Skillet Teriyaki Meatballs
Looking for a spin on a classic meatball recipe? These tender, saucy, teriyaki meatballs are the perfect solution and are super quick to prepare!
These delectable teriyaki meatballs have been buried in the archives of my site for six years and it’s high time they got another minute in the spotlight.
There’s no question these meatballs are a huge favorite around here.
As in, they’re in a dead heat with this alfredo sauce for which meal gets requested the most for the kids’ birthday dinners.
Over the years, I’ve made some changes here and there to the sauce (for flavor and consistency); I’ve detailed my changes in the notes of the recipe, so make sure to read through those if you are looking for the “original” – and don’t panic, today’s version is not all that different from teriyaki meatballs six years ago.
Just a little refined. And hello, new pictures.
Meatballs have never looked so good.
I’ve learned I can’t invite polite company over for this super simple teriyaki meatball meal (or meatball meals of any kind, really), because my kids are heathens as they race to skewer meatball after meatball to load up their plates.
I’ve even been known to lay down a strict rule that no one at the table can eat more meatballs than their current age. Gotta set limits somehow, someway.
I do have a grocery budget after all.
We serve these teriyaki meatballs over rice, quinoa, and sometimes just by their lonesome (with a few other side dishes).
Here are a few other meatball recipes we love:
Skillet Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Rice
Skillet Swedish Meatballs
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
What To Serve With This:
Hot, cooked rice, quinoa or couscous
Simple Skillet Green Beans
Skillet Teriyaki Meatballs
Ingredients
Sauce:
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, can use white vinegar as a sub
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Meatballs:
- 2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup bread crumbs, I usually use panko
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, use the lesser amount if using ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sliced green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- For the sauce, in a medium bowl or in a liquid measuring cup, whisk together all the sauce ingredients until smooth (can use a blender for this, if desired). Set aside.
- For the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients, except the 1 tablespoon oil and the green onions, and mix until well-combined (I usually ditch any utensil and just get my hands in there to do the mixing). Form the mixture into meatballs about an inch or two in size.
- In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Add the meatballs in a single layer to the hot skillet and brown on all sides, turning with a pair of tongs. The meatballs don’t need to be completely cooked through, just equally browned on all sides.
- Pour the sauce ingredients over the meatballs and gently turn the meatballs to coat them in the sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook about 10-15 minutes, stirring every once in a while to carefully turn the meatballs and coat them in the sauce, until the meatballs are cooked through. If the sauce becomes overly thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin.
- Serve the meatballs and sauce over hot, cooked rice, quinoa or couscous, if desired. Garnish with green on
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: updated an old recipe from my site archives (teriyaki sauce inspiration from here)
188 Comments on “Skillet Teriyaki Meatballs”
Hey Mel. Apologies if this is already buried in the comments. But I am trying to find a meal to take to a friend who just had heart surgery. I want to make these but will need to freeze them. I would imagine I could make the whole dish all the way through and just freeze with sauce and it would be fine. Then they can just pull it out and heat it up when they want it. What do you think?
Yes, I think that would work great!
Umm yummy! My husband’s favorite meal right now!!!
My 11 yr old HATES meatballs and complains every time I make them. I made these tonight and she ate them without even a comment. When I noticed that her plate was bare, she said “don’t ever make your boring meatballs again . . . only make these”! Hi praise coming from a picky eater. The rest of the family enjoyed these too! The only downside was that I wasn’t able to get all the meatballs in my 12-in skillet (plus it made 23!). . . so I cooked what I could and cooked the remainder afterwards and added them to the sauce after we had eaten some. Thanks for another terrific recipe.
These were fantastic! I had printed this recipe long ago and finally got around to making it! I should have made it ages ago, will absolutely be making this again! Thanks Mel!
Hello!
Awesome recipe. Thank you.
Made for my elderly father today . When I hear the fork and knife clinking against the bowl to get the last morsels, know we have a winning recipe.
Again thank you!
ym
this is really good! not for diabetics though (my blood sugar shot up really high) but my hubby and kids absolutely loved this.
thank you for the recipe!
We loved this! We were sick all Christmas
and my son was in the ER after passing out from lack of nourishment with zero appetite – I served this tonight over drained ramen to tempt him to eat – he ignored the ramen and devoured 6 big meatballs and asked for leftovers in his lunch – hurrah! Thanks for turning his appetite around with this recipe ! You rock. I am now going back to your ‘best’ sections for other fab recipes we haven’t tried.
That is super traumatic, Rachel! I’m glad your son is ok!
Lucky for us – turning to your new recipes he hasn’t had before is working wonders in kick starting his appetite again- he devoured your chicken cordon blue panini tonight – Whoot! Egg roll skillet tomorrow – Thanks for all you do!!!
These meatballs are one of my family’s favorites!! The first couple times I did it in the skillet which was fantastic. Then decided to try it in the instant pot, I add meatballs & sauce, high pressure for 10 min. Same great meatballs! Over Christmas break I was able to double the recipe for my family I had in town and it didn’t really add any extra work with the instant pot. So great!! Thank you Mel for doing your food blog/recipe site. We use so many of your recipes!!
That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing!
Michelle – When you did it in the Instant Pot did you brown/sear the meatballs first or just scoop them in and drop the sauce and go? If you dropped them without searing, were you able to layer them when you doubled it or did you do two batches? Totally intrigued!
Did you still brown the meatballs before putting in the IP?
I used the sauce recipe from this to make a skillet chicken ramen with the millet and brown rice ramen from Costco. It was delicious!
Oh, yum! Sounds fantastic!
Quick question.. was thinking I’d half the recipe for 3 people. Does the 2 lb meat really only make 16 meatballs??
They are on the larger size – you could make smaller meatballs.
These are great. We like them with the ground turkey!
Is this recipe saucy enough to eat these over rice.. we love saucy recipes!
You can double the sauce if you like it extra saucy!
I make these delicious meatballs twice a month. It’s something all my kids eat and never complain when I announce I’m making meatballs for dinner! My son also loooooves this sauce and has tried numerous teriyaki sauces and always says it never compares to this one. On top of it all.. It’s SO fast and simple. I almost always have all the ingredients on hand so it makes for a quick meal if I’m unprepared. My daughter loves to take them in her lunch the next day. Thanks so much for the never ending supply of delicious recipes!!
Delicious! Definitely a keeper! Question: if I wanted to make ahead for a potluck, how would I adapt for slow cooker? Add meatballs and sauce to the crock and finish cooking or just cook to complete and transfer to keep warm?
If it were me, I’d probably transfer them to the slow cooker to keep warm after they have cooked all the way.
Could this be made in the instant pot? If so what would I need to do to make it cook up delish?!
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure – sorry!
I’m slowly cooking my way through your blog, and have yet to try a recipe that is not delicious. This is another keeper for sure! I often wonder why you don’t have a show on the food network…
You are so sweet, Colleen! Thanks so much for this comment. Happy to know you are enjoying the recipes! It honestly made my day.
I have a son with a milk allergy, is there anything that I could sub out for the egg and milk? These sound so good!
I haven’t tried that but you could try using a flax seed sub (you can google for how to sub that in for eggs) and/or using almond milk, maybe?
I want to make some for upcoming beach trip, if I brown them and cool them and freeze them is that ok? Or should I freeze them uncooked? Suggestions please
If it were me, I would freeze them after they had been cooked through and cooled.
Thank you for the recipe I appreciate it. My sauce was so watery I’m not sure what I did wrong.
So delicious! Served with some jasmine rice. 3, 6 and 7 year old loved the meatballs! as did hubby and myself.
These are a staple in my household and they are absolutely delicious
This recipe was delicious! My husband and I ate every chicken meatball I made. I will be making it again.
My nine year old daughter couldn’t get enough of these. thanks for the recipe!!
Never in my motherhood experience have all my children asked for seconds! This was a great recipe for the whole family that is definitely going into our rotation for dinner. Thanks for making meals that I know my kids will at least try… And now maybe even ask for seconds
So I don’t have the time (or patience) to read through all the comments so this may have already been addressed but…How do you make the meatballs and not have them fall to pieces once you turn them once in the skillet?? I consider myself a decent cook but man, I cannot master skillet meatballs!!
Try using less liquid in the recipe (or change the brand of turkey/ground beef). Some brands are super soft/watery.
Hi! This might be a dumb question, but should I have drained off the fat before adding the sauce?
Thanks!
Brianna
It really depends on how lean the meat is. If there’s a lot of grease, then yes, you might want to drain first.
Holy crap these were good! Your skillet meatball recipes are always my go-to for weeknight dinners 🙂
Amazing!!
Mel, in your opinion, would cutting the water in half make it too salty? I made these awhile back, and while the flavor was nice, it was far too much liquid for the amount of meatballs, even after letting it cook down for awhile.
That should work just fine!
I made these last night! They were so easy and I could not believe how tender the meatballs were. My icky toddler wouldn’t partake but my picky husband gave them a thumbs up so I call them a win!
We loved these! (Including the 4- and 2-year-old.) I don’t love ground turkey, but love the price compared to ground beef, so I buy it anyway. This is an excellent recipe to use turkey. I was worried that the mixture was too wet (even with the lesser amount of milk), but it turned out just great. I will definitely make these again.
These were AWESOME! The whole family loved them; even the picky 20 month old baby was squawking for more. They are going in our regular rotation of meals. THANKS MEL!!!
Is there a link the old version? I’d like to print it and put it in my archives. My family doesn’t care for the new version. Thanks 🙂
The old sauce recipe was as follows (very minor changes as compared to the updated version):
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Mel, Bless you and THANK YOU for your tips and extra explanations in your recipes! These meatballs are amazing, and ever since I found your blog, my husband doesn’t get nervous when I’m making a new recipe off the I internet (your blog has replaced my random Pinterest recipe pins, which failed at least 50% of the time). I was a terrible cook, and now thanks to your extra guidance and pictures, I am finally holding my own in the kitchen (I even make bread now!!!!). I wish I would have found you 7 years ago right when I got married, and my husband would never know I missed cooking 101 growing up:) Blessings to you and your family! Thanks again:)
You are so cute, Andrea! Thank you for such a nice comment. I am THRILLED you are rocking it in the kitchen! That makes me so happy. 🙂
I just found this page on pinterest when I was looking for new ideas to use ground beef. I’m going to try the stroganoff recipe (the one that doesnt use the canned soup) as well. Thanks for doing these. We looked and we had all the ingredients on hand for both except 2 items each. What a pennysaver. Thanks again.
Me again, I made the meatballs but they were huge! and a bit too dense for me i did enjoy the sauce a lot tho
Amazing recipe! This has been in my binder for a few months and I so wish I had made it sooner. A new favorite for my family!!
*Balls
Hi Mel, we love your site! How long would you say it takes you to make the meat bakks from scratch?
Thank you from Bermuda!
Probably just 10-15 minutes to mix up all the ingredients. 🙂
I came on here looking for a new meatball recipe and ended up printing 4! Thanks Mel!
Ugh…don’t mess with a good thing. The original meatballs have always been a favorite at my house. Making them tonight and trying to use the original recipe (hope I read all the notes correctly) because we liked it just the way it was. Do you have a link to the original? We are a ‘if it isn’t broke don’t fix it kind of family’
The changes to the recipe are minor, Sara. I think you’ll still really enjoy it. The original had 1/2 cup sugar, no rice vinegar, 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch and it didn’t specify low-sodium soy sauce. That’s about it.
I agree, I loved the old version. When I made the new one my husband said, “don’t make this again.”
What’s your recommendation for doing this as a freezer meal?
I’m not sure since I haven’t tried it, Lindsay. Maybe freeze the meatballs in the sauce once it’s cooked and then cooled and then reheat? Or you could try freezing the meatballs and sauce separately and then thawing and simmering to combine and heat.
Ok, thanks! I will give it a go.
YUMMY! I made these for dinner last night and we loved them. Thanks for another great recipe!
I’m surprised we did not love these. They were fine, but husband said they lacked flavor. I’m a huge meatball fan, but I think I’m not a huge fan of Teriyaki? But off to try another recipe!
Hey Mel, do you double this to feed your family? You mentioned how your kids eat a lot of it but then I saw a comment saying you had one serving leftover so I’m confused. Is 16 meatballs enough for 7 people? 2-3 per person? I’m just trying to figure out how much I need for my family of 6! Thanks!
Hi Sarah – some of the comments in the thread are from several years ago since the recipe has been on my site for a long time. I don’t double this for my family – I just make it as written and either make smaller meatballs or just cut the kids off after they’ve had plenty of meatballs. 🙂 It definitely feeds our family of 7 just fine. If you want three meatballs per person, just make them a little smaller.
Thank you! I’m excited to try them tonight!
Made these tonight and loved them!!! My son (almost 2 yrs old) ate plenty more than his age, but I did make smaller meatballs (I got 18 out of a half recipe). They were delicious, thanks!
This was dinner tonight, and it was delicious! I used ground turkey (Jennie-O brand). The meatballs were so tender. I think they would be yummy in a marinara sauce as well. The sweet/tangy teriyaki sauce is great, and just the right consistency. Thanks, Mel!
Can you freeze the meatballs?
Yes.
Yum! Thanks for another winner dinner!
I’ve looked at this recipe several times and when you reposted it this week I knew it was time for me to try it! They were delicious and my husband was surprised at how much he liked them. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi, Mel! I’m planning on making this recipe tonight or tomorrow. I’m confused about the sauce. Do you use the 2 step method from the original sauce recipe? Or do all the sauce ingredients get mixed together, and then added all at once to the skillet? I have stir fry recipes using both methods, so I think either would work. I’m just wondering which you use. The comments have left me confused. Thanks!!
The recipe has been updated since it was originally posted in 2006 which is why you see comments about mixing the sauce separately. The directions, as listed in the posted recipe, work great – I mix all the ingredients together and add to the meatballs.
Thank you! I will be happy to make these the new way. Seems a lot simpler! Can’t wait to taste these. DH loves any kind of meatball.
Made these tonight and loved them! So did my two and four year olds, which is a big win 😉 Halved the recipe and used extra honey instead of the sugar.
Hi Mel !
This recipe is really amazing ! It tastes better than chinese restaurant. Children loved it, it’s sweet but not too much.
Thank you.
I’m wondering about transitioning this to a crockpot recipe. Think it would work?
I think it’s definitely worth a try, especially if you are using lean ground meat (so there isn’t a lot of excess grease).
I made these meatballs last night. Super easy, quick and delicious. Easily cut the recipe in half and would definitely make them again. I added finely chopped onion to the meat mixture and they turned out just sooo tasty with the sauce. Thanks for the recipe!
I found your original recipe last fall, made it, loved it, and made it again a few times at the request of some missionaries who happened to stay in our area for several months. : ) I think I’m going to love it even more with the slight changes you’ve made. I don’t comment nearly as often as I should, but I really do want to thank you. I’ve added so many recipes from your site to our “regular rotation” of meals. And when I’m hankering to try something new, I usually start here because I’ve learned I can trust your recipes. I truly can’t thank you enough for all your hard work and your willingness to share your talent!
Thank you so much, Lindsey!
Perfection! Thank you! I am so glad I didn’t miss out on this recipe! Now I am worried about all of the other recipes I may have missed!!! 🙂
PS Served these over spaghetti squash because it’s what I had on hand… VERY good. That sauce really makes everything heavenly!
I made this tonight–super delicious! The meatballs were super tender and we loved the sauce. I served it over rice and loved the combo. Thanks!
I love your blog Mel! When you make these do you typically use ground beef or ground turkey. If you use ground beef, I’m curious as to what type of beef you buy? I try to buy lean beef but the texture is not the best.
Thanks, Karen! For the last little while I’ve been using our own ground beef from cows we’ve raised in our back pasture. It’s delicious but not as lean as storebought (and I usually have to drain off excess grease). Before that, I usually used the Costco organic ground beef or ground turkey.
About how many servings? Will try over Memorial weekend if it feeds a lot!
It kind of depends on who’s eating (kids or adults), but we eat this for dinner as a family of 7 and it feeds all of us with maybe one serving leftover (and often, none leftover).
Mel, I love your recipes! Do you have any thoughts on how to make these meatballs without the egg? My daughter has an egg allergy, but we miss having meatballs! Eggs seem pretty important to meatballs, and I’m just not sure a flax or chia egg would hold them together. Any ideas you have would be great – thank you!!
Hi Kristin – that’s a great question! And I think it’s totally possible. The meatball recipe I use for this skillet dish could definitely be swapped in for these teriyaki meatballs (and they’re egg-free). Just omit the lemon zest and parsley and use the seasonings from the teriyaki meatball recipe.
Thank you so very much! I look forward to trying this very soon 🙂
I made these tonight and cooked them waaaaay longer than the recipe says to because I couldn’t get the meatballs brown all the way through. Are they supposed to be pink inside? I don’t know what I did wrong. Flavor was good, but the sauce did not benefit from the ultra-long cooking time.
If you are using ground turkey or pork (instead of ground beef), the meat inside will be a little lighter in color.
When I make this the sauce is more like a glaze. Thoughts?
Try cutting down on the cornstarch a little – it will help it have a more saucy texture.
I haven’t made anything this great in so long. And the meatballs are perfect and the couscous UNBELIEVABLE.
Thank You
Made this tonight for dinner! It was delicious! Another great recipe! Thank you!
I am making the whole batch and going to freeze some. They are delicious but I am saving some for next time. 🙂 Should I brown them and then freeze? I figured I wouldn’t want to freeze them uncooked, right? Thanks!
Yep, I’d probably brown and then freeze (mostly so the meatballs will hold their shape and not get all mushy).
Mel, these were so delicious. We enjoyed them so much. I used all ground turkey breast and omitted the salt, but those were the only changes I made. The sauce was really excellent and I love how it was a perfect consistency to coat the meatballs. I made them with steamed carrots and steamed brown rice. I just love all of your meatball recipes!
I tried this and they are great. Also made rice. After I browned the meatballs, I removed them and put them into a crockpot. Made the sauce and poured it over. I also covered with about four cups chopped veggies. I used carrots, celery, red, yellow and orange peppers, and onions. Cover on high about 45minutes. As tir veggies into sauce and serve. Awesome!! Thank you for sharing!!!!
We just ate these tonight and the critics rated it a 9.5, a 8.5 and a 7.5 ( out of 10). This is high praise in our house and even the lowest scorer ate all on her plate. I’ll be serving up these again.
Another GREAT recipe! Thanks again! 🙂
These were /fantastic/, and so easy to make. My whole family loved them– even my mom, who doesn’t usually like ground beef at all. XD
These were awesome! Thank you! Since i didn’t have any worchestershire sauce, I replaced it with the teriyaki sauce mix and it added nice flavor to the meatballs. I also added some parsley and chopped green onion. This will make a great potluck dish also!
Sweet Caroline these were great!! I was hooked the first time I Made your sweet and sour chicken! I love your site, thanks for sharing!
I loved your Teriyaki sauce recipe! I liked it so much, I wanted to drink it. Seriously. 🙂 I had everything on hand which is always a plus AND it thickened up nicely. I subbed the ground beef for ground turkey as I just got a stellar deal at the grocery store. The meatballs were moist and I liked that there was extra sauce to put over the cous cous. I halved the recipe since it was my first time trying it, but next time I will follow your amounts exactly and will try to freeze.
Very yummy dish, the family loved it :D! Thank you~
These were soooo good. My granddaughter didn’t adhere to the “rule” of meatballs to age… She ate 7 and she is 3, (and doesn’t eat a whole lot of meat.) What a hit!! Will absolutely be making these again and again. Considering on making a batch and taking them to a house party next weekend! Thank you for a great recipe that is super easy to prepare!
Trish 🙂
Yum! Have made this twice now….once with meatballs, once with chicken breast pieces. Next time I’m going to try the sauce with medium-rare sirloin and broccoli.
Dee – I don’t know because I’ve never tried it. Good luck if you do!
Hi,
Can these be made in a crockpot?
Hey Mel- just wanted to let you know that I substituted Turkey Burger and it worked pretty darn well! They were a TEENY bit on the dry side, but not bad at all. I am not sure how to change that but I would still make them again with the Turkey Burger the way they were.
Do you every substitute Turkey Burger in any of your recipes?
I LOVE your site…You have become a staple in my kitchen!! We’ve loved ALL of the recipes we’ve tried.
Can I use the teriyaki sauce as dipping sauce for sushi?
Brenda – I don’t know – you’ll have to try it out to see how you like it.
I put frozen meatballs in the crockpot, then poured the teriyaki sauce over the meatballs, giving them a good mix, and planning on cooking for quite a while on low. I made the sauce in a sauce pan and simered for about 10 min. I then added a little more corn strach than the recipe called for, but this sauce thickens nicely. looking good so far.
Wow! These were delicious & were a huge hit with the whole family! These are definitely going in to our regular dinner rotation. I served with white rice & roasted sesame green beans. Thank you for a terrific recipe.
Delish!!! Everyone enjoyed…even my picky son. 🙂
Thank you for a recipe that doesn’t say “bottle of teriyaki sauce” !!!! 🙂
Hi, I jus stopped in to let yall kno I used this recipe tonight for dinner and it came out excellent. I only made 9 meatballs but the recipe still worked. Thank u!
Hi,
I used your sauce recipe for my mini teriyaki meatballs and they were delicious! I will be posting it on my blog soon and of course I will put a link to you!
Thanks for a great recipe!
These were terrific! I really dislike the grape jelly/meatball combo, but love teriyaki sauce, so imagine my delight when I found this recipe! My mom even liked these, even though she says she doesn’t like teriyaki sauce (she dislikes a lot of things, so I usually lie and say they’re not in what I made ;-). Thanks for a delicious recipe!
I made these for dinner tonight! Yum! The roommate declared these as “make-again-able.” I froze the meatballs a week about two weeks ago, pulled them it to defrost in the fridge last night, and mad the sauce when I got home from work today. Served over brown rice, they were amazing! Thanks for another great recipe! (btw- left out the garlic due to allergies, and they still had great flavor!)
Loved these. I’ve also used the teriyaki sauce part in other dishes, like yesterday I threw some stew meat into the crock pot with the teriyaki, then added some steamed veggies and rice. So tender and yummy!
I am an avid follower of your blog; you are the first place I go when I’m looking for a new recipe. Last night I made these meatballs, and I have got to tell you that they are the best darned meatballs that I have ever tasted. The funniest part was about half way through the meal, one of my boys turned to me and asked, “Did you get this recipe from Mel’s blog?” (you’ve gained a reputation for yourself in my house!), to which I answered “Yes!”. My eight year old responded with “Ahhh…we love Mel around here, don’t we Mommy!”
Thanks for the great recipes!!!
Hahahaha.. I’m way late to your comment, but just had to laugh. Mel is on a first-name basis in my house, too!
Hi!
Could I try baking the meatballs in the oven? Would I still need to brown the meatballs? When would I pour the sauce over the meatballs?
Thanks!
Anna – I’ve never baked these in the oven but I suppose you could (hoping the sauce still thickens up). I would still brown the meatballs and then place them in a baking dish. I would also thicken the sauce up on the stove, pour it over the meatballs and bake at 350 for maybe 20 minutes (checking often)?
I’m old enough to be your boy’s great grandfather and I doubt I could eat 5 meatballs. Well, maybe I could if I ate nothing else.
OMGosh…who’d a thunk a meatball could be so lovable?! Fantastic! Thank you!
THESE ARE SOOO GOOOOOD!!!
Thanks, Brittany!
I just made these for the family plus a guest and it was a big hit! The sauce is mouthwatering and the meatballs were so tender.
Mia – glad you liked this one!
Well, I tried this recipe tonight! I was super excited about it and, …. my sauce would not thicken??? Help! I followed the recipe exact! Since the sauce didnt thicken or glaze, my rice was mush! 🙁 Im so disappointed. But I do want to try again!
Lisa – I’m sorry that your sauce didn’t thicken! The trick with cornstarch is to mix cornstarch with a cold liquid (in this case, cold water) and then add it to a hot liquid or bring it to a boil. For some reason, the cornstarch doesn’t thicken if added directly into a hot liquid without being dissolved in a cold liquid first. If you followed that step…well, then I’m not sure why it didn’t thicken! Did you let it come to a full rolling boil after adding the cornstarch slurry?
I made this for dinner the other day and they were a big hit! I halved the amount of meat, but kept the amount of sauce the same. I served them with rice. My husband even had some for breakfast the next day. 🙂
I did not have bread crumbs on hand, so I used crushed up Club Crackers instead.
On a side note, I got rid of the last of my Progresso bread crumbs b/c they had high fructose corn syrup in them. Really? That stuff is in everything. I’m going to look for a different brand or just make my own.
Thanks again for another great recipe!
Ruchita – thanks for checking in on this recipe and including your changes. HFCS in bread crumbs? Seriously? Aargh! Good for you for getting rid of them. I usually keep the crusts of my bread in the freezer to grind up for bread crumbs when I need them – and now I know to check labels on store-brands before I buy them, too!
I tried these last night. I halved the recipe since it was just 2 of us…but now I wish I made the full recipe so I could have some leftover! They were gooooooood! I made them with couscous and asparagus. I will definitely be making these again…I especially love the sauce!
Hi Kimiko – thanks for being so faithful about checking in and commenting on the recipes you’ve tried! I’m glad you liked these teriyaki meatballs!
I cheated and used some frozen pre made meatballs in the freezer; tossed them in the crockpot, whipped the sauce up on the stovetop, poured it over the meatballs in the crockpot and transported it to dinner. Then amazingly watched my 2 year old eat probably 15…..!!! Okay maybe not 15 but he was downing them quick! Loved the recipe!
Kaleena – you are so cute and funny. I’m glad these were a hit (especially with your darling 2-year old). Thanks for letting me know your changes!
WOW another great recipe from your site that my whole family loves. I think i may have added too much brown sugar but I was the only one who noticed, everyone looooved it. It was a lot for our family of 4 (one is still eating baby food…) so we had it for lunch the next day. I just had mine with calrose rice, my fav. Thanks for the great recipe!
AngelaMarie – I’m really happy that these meatballs were such a hit with your family (and that you were still able to enjoy them for lunch the next day). Thanks for letting me know!
These are fantastic!! The whole family loved them. Thanks to these meatballs my son now thinks that I am a chef! haha. Thanks again for another fantastic recipe. I think this blog is going to become my cookbook for life!
Thanks, Kensi! Glad these meatballs were a hit and that your son gave you such high props! That is very cute.
Nicole – glad these worked out despite the error in the recipe. Thanks for the tip on elk meat…I bet there are quite a few around that have that in their freezer, too!
I was suprised too! Thanks! Well the meatballs turned out great (even with the small whoops- apparently nobody else made that mistake). I love all your meatball recipes because my kids eat them like crazy! Also I actually made these with elk meat (our freezer is stocked from Kevs hunt trip this fall), so if anybody asks it tastes just as great with elk meat too 🙂
Nicole – good question! I’m surprised you are the first to catch this. I’ve edited the recipe. You still want to dissolve the cornstarch and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. I eliminated cornstarch from being thrown in with the first group of ingredients. Hope that helps!
HEy Mel!
I’m making this tonight, but you say to add the cornstarch in with the sauce, and then say to do a seperate bowl of cold water and cornstarch… you only have 1 cornstarch listed so I’m confused. Do you put the 3 T in with the sauce and then again with the cornstarch? Let me know
Rachel – glad these made your husband happy!
I made these for the second time last night, and my husband and kids loved them. Anything slightly Chinese-y makes my husband happy!
Lauren – that is high praise! Thank you.
I just made this tonight with your cous cous, and this might be the best dinner I’ve had in a long time. YUM! THanks!
Thanks, Camille!
Don’t know why it took me so long to try these, but we LOVED them! Thanks!
Sook sent me over here. Great recipe. I’ll be trying it for sure!
Shirley – I saw that Sook posted these on her blog as well and am glad you found your way over here.
Melissa – glad you liked these! Thanks for letting me know.
I made these tonight – they were great!! Thanks for the printable on it too.
Hi Sook, thanks for posting this recipe. I have always wanted to make this. We have a Japanese franchise outlet here in Singapore that sells all these Yakitori stuff.. the sauce was the item to die for and I always wondered about it. Now, thanks to you, I have a starting point! 🙂
Samantha – glad you liked these. Thanks for letting me know!
Sook – I’m excited that these meatballs were a hit – hopefully your little boy liked them, too!
I made these tonight! It was excellent! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
They look great! Have you ever stuffed meatballs with cheese for spaghetti? My kids love them. I have also made them smaller..bite size.
Awesome – I’m always looking for different ideas for meatballs. We have a bunch in our freezer that I pre-made, then froze. Just to add some sauce & cook!
Yum! I was just looking for something to serve at a little party at my house. These will make the menu!
I need to print this recipe right now…my hubby would love these! Yum.
I’m laughing at the “can only eat meatballs to your current age” comment! I guess this is good news for me!
These look divine! Let’s hope that my son eats his age in meatballs!
Wow. Those look fabulous! I like teriyaki too and aren’t you lucky your son and husband do as well.
No way could I eat my age in meatballs! 😉
like they say on dora, yum yum yum, delicioso!
These meatballs look amazing!! YUM!!
I am making these Monday for sure. I am excited because I have never eaten or made couscous, but I can tell I’ve missed out!
I had to make these for lunch today and they were delcious! I was too lazy (too many kids = no time) to make the meatballs from scratch, so I used frozen ones. But the sauce is so good! I also love all of your other recipes that I have tried. On my list is your caramels that someday I will find time to make. Thanks so much for sharing all these great recipes! I really appreciate it!
Yummo! Love your meatballs in cream sauce, and I can’t wait to try this one. 🙂
Can’t wait to try these! Your sweet & sour meatballs are already a favorite in our house. I’m sure these will be added to the list!!
I just found your blog this week and have already made 3 of your recipes… the tortelli Chicken casserole, the Teriyaki Meatballs and the oatmeal pancake mix. Everything is delicious! Thank you for sharing your time and talents. You’ve inspired me to cook (and blog) again 🙂
Cheme’-I don’t think you are lazy – just practical…and that’s not a bad thing! I’m glad you liked the teriyaki sauce with the meatballs.
Tracy B – I’m happy you found my blog and am glad the recipes haven’t disappointed so far. Thanks for letting me know!
atta boy! i have a feeling i’d put him to shame, as i can see myself eating five at one time. yeah, it’d be a mouthful, but i could do it. 🙂
These were awesome. I made them last night for dinner. The recipe is easy to cut in half too. Now I can’t wait to try out the other meatball recipes – thanks!
Steph – thanks for your comment letting me know that you liked these! I hope you like the other meatball recipes, too.
We had these the other day for dinner – they were awesome! Thanks for the great recipe!