Teriyaki Meatballs (An Easy Family Favourite Recipe) (2024)

Dairy FreeNut FreePaleoSpecific Carbohydrate DietWhole30

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These Teriyaki Meatballs are a great family friendly weeknight meal. The tender meatballs are packed with so much flavor thanks to chopped scallions, garlic and fresh ginger and oven baked and then smothered in a sticky homemade teriyaki sauce. They are a great make ahead dish that freezes well too.

Why You Are Going To Love These Teriyaki Meatballs

• These aren’t your average meatballs, they are loaded with flavor, moist and tender in texture and so dang tasty.
• These easy teriyaki meatballs are baked in the oven, not fried on the stove top which means they are healthier but also much more moist in texture.
• These teriyaki meatballs are guaranteed to quickly become a family favorite, even with picky kids! If you are struggling to find meal ideas that your whole family will love than look no further.
• Or alternatively serve them with toothpicks as a party appetizer or as part of a game day spread.
• They are great for meal prep, so make them on a Monday and enjoy them all week long and then freeze leftovers for a quick meal in the future.
• These delicious Teriyaki Meatballs are Whole30, Dairy Free, Grain Free and Gluten Free.

Tips For Making These Teriyaki Meatballs

• Roughly chop the ginger rather than grate it. When the ginger is grated it blends into the meat and loses some of its flavour, chopping it into small pieces allows the ginger to stand out amongst the ground meat, plus it adds a bit of crunchy texture which I love.
• Don’t be afraid to get messy! Use your hands when mixing up the meatball ingredients in a large bowl, it’s the best way to ensure everything gets well incorporated.
• Add the almond flour in portions, start with 1/3 cup and mix it well before adding a bit more. You want the mixture to bind together without becoming too dry.
• Use an ice cream scoop to form uniform sized meatballs, this will help to ensure that they cook evenly. If you don’t have an ice cream soup a large spoon would also work.
• To save time cleaning up, line the baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil before placing the uncooked meatballs ont op.
• Taste the sauce and adjust the flavours by adding more sweetener or vinegar as needed.

Are These Teriyaki Meatballs Spicy?

No there is actually no spice in these saucy teriyaki meatballs which makes them perfect for kids. That being said if you want to give them a bit of spice I recommend adding a finely diced fresno chile to the meatball mixture or alternatively you can add a pinch (or more!) of chile powder to the sauce or 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha.

How To Serve These Teriyaki Meatballs

These Paleo Teriyaki Meatballs can be served as a main meal or appetizer. You can serve them garnished with lots of sesame seeds and chopped green onion and with toothpicks and extra teriyaki on the side for dipping as a canape or in lettuce cups with cucumber and carrots as bite sized tacos. For dinner I like serving these teriyaki meatballs as a main dish over cauliflower rice (or jasmine rice) or rice noodles with broccoli, stir fried veggies such as bell peppers, onions and zucchini or sliced cucumber on the side.

Easy Variations To This Recipe

Depending on the ingredients that you have on hand, there are a few simple ingredient swaps that you can make.

• If you aren’t on a soy free diet (Paleo, Whole30 etc) feel free to swap the coconut aminos for soy sauce or tamari
• Apple cider vinegar can be substituted for rice wine vinegar
• As mentioned below in further detail, these can easily be made into teriyaki turkey meatballs or chicken meatballs depending on what meat you have.
• Instead of baking the meatballs in the oven you can cook them in the air fryer. Lay them out in an even single layer in your airfryer and cook for 14 minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meatballs to ensure that they are cooked through.

Can I Use A Different Meat?

I really like the flavour and texture of these homemade meatballs thanks to the combination of half ground pork and half ground beef. If you don’t eat pork and/or beef feel free to use ground turkey or ground chicken in place of pork, or do 50% pork and 50% chicken/turkey or use all beef or all pork. The flavours will still be good any way that you do it.

Can I Omit The Egg?

I highly recommend using an egg in the meatball mixture so that they remain moist and tender. If you have an egg allergy you can omit the egg although the meatballs will be more dense in texture (but the flavour will be exactly the same!).

Is This Teriyaki Meatball Recipe Whole30?

The meatballs are Whole30 and with one simple modification the delicious homemade teriyaki sauce can be made Whole30 compliant too. Soak 3 pitted medjool dates in very hot water for 3-5 minutes. Once they are soft, remove them from the water and place them in a blender with the other sauce ingredients (garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos and chicken stock) and blend until smooth.

Can I Make These Teriyaki Meatballs In Advance?

Absolutely! You can make the entire recipe a day or two in advance, refrigerate and reheat on the stove top in a skillet on medium heat. After making the meatballs I recommend leaving them to cool to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container in the refrigerator. The meatballs and teriyaki sauce can be stored together or separately in the fridge.

What About Leftovers?

Leftover Teriyaki Meatballs will last for up to 4 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container. To reheat the meatballs I recommend warming them in the microwave, or in a small saucepan on the stove on medium heat. If the sauce is too thick after thawing, I recommend adding a splash of chicken stock to thin it out. Alternatively these meatballs can be frozen in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 4 months, so make a double batch and freeze, so you have a quick dinner or great appetizer on hand and ready in no time.

Here are a few more meatball recipes that you might enjoy:

• Asian Pork Meatballs
• Mexican Meatballs
• Salisbury Steak Meatballs
• The Best Italian Meatballs
• Eggplant Polpette (aka Meatless Meatballs)
• Greek Lamb Meatballs

If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!

originally posted February 24, 2023 — last updated December 7, 2023by Every Last Bite