Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

4.77 from 13 votes

Teriyaki turkey meatballs are easy to make and ready to eat in about 30 minutes. You'll love their simple seasonings and homemade teriyaki sauce.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American, asian

Keyword: 30 minute dinner, appetizer recipe, easy meatball recipe

Servings:

Calories: 262kcal

Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

16 ounces lean ground turkey
1 large egg
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup minced green onion
2 cloves minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the teriyaki sauce:

½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons mirin can also use rice vinegar
¼ cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger or 1" ginger paste

For serving:

white rice
sesame seeds
green onion

Instructions

Make the meatballs:

Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Add all the meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until evenly combined. (Using your hands will yield the best results for even and efficient mixing). 16 ounces lean ground turkey, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup minced green onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Using a 2 tbsp cookie scoop, portion and roll the mixture into balls and place on baking sheet 1” apart.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Internal temperature of the meatballs should be 165ºF.

Make the teriyaki sauce:

While the meatballs are baking, add all sauce ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat and stir well. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat slightly and simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced. Remove from heat. It won’t look thickened at first, but as it cools it will thicken slightly. ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons mirin, ¼ cup water, 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
Once the meatballs come out of the oven, add to a mixing bowl and toss well with the teriyaki sauce.
Serve warm over rice with more sesame seeds and scallions to garnish. Drizzle with any leftover sauce.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

This recipe also works with ground chicken.
You can make this gluten free with gluten free breadcrumbs and tamari in place of soy sauce.
These meatballs can be frozen. Freeze separated on a baking sheet, then transfer to container or plastic bag and place in the freezer for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in fridge, then heat in the crock pot, microwave or oven.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the meatballs serving 4, with 1 serving being 1/4 of the meatballs and sauce. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition