Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
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Perfectly seasoned and full of Japanese flavors, these tasty bite-sized Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs are so juicy! Made with a ground chicken mixture and then glazed in yummy teriyaki sauce to finish, they are fantastic served over hot steamed rice for a quick weeknight meal.
Easy Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs Recipe
When most people think of teriyaki sauce they think of Japan. But the truth is that it’s believed that teriyaki sauce was actually created in Hawaii by the Japanese people that immigrated there. Then over the years, variations were created in Japan as well.
But regardless of where teriyaki sauce originated, I love it! With its hints of ginger and garlic and its sweetness from brown sugar or honey. It’s a flavor profile that I like to work with and over the years have developed recipes like my Beef Teriyaki Skewers and Teriyaki Salmon.
Yet, this time when I was thinking of recipes, I wanted to switch things up a bit and do something a little different. And since I love making meatballs, I thought why not take my delicious chicken meatballs and toss them together with some teriyaki sauce!?! The results were amazing and this is now one of my new favorite meals. Not to mention, you can cook these yummy meatballs in the air fryer or oven!
Why You’ll Love These Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
- Quick And Easy! This simple 8-ingredient recipe produces yummy homemade chicken meatballs in 30 minutes with little prep time! You can’t beat that for a weeknight dinner.
- Healthy Tasty Teriyaki! This recipe is teriyaki chicken transformed into delicious bite-size meatballs that are high in protein and low in cholesterol.
- Crowd Pleaser! Your family will love these chicken meatballs over hot rice. But they can also be served at parties as an appetizer or even in a bun.
Meatballs
- Ground Chicken – I used ground chicken to make these meatballs, but you can also use ground turkey if you prefer.
- Green Onions – Freshly chopped green onions are mixed into the ground meat for another layer of flavor.
- Breadcrumbs – Make sure to use plain breadcrumbs. Panko also works too.
- Garlic and Onion Powder – Used to add even more flavor. Feel free to sub with fresh grated onion or fresh garlic cloves.
- Soy Sauce – Used as the salt component of the meatballs, but I still always use a low-sodium soy sauce to control the amount of added sodium.
- Egg – Used to bind the meatballs together.
Other Ingredients
- Teriyaki Sauce – Any brand of store-bought teriyaki sauce will work or you can make your own homemade teriyaki sauce.
- Green Onions – Freshly chopped green onions, also called scallions, are used to garnish the dish.
So tasty and super easy, this recipe is literally as simple as one-two-three with just 3 easy steps! Now, all you have to do is decide if you want to bake or air fry the meatballs!?!
Preheat And Prep The Pan
To start, if you are baking the meatballs you’ll need to preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Yet, if you are air frying, you need to preheat the air fryer to 380°F (193°C). However, whether or not you need to preheat your air fryer depends on your model. So take a look at your manual.
Make The Meat Mixture
Now on to meatball making! First, combine the ground chicken, chopped green onions, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, soy sauce, and egg together in a large bowl. You need to incorporate all the ingredients together really well and I find it’s best done by using my hands. So don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty for this one!
Form The Meatballs
Then once the meat mixture is combined, it’s time to make the meatballs! To do this, scoop out equal portions of the mixture and form small meatballs that are all 1” in diameter. Try your best to make all the balls about the same size and shape for even cooking.
Cook The Chicken Meatballs
To air fry, put the meatballs in the basket of your air fryer. Then put them into the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. To bake, spread them out on the prepared baking sheet and then pop them into the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through.
Note, to be fully cooked the meatballs must have reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) when checked with a digital cooking thermometer. So if they have not reached 165°F after cooking just put them back into the air fryer or oven for a few more minutes and then test the temperature again.
Finish The Meatballs And Serve
When the meatballs are done cooking, transfer them to a skillet and add the teriyaki sauce. Now, simmer them over medium-low heat for just long enough to warm and coat them in the sauce. Finally, garnish with the remaining green onions. Then serve the meatballs over steamed white rice with some veggies like bell pepper and pineapple chunks or with a bowl of my Sesame Noodles.
Can I Use Other Types Of Ground Meat?
Yes! You can also use ground turkey, ground beef, or ground pork to make the meatballs. You could even use a mixture of different types of ground meats.
Can I Fry The Meatballs?
Yes, of course! Once the meatballs are made just add some vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium. Then add the meatballs to the pan in a single layer and cook until well browned on all sides and fully cooked.
Air Fryer I Used
COSORI Air Fryer (Recipes Included), Large Oilless Oven Cooker with 8 Cooking Guide, Deluxe Temperature Control, Nonstick Basket, ETL Listed, 5.8QT, Knob-BLACK
Expert Tips
- Do not salt the meat mixture. There is no need to add salt to the ground meat mixture. The soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and breadcrumbs have enough salt in them to season the meatballs.
- Use your hands. The most effective tool for both mixing the ground meat and forming the meatballs is your hands. You can always use gloves if you don’t like touching meat.
- Temp the chicken meatballs. For food safety, use an instant-read digital meat thermometer to ensure that your meatballs are fully cooked and have reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C).
Storage
Teriyaki chicken meatballs will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, simply put them in the microwave for a few minutes on medium heat or in the oven at 350°F (176°C) for about 10 minutes. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Make Ahead
You can easily make this recipe ahead of time. Just form the meatballs, wrap them well in plastic wrap, and then either store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then when you are ready to serve, simply cook the meatballs as instructed in the recipe and finish the dish. However, if you froze the meatballs you will need to let them thaw out overnight in the fridge before cooking them.
Other Delicious Meatballs You’ll Love
- Meatball Parmesan
- Salisbury Steak Meatballs
- Swedish Meatballs
- Meatball Banh Mi Bowls
- Butter Chicken Meatballs
- Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
- Meatball Sliders
- Sweet And Sour Meatballs
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Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 4 green onions (chopped)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 large egg
Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
- ¾ cup teriyaki sauce
- 2 green onions (chopped)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl. Form the meatballs into small 1 inch balls.
- Place the meatballs in the basket of your air fryer and air fry for 10 minutes at 380°F. To bake, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Transfer the meatballs to a skillet and pour the teriyaki sauce over. Cook over medium-low heat until the sauce is heated through. Garnish with remaining chopped green onions and serve over cooked rice.
Notes
- Do not salt the meat mixture. There is no need to add salt to the ground meat mixture. The soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and breadcrumbs have enough salt in them to season the meatballs.
- Use your hands. The most effective tool for both mixing the ground meat and forming the meatballs is your hands. You can always use gloves if you don’t like touching meat.
- Temp the chicken meatballs. For food safety, use an instant-read digital meat thermometer to ensure that your meatballs are fully cooked and have reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C).
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Hubby and I loved this! Eve. Better next day. I made my own teriyaki using a high quality sauvignon blanc instead of Chinese wine. Also went a little lighter on the brown sugar. Absolute game changer as I typically don’t like teriyaki. Can’t wait to make more sauce and try it on salmon.
This was the first of your recipes I’ve tried and it was a win! The meatballs were very flavourful despite having only a few pantry-staple ingredients. I found the teriyaki sauce to be too salty (maybe it was the brand I used?) so served with kewpie mayo which I thought was a tasty addition. I’ll be adding this to the regular rotation. Thanks Jo, can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
My pleasure, Amber. Yeah I always go with the low sodium soy sauce, otherwise everything is going to be just too salty.
I get the impression the teriyaki sauce has to be made up for this recipe and not simply poured out of a teriyaki sauce bottle, am I correct? Would like a response please, herlen644@gmail.com
You can use a store bought teriyaki sauce or make your own, up to you.
Family loved it! Thought I stopped at a Chinese restaurant! Didn’t have green onions, so went with some veggies instead. Will be doing this yummy dish again soon.
They look great, glad you enjoyed them!
Really good. Doubled it and cooked meatballs in the oven.
I love this recipe , super yummy and healthy ❤️ No oil needed ., Thank you so much @jocooks . I am a follower , i am always having a hard time to think what’s gonna cook for my family for a meal they are tired of eating my recipe again and again and again 😁but now that i found you i am grateful , you really are a big help to a mom like me🙏 .
Thanks, Eden! I’m so glad I can help! 🙂
Really good recipe. Loved it. The meatballs came out perfect in the air fryer
Wonderful recipe! Easy and quick to make with superb results. Since I doubled the recipe, I baked the meatballs in the oven – delicious!!