Teriyaki Meatballs
These Teriyaki Meatballs are a great family friendly weeknight meal. The meatballs are packed with chopped scallions, garlic and ginger, oven baked and then smothered in a sticky homemade teriyaki sauce. They are a great make ahead dish that freezes well too. These Paleo Teriyaki Meatballs are Whole30, Dairy Free, Grain Free and Gluten Free.
WHY YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THESE TERIYAKI MEATBALLS
- These aren’t your average meatballs, they are loaded with flavor, moist and tender in texture and so dang tasty.
- These teriyaki meatballs are baked in the oven, not fried on the stove top which means they are healthier but also much more moist in texture.
- These teriyaki meatballs are guaranteed to be a hit with the whole family, even picky kids! Or alternatively serve them with toothpicks as an appetizer for a fancy cocktail party or game day spread.
- They are great for meal prep, so make them on a Monday and enjoy them all week long and then freeze leftovers for a quick meal in the future.
TIPS FOR MAKING THESE TERIYAKI MEATBALLS
- Roughly chop the ginger rather than grate it. When the ginger is grated it blends into the meat and loses some of its flavour, chopping it into small pieces allows the ginger to stand out amongst the ground meat, plus it adds a bit of crunchy texture which I love.
- Don’t be afraid to get messy! Use your hands when mixing up the meatball ingredients, it’s the best way to ensure everything gets well incorporated.
- Add the almond flour in portions, start with 1/3 cup and mix it well before adding a bit more. You want the mixture to bind together without becoming too dry.
- Use an ice cream scoop to form uniform sized meatballs, this will help to ensure that they cook evenly. If you don’t have an ice cream soup a large spoon would also work.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the flavours by adding more sweetener or vinegar as needed.
ARE THESE TERIYAKI MEATBALLS SPICY?
No there is actually no spice in the meatballs or sauce which makes them perfect for kids. That being said if you want to give them a bit of spice I recommend adding a finely diced fresno chile to the meatball mixture or alternatively you can add a pinch (or more!) of chile powder to the sauce or 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha.
HOW TO SERVE THESE TERIYAKI MEATBALLS
These Paleo Teriyaki Meatballs can be served as a main meal or appetizer. You can serve them with toothpicks and extra teriyaki on the side for dipping as a canape or in lettuce cups with cucumber and carrots as bite sized tacos. For dinner I like serving these teriyaki meatballs over cauliflower rice (or regular rice) or rice noodles with broccoli, stir fried veggies or sliced cucumber on the side.
CAN I USE A DIFFERENT MEAT?
I really like the flavour and texture of these meatballs thanks to the combination of half ground pork and half ground beef. If you don’t eat pork and/or beef feel free to use ground turkey or ground chicken in place of pork, or do 50% pork and 50% chicken/turkey or use all beef or all pork. The flavours will still be good any way that you do it.
CAN I OMIT THE EGG?
I highly recommend using an egg in the meatball mixture so that they remain moist and tender. If you have an egg allergy you can omit the egg although the meatballs will be more dense in texture (but the flavour will be exactly the same!).
ARE THESE TERIYAKI MEATBALLS WHOLE30?
The meatballs are Whole30 and with one simple modification the teriyaki sauce can be made Whole30 compliant too. Soak 3 pitted medjool dates in very hot water for 3-5 minutes. Once they are soft, remove them from the water and place them in a blender with the garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos and chicken stock and blend until smooth.
CAN I MAKE THESE TERIYAKI MEATBALLS IN ADVANCE
Absolutely! You can make the entire recipe a day or two in advance, refrigerate and reheat on the stove top in a skillet on medium heat. After making the meatballs I recommend leaving them to cool to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container in the refrigerator. The meatballs and teriyaki sauce can be stored together or separately in the fridge.
WHAT ABOUT LEFTOVERS
Leftover Teriyaki Meatballs will last for up to 4 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container. To reheat the meatballs I recommend warming them in the microwave, or in a small saucepan on the stove on medium heat. If the sauce is too thick after thawing, I recommend adding a splash of chicken stock to thin it out. Alternatively these meatballs can be frozen in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 4 months.
Here are a few more meatball recipes that you might enjoy:
- Asian Pork Meatballs
- Mexican Meatballs
- Turkey & Cranberry Meatballs with Cranberry Orange Dipping Sauce
- The Best Italian Meatballs
- Eggplant Polpette (aka Meatless Meatballs)
- Greek Lamb Meatballs
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Teriyaki Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lbs ground beef
- 1 lbs ground pork
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 inch piece ginger finely diced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3/4 cup almond flour
Teriyaki Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos (or tamari/soy sauce)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tsp arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
- 2 tsp sesame seeds (garnish)
- 1 tbsp chopped green onions (garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil
- In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs and mix it together with your hands. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop out some of the meat mixture and roll the into 1 1/2 inch sized meatballs. Place them approximately an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs in the oven for 18 minutes until they are golden in colour and a thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball reads 160°F
- While the meatballs are cooking make the teriyaki sauce. In a blender or nutribullet combine the garlic, ginger, vinegar, coconut aminos, honey and chicken stock and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into a large skillet on medium high heat and bring to a gentle simmer before adding in the arrowroot starch and whisking quickly to ensure it's well blended. Leave to simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce has begun to thicken.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the skillet with the sauce and spoon the sauce over each of the meatballs. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions before serving.
Nutrition
Fabulous recipe! My entire family loves these meatballs! I have made this recipe twice already. Thank you for all of your delicious gluten free recipes!
I’m so happy to hear that you liked it! Thanks for the kind comment Betsy!