Lettuce Wraps for lunch, or as a dip for my Egg Roll Recipe.
Ingredients for Teriyaki Meatballs
The recipe comes in two parts: the turkey meatballs and the Teriyaki sauce. Both are independently delicious (picture a chef’s kiss), but together… perfection.
- Ground Turkey – leaner than beef, ground turkey has a reputation for being dry/bland–but not here. The other meatball ingredients add so much flavor and keep the meat moist. You can swap this with ground pork, ground beef, or ground chicken if you prefer.
- Panko Bread Crumbs – Here’s one of those ingredients that hold moisture and create a great meatball texture since it’s crunchier than regular breadcrumbs. You could swap with regular breadcrumbs in a pinch, but use a little less so the meatballs don’t get dense. You can also use gluten-free panko crumbs for GF meatballs.
- Flavor – green onion, ginger (grated or ground), and garlic
- Egg – works with the panko to keep the teriyaki meatball from falling apart and moist. For egg allergies, you can try one of these substitutions for eggs recommended by Tasting Table
- Sesame Oil– adds great flavor and some moisture to the meatballs.
Ingredients for Teriyaki Sauce
While the turkey meatballs bake, I whip up an easy homemade Teriyaki sauce. You guys…this sauce. It makes me want to lick the pot. But I don’t because it tastes even better over rice with savory meatballs. You can find all of the sauces I used here in the international section of most grocery stores.
- Brown sugar offsets the savory, salty, and umami flavors in the sauce.
- Soy sauce – I use regular soy sauce, but you can use a gluten-free tamari or even low sodium. If using low sodium, reduce the sugar slightly.
- Hoisin sauce – adds depth, thickness, sweetness, and extra umami. You can also get gluten-free hoisin for GF.
- Sesame oil – take a quick trip down the international grocery aisle to find these delicious Asian recipe staples. I use toasted sesame oil, which has a strong nutty flavor and is sometimes labeled “pure,” but you can check the ingredient list on the bottle to make sure it states “toasted.”
- Aromatics – garlic and ginger – use fresh for the best flavor.
How to Make Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs
- Preheat – prep a rimmed baking sheet with foil and preheat the oven to 400
- Mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl until just combined. Don’t overmix the meat or it can become tough. If the mixture seems dry, add milk or water 1 Tbsp at a time.
- Roll the meatballs into 1 1/4″-1 1/2″ balls and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 13-18 minutes or until cooked through. Turkey Meatballs are finished cooking when their juices run clear and the inside measures 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Be sure not to overcook the meatballs.
Natasha’s Pro Tip:
For more crisp edges on the meatballs, you can place an oven-safe rack on top of the foil-lined baking sheet to keep the meatballs raised out of the juices while cooking.
- Make the Teriyaki Sauce – add sauce ingredients to a small saucepan and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Combine the cooked turkey meatballs and Teriyaki sauce in a large mixing bowl. Serve immediately.
Helpful Reader Review
“These turned out great! I love how fast, inexpensive, and so yummy these meatballs are. In my past experience, ground turkey would always turn out dry, but these were very juicy.” – Kseniya ★★★★★
How to Serve Teriyaki Meatballs
These turkey teriyaki meatballs are just so versatile. I like to garnish with sesame seeds and chopped chives for a beautiful presentation. Then, I serve them alone as a quick snack, over rice for dinner, or on a plate with toothpicks as a delicious appetizer. Here are a few ideas on what to enjoy with this recipe:
- Over Cooked Rice, Cabbage Fried Rice, Quinoa, ramen noodles, or egg noodles.
- With Asian Chopped Salad Recipe, Roasted Broccoli, Vegetable stir fry
- Served on No Knead Bread or in Hamburger Buns as a meatball sub or meatball sandwich
Storage and Reheating
If you manage to have any leftovers (how?), you can store the meatballs easily for lunch or a quick snack the next day.
- To Refrigerate: once the meatballs cool, store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: cool the meatballs and then place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Flash freeze them by placing them into the freezer for 2-3 hours. Once frozen, store them in a freezer-safe zip-top or container for up to 3 months. You can freeze with sauce or keep the sauce separate.
- To Reheat: place frozen meatballs in the Air Fryer or Oven at 375 or reheat in a saucepan. If the sauce gets thick, thin it out with a bit of water.
Baked Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs are one of my favorite appetizers to serve at large family potlucks and also one of my family’s favorite 30-minute meals for weeknight dinner. These leaner take on crowd-pleasing meatballs will certainly become a go-to for your family as well!
Teriyaki Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 16 oz lean ground turkey
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs, or use GF crumbs
- 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or grated
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
For the Teriyaki Sauce:
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce, or use GF hoisin
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce, or use GF tamari
- 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp fresh ginger or 1/8 tsp ground ginger
To serve:
- Sesame seeds and green onion for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat – Line a 17×12 rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Combine meatball ingredients – in a large bowl: ground turkey, bread crumbs, green onion, egg, fresh ginger, pressed garlic clove, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Use your hands or a spoon to mix just until combined. The mixture should feel moist. If it seems dry, add milk or water, 1 Tbsp at a time.
- Roll meatballs – into 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" balls and bake at 400 for 13-18 mins or until juices run clear or a meat thermometer reads 165˚F. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
- Make Teriyaki Sauce – Simmer the sauce ingredients together in a small saucepan for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently or until slightly thickened.
- Combine Meatballs and Sauce – Transfer warm meatballs to a mixing bowl, drizzle with warm sauce, and toss to combine. Serve over rice, garnished with chives and sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
- Refrigerate Leftovers – Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze – Flash freeze meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet until solid and then store in an airtight container or freezer zip-top bag.
- Reheat from frozen – Place in the oven at 375˚F or the air fryer until heated through. You can also reheat in a saucepan. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Love Meatballs? Try These Meatball Recipes
- Meatballs Parmesan
- Swedish Meatballs
- Juicy Meatball Recipe
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Italian Wedding Soup
Hi Natasha.
I have not been to your site in a long time. I just got this notification in my email on your turkey meatballs.
Can ground chicken be substituted or would they dry out? Also, what about a combination of meats, poultry? A quarter pound of ground veal, a half pound of ground beef, a quarter pound of ground lamb or chicken? Have you played around with a mixture?
Ty.
Mo
I’m not a big fan of ground turkey. It’s just a textural/visual thing for me, lol.
Hi Mo, I mix all the time when making meatballs depending on what I have on hand. The nice thing about this recipe is that even though turkey is lean, the rest of the ingredients keep things moist and juicy. any of those combinations you described would probably work fine.
This needs 1T of rice vinegar to cut the sweet a bit and make more liquid. Lovely recipe.
do these freeze well? I’m looking for a make ahead recipe for a crowd? TIA
Hi Allie! I haven’t tried freezing them, but I think that would work to pre-cook and then freeze them until you need them.
These came out great! Mine needed a little longer in the oven, but I swapped pork for the turkey.
I don’t know why my meatball got stucked on the aluminum foil 😩
Hi Bea, I haven’t had that experience, but I’d be happy to troubleshoot the best I can not being there in person to see the outcome. If it keeps happening you may need to grease the foil, but I would also recommend ensure your oven doesn’t run too hot causing them to burn on to the foil. I hope that helps.
Hi there, use Silpat in your tray instead of tin foil. Nothing sticks to it. I’d be lost without it.
This has been a family favorite for the last 3 years I believe. I had to refer back to the recipe quickly and caught myself reading the comments… My picky little boys LOVE this dinner and request it often! It’s in our weekly dinner rotation- thanks for the awesome recipe!
You are so very welcome, Mary! I’m glad it’s being enjoyed.
Would love to try these for my daughter’s visit in September! Can I make them now and freeze them?
Hi Nadia! I haven’t tried freezing them, but I think that would work to pre-cook and then freeze them. If freezing raw, I would thaw completely in the fridge before baking and add the sauce to the cooked meatballs per the recipe.
These are amazing. My whole family loved them. I served them with white rice and roasted broccoli.
That is the best when the family loves what we moms make. That’s so great!
How does this recipe not have a thousand 5-star reviews? Made this with half pork and half 80/20 beef. Soooo tender. Best of all, the sauce wasn’t too sweet! Some recipes call for honey, ketchup and soy sauce for the sauce and this recipe is just SO much better. Definitely going on repeat.
Thank you so much for your awesome review, Lena! Just like you, we absolutely love this recipe!
These are delicious!!! If you love teriyaki flavour, I highly recommend you give these a try. I will definitely make again and again, and would serve these as an appetizer (maybe with the crispy wings and spring rolls).
This is my fav go to for mid week or easy Sunday dinner. I always make sure i have a pack of ground turkey on hand incase i need to make my teriyaki meatballs. I love this recipe i have been using it for atleast a year.
“Store leftovers”
Very funny! I’ve made this a bunch of times and there’s never, ever leftovers!
That’s when you know they’re good! you may need to make a double batch next time just to make sure you have some leftovers.
Cooked this last night & my partner, who is a chef, asked when am I going to open a restaurant! Lol! Huge thanks for this recipe, Natasha! Some adjustments I made: Firstly, I used minced chicken. Since I didn’t have spring onion, I also minced and used regular white onion. The meatballs still turned out good. I added broccoli, but had to boil them separately first. Didn’t have brown sugar in hand, so I opted for white sugar (used less). I doubled the sauce but found that it’s thick so I proceeded to add around 50-60ml of water. 🙂 Paired this with rice. Very yummy! Thank you 🙂
That’s great, Gem! I’m so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!
Whereas this is a good recipe, there is no way to find out the nutritional information which is critical for my medication management.
Hi Janet, we are slowly working through all of our recipes to add nutrition info but it is a time consuming process as they have to be added one at a time. Thank you for being patient!
Awesome recipe! Tried this recipe with minced chicken and it turned out really good. I added a little bit more soy sauce as I wasn’t sure if the saltless meat would turn out well. After this, I mixed the meatballs with my chow mein noodles. I only had white sugar as well. Thanks Natasha!
Nice to know that you enjoyed this recipe using minced chicken too1 Thanks a lot for sharing.
These came out great! I had to add a little more cook time to mine, about 5 extra minutes. Personally, I think the meatballs needed a little salt added. Even though the soy & hoisin sauce are salted, I think it still needed a touch. Regardless, yummy recipe! Thanks!
I want to make these in a crockpot for my relatives graduation party.
How much sauce should I make for approximately 5lbs of meatballs? I have already precooked your meatballs (beef and pork mix) and frozen them.
Hi Lisa! I have not tested these in a crock pot. The sauce in this recipe is written for 16 ounces (1lb) of meat. I hope that helps with your calculations.
Thank you so much! I will let you know how it goes. Excited to try them!
I made these with ground beef. I would not change a thing! They were delicious! I would definitely make small ones and use as an appetizer.
That’s awesome, Patti! Thank you for your wonderful review!
What can I substitute for the hoisin sauce? Would love to try these but have no hoisin.
Hi Claire, this recipe truly is the best with hoisin sauce, and while I haven’t tried a substitute, here’s what one of our readers shared: “Made these and substituted the hoisen sauce for regular bbq sauce+ another tablespoon of soy sauce and a squirt of siracha .. I have no idea how close it was to the original recipe, but it was amazing. Thankyou. I always come to your site for dinner inspiration.yum.” I hope that helps.
I’ve made this recipe 5 times now. Definitely good enough for company or when a friend needs a meal delivered. Yummmmmmmmm
Nice to know that you enjoyed this, Jenn!