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 onions.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: updated an old recipe from my site archives (teriyaki sauce inspiration from here)
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!