My Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs are a crowd-favorite entree spooned over cooked rice or appetizer with toothpicks to serve. We swap ground turkey for a leaner meatball with all the same flavor and texture. The meatballs are moist and savory with an irresistibly sweet-savory, easy homemade Teriyaki sauce. This 30-minute meal will quickly become your family's go-to weeknight dinner and potluck dish.
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT10M
Total time: PT25M
Rating
4.93 stars (163 reviews)
Keywords
teriyaki meatball recipe, teriyaki meatballs
Ingredients
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
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
Sesame seeds and green onion for garnish
Categories
Appetizer
Main Course
Cuisine
Asian
Steps
Preheat - Line a 17x12 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.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 182 kcal
Carbohydrates: 15 g
Protein: 20 g
Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Trans Fat: 0.02 g
Cholesterol: 69 mg
Sodium: 428 mg
Sugar: 11 g
Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
Reviews
Lisa on 2026-04-25 (5 stars): This was delicious! I definitely recommend doubling the sauce for leftovers. Will definitely be making this again. Every recipe I make from NK is a hit!
Susie Kessinger on 2026-03-25 (5 stars): Sooo good! Do you think adding pineapple chunks to the meatballs/sauce on crockpot is a good idea?
Grace on 2026-03-16 (5 stars): Absolutely delicious recipe! My grocer was out of the very lean ground turkey which made my mixture a little more moist, so I quickly sautéed them in a little extra light olive oil before baking them in the oven, which made for a beautiful crust. My husband, ever the meat lover, didn't notice it wasn't ground beef. We both loved the flavor of this dish. I doubled the sauce recipe as I was serving over white rice, and accompanied this with a side of broccolini. This one is definitely going in the rotation! Another amazing recipe by Natasha!
Sherry on 2026-02-03 (5 stars): Another banger of a recipe. Made batches plain and without sauce. Definitely make extra sauce if you're the type that likes super saucy or having with rice that's going to soak up. The flavor is extremely delicious.
After reading another comment I can only suggest maybe theirs we're not flavorful because their spices were past their best by or brand, IDK.
I'm not one to use ground turkey because it's usually bland but gave this recipe a go, because it's Natashas and it didn't disappoint.
Thanks!
Emz on 2026-01-29 (5 stars): I’ve made this before and it’s fabulous. This time I forgot to add the green onions to the meatballs. Can/should I add them to the sauce or just skip it completely?
Miranda on 2026-01-12 (5 stars): One thing I have done is seared the meatballs in a pan to give them a bit of color before finishing them in the oven. They turn out delicious and are great for meal planning
Desiree C Pearce on 2025-10-24 (5 stars): I love your recipes. Whenever I am having company for dinner I always cook one of your recipes because I know it will be a winner!!😊
