Teriyaki Meatballs
Juicy, tender meatballs tossed in a super easy, homemade sweet teriyaki sauce!
Meatballs and I didn’t get along all that much when I was growing up. I’d even purposefully eat around all the meatballs when I was served spaghetti and meatballs. I know, it’s weird. But somewhere along the way, I’ve become somewhat obsessed with meatballs, and I’ve found myself making a million different kinds of variations left and right, like these hoisin asian meatballs or these Italian meatball sandwiches, and of course, these swedish meatballs. So after making all these meatballs, I wanted to try something really different, and since I love teriyaki sauce, I just had to put two and two together.
These meatballs come together very easily using a combination of ground beef and pork. Feel free to use your preferred combination of ground meat but I’ve found that this particular combination produces the most tender, juicy meatballs. From there, you’ll pop these bad boys into the oven before slathering them in my homemade teriyaki sauce from my teriyaki salmon dish. You can certainly use store-bought teriyaki sauce but we all know that at the end of the day, nothing beats homemade.
The best part about these is that they can served either as a party appetizer or as a main dish over a bed of rice – either way, everyone will be dying for seconds and thirds!
Teriyaki Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- ½ cup Panko
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
For the teriyaki sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on baking sheet; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water; set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, honey and 1 cup water; bring to a simmer. Stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, Panko, egg yolks, green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and white pepper. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 40 meatballs.
- Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.
- Serve meatballs immediately with teriyaki sauce, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
So I read too many recipes that called for 1 lbs of meat. Then made this one with a lbs of ground beef and a lbs of ground pork, but DOUBLED everything else in the recipe! I feared I had ruined them, but had to soldier on because I had nothing else to make for dinner.
Long story short, they were still incredible! I pan fried them first for about 4 minutes on each side (total 8 minutes), then sauced them and threw them in the oven for another 10 minutes. Fantastic!
This was supposed to last me 4 meals, but I finished half of them tonight.
Lesson being, don’t be afraid to go heavy on the seasonings.
Highly recommend.Â
I love this recipe and have been using it for yours.Â
Great recipe! For a time saver I would definitely make the sauce AFTER the balls are in the oven.Â
Tasty! Love the sauce
This was a hit. I tweaked it a little because I was out of ginger and skipped it entirely, used diced white onions instead of green inside the meatball mixture, and added a splash more of soy sauce just to dial back on the sweetness a little….otherwise this is an excellent recipe 🙂
Excellent dish. I will definitely have this again. Four thumbs up!
Absolutely damn delicious! I have made this several times and it never disappoints.
This was delicious!!! What great flavors and easy to make. We made it last week for the first time and my family is requesting it for tonight’s dinner. My daughter and husband like it over rice or egg noodles. I prefer it with a side of mashed potatoes. Thanks for posting this.Â
FYI – On my personal saved recipe I added the water to the ingredient list which was only listed in the directions on the original recipe only because I’m afraid I’ll miss it..  I also made the sauce while the meatballs were cooking. Saved a bit of time.Â
Great. I would just add in the recipe to let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for a stronger flavorÂ
I have used your recipe several times, absolutely delicious! This has become a family favorite. I serve with rice and pan fried zucchini with sesame oil Yum!
Omg!!! SO delicious! It’s now one of my daughters & son in laws favorites. I also use the ingredients & make this sauce for teriyaki chicken etc. The sauce is too perfect not too & I make my homemade meatballs for my Grandson now very close to this recipe:)
I was a bit skeptical but thought I would try it since it is so easy to put together. It’s very good!! I’ve added brocoli to make it a complete meal.
Thanks for the recipe! Finally made a meatball that looked like a meatball, tasted great and was easy to make. We all loved the sauce as well. I will try to freeze my second batch of sauce and see what happens.
Whole family liked this recipe. Rare win! Tried a variant with finely chopped bacon substituted for the ground pork since we didn’t have the pork on hand. Gave it a great smokey bacon flavor.Â
I love it it was amazing All of you should try it 150%
I made this for party but has a lot fb ginger taste to meatballs. What can I do to tone it down now that they are cooked. Can I add pineapple juice and pieces to sauce. I have made 100 meatballsÂ
And do not have time to make new ones.Â
Thank you
Yes, you can add pineapple juice and pineapple chunks.
My family loved them. I didn’t have sausage so only used hamburger, put them in the sauce after they were cooked and served rice to go with the meatballs and sauce, will make again!
Excellent recipe tender meatballs and sauce was delish
I agree with the others. Meatballs are in need of some seasonings. Hoping the sauce will lend some flavour.
These are absolutely delish! I have made them on multiple occasions for parties and dinners. I double the recipe and after baking, put them in a slow cooker to keep warm. Serve with toothpicks. My kids gobble them up and I always get major points. Thank you very much.
Hi. If I were going to make these ahead of time for a party, would you half cook them then freeze or freeze then raw? What about the sauce – do you think it would freeze well? Or how long would it keep in the fridge? The party is on a month – seems like a long time to keep in fridge. Thanks, Lori
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Chungah, Just made it. Â It was easy and absolutely delicious. I had extra sauce left over. Is it possible to freeze it? Â How long do you think you could stay in the refrigerator?Â
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
you use fresh ginger and garlic in the meatballs, but powdered in the sauce. Any particular reason why? Wondering if I can use fresh for both. Looks delicious! Beautiful photos!
Yes, you can use fresh for both if you wish!
I make thee in a crockpot?
It is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide. Hope that helps!
These were really yummy! Hit with fussy kids and quite quick and easy to prepare! Thanks ☺
I just made these tonight but I am glad I cooked a single meatball first to test for seasoning…. too bland so I added more soy and salt about a teaspoon of each.  The sauce itself is very good and I used fresh garlic and ginger for it and it’s a hit for my family 🙂  Thanks for a quick and easy family recipe!
Thanks for this delicious recipe. Â My whole family loved it
Fantastic – first time ever making meatballs and they turned out great! Â Any idea on the calories per serving?
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, I recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
I will be making these, and serving them over mascarpone polenta! Cant wait to get at them, it will be a few days as i must purchase my meats, thanks for awesome recipe!
So the meatballs are supposed to be baked on a rack rather than directly on the baking sheet? If I put them on the baking sheet would it make a big difference?
Yes, there will be a slight difference in texture.
What’s the difference between using black pepper and white pepper? Thank you.
Nicole, here is a great article discussing the difference between black and white pepper. Hope that helps!
Prepared as directed. Meatballs needed more flavor, maybe salt or siracha? sauce was a little on the sweet side for us. Added a little more soy sauce. Served with rice and broc. Pretty easy meal to make with ingred I had on hand.
Looks greart. our oven broke down a while ago so can i just pan fry the meatballs.
Absolutely delicious, will definitely make this again. Used the Copycat Panda chow mein recipe with it. Nothing leftover.
Love this site, great recipes, thanks
I made these this week, I did change up the recipe, only the meat. I only had hamburger so that is what I used. I did everything else the same but doubled the teriyaki sauce and it was all cheers from the family to make it again. Another great meal, thank you!
I made this with crushed up Matzoh instead of bread crumbs for us celebrating Passover! I also used Turkey. My boys said it was a keeper
I made your recipe using ground turkey instead of beef or pork and it turned out great. My son says this one is a keeper. Thanks!
Hi Chungah
This looks great! A question – can i replace ground beef with ground turkey?
Yes, of course!
So for Lessley, who didn’t want to use cornstarch…. I just used potato starch and the teriyaki sauce turned out great! These were so yummy, next time I would just add either a little more soy sauce or a little salt to the meatball mixture. Thanks for a great dinner!
Made these yesterday for a Superbowl party. They were SO delicious!! Everybody loved them; they were gone in about 10 minutes. I’m actually making them again today, to serve over rice, because my boyfriend and I didn’t get a chance to eat more than one apiece yesterday. The sauce is super easy, and super delicious. It was much better than anything you could buy at the store, and cheaper too, since I had everything on hand. Thanks so much for this recipe!!
I made these for a New Year’s Eve party and they were a huge hit. The blend of flavors was amazing! Served them in a crock pot a low which kept them warm but there weren’t many leftovers.
Can I make these and then place in a crock pot to keep warm for a party?
Yes, that should be fine!
These were amazing!! I used hamburger only as I don’t eat pork. I also added garlic chili sauce to the teriyaki sauce and I added more garlic to the meatballs. I cooked the meatballs in the airfryer then coated it in the sauce. Served over basmati rice! I will be using this recipe again!
I just made the teriyaki sauce and it was delish. I didn’t make the meatballs but the sauce took the meatballs to the next level. Yummy!
If you did not make the meatballs, how could the sauce take them to the next level?
These meatballs and sauce were delicious! Served over 90 second rice with some roasted asparagus. Can’t wait to eat leftovers!
Hi.. I wanna try this recipe in a convection microwave oven. Which mode should I select for this recipe? Grill/combi, oven, micro, conve/ combi?
Ishika, this recipe is not tailored to be used in the microwave oven, and without further recipe testing, I cannot tell you which mode is best. Please use your best judgment for using a convection microwave oven.
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Amazing recipe! I made these for dinner, didn’t change a thing, and they’re perfect. I’m going to serve them over ramen noodles. YUM. Thanks!
Hi, I was wondering if the teriyaki sauce is a marinade or if it’s just sauce I can use on rice?
Thanks!
I’ve never actually tried it on rice but that sounds amazing!
are these freezer friendly ? could I make a whole bunch then freeze ?
Taylor, feel free to freeze the meatballs but I recommend making the sauce right before serving.
These meatballs, over sticky rice, with your sriracha cream sauce. YUM YUM YUM!
This looks very good and I’m going to make just the Teriyaki Sauce part to use with some already prepared Asian style meatballs I have on hand. I plan on using it over some angel hair spaghetti I already have cooked.
I noticed your list of ingredients for the sauce doesn’t have the 1 cup water called for in the directions. I just added it by hand. I plan on subbing fresh garlic because I just love real garlic and if the ginger root in my fridge is still OK I’ll also sub fresh ginger.. I will also add a few Tbs of sherry and am debating whether to whisk in some sesame oil once the sauce has thickened.
I’ll let you know how it comes out.
Just made a double batch for a potluck! Super delicious. I can’t wait to see them go at the party
Help!
I can’t get the teriyaki to thicken.
What should I do?
Thanks!
You can add more cornstarch as needed to help thicken up the sauce, but be sure to mix it with water first before adding to the sauce.
You could also add 2 tbsp of Hoisin sauce and a little bit of Sesame Seed Oil too. I did…..delish! No need for cornstarch using these items
Could i use chicken instead? :/ Please Please let me know!
Yes, chicken should work just fine, although I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall texture of this dish.
Just made these and they are to die for! Replaces green onion with onion and ginger with ginger powder ( didn’t have on hand) and they were sooo good!
I love how versatile these are! They could be great as an appetizer OR a meal!
Oh yum, these meatballs look so perfect 🙂 loving the teriyaki!
Made this tonight! I didn’t have green onions so I just chopped round onions instead and this turned out very delicious! Served it with a side of tofu and bak choy stirfry and white rice! Winner!
Yum these look great! That teriyaki glaze looks incredible!
Oh yum, great idea! Plus the kids can help shape meatballs so it’s fun for the whole family!
So…..these are some seriously sexy meatballs!! Totally making these for dinner!
Perfection!!! Looks so so so good!!!
These are perfect for packing for my kids’ lunch!! Your homemade teriyaki sauce looks so delicious. <3
These look like such a crowd pleaser, love the homemade teriyaki sauce!
These look amazing Chung-Ah! As usual 🙂 I’m not sure how you manage to make meatballs in a pan look so appetizing. I’ve been meaning to try your salmon! Going on the list!
I’m trying to eliminate anything corn so I was wondering if you could substitute ARROWROOT for the cornstarch in making the sauce? Looks delish and can’t wait to try..
Lessley, you can certainly use arrowroot in place of the cornstarch but please remember that by using a substitution, I cannot speak for how much this will change in the overall taste or texture of the dish. I recommend using the specified ingredients listed in the recipe whenever possible for optimal results.
This is on this weeks menu to try and love–I’m sure ! I can already hardly wait !
Lovely and I love anything teryaki!
Those meatballs look delicious! I’ll definitely be making these in the near future 🙂
These meatballs look so delicious! There’s something about Teriyaki sauce that I just can’t resist!
Hi Chung-Ah!
Could you tell me what you mean when you say “pressed” for the garlic? Thanks so much!
Sarina, a garlic press is needed for this.
Or a Microplane grater or a pestle & mortar. 🙂
I’m going to be making this! The teriyaki sauce is so easy.
Question – I hate green onion, so is white onion suitable? Love teriyaki sauce never made it before, so I look forward to trying this recipe out.
Germaine, you can certainly use yellow onion in place of the green onion but please remember that by using a substitution, I cannot speak for how much this will change in the overall taste or texture of the dish. I recommend using the specified ingredients listed in the recipe whenever possible for optimal results.
The recipe states corn starch mixture? The ingredients corn starch. What am i mixing it with? Theres already a cup of water added.
Julie, the cornstarch mixture is the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water mixture.
Yes thank you I’m not sure how i completely missed step 2.
I bet that sauce is just drinkable! And gorgeous reflections and images!
Beautiful photos!