These easy teriyaki meatballs are coated in a sweet and savory sauce that’s always a crowd pleaser. This recipe can be on the dinner table in less than 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy nights!
Meatballs are always a hit in my house. When I need easy and kid friendly dinner recipes, I often make cheesy meatballs, meatball soup, or these simple teriyaki meatballs.
Some days I find myself scrambling to put dinner on the table. I like to keep my pantry and freezer well stocked for those days, which is where this teriyaki meatballs recipe comes into play. The recipe uses frozen meatballs paired with homemade sauce for a delicious meal that everyone is sure to love. You can also serve these meatballs with toothpicks as a saory appetizer option.
Table of Contents
Teriyaki Meatballs Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need frozen meatballs, soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, cornstarch, sesame seeds and green onions.
How Do You Make Teriyaki Meatballs?
Bake the meatballs according to package directions. While the meatballs are in the oven, make the sauce. Place the soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and sesame oil in a pan, and bring it to a simmer. When the sugar is dissolved, bring the sauce to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with cold water, then whisk it into the sauce. When the sauce starts to thicken, it’s ready to use. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- If you prefer to make your own meatballs, mix together in a bowl 1 pound of ground beef with 1 egg, 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons minced onion, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Shape the mixture into 1 inch balls, then broil the meatballs for 8-10 minutes or until browned.
- The homemade teriyaki sauce will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so feel free to make it in advance.
- Serve your meatballs over sushi rice, brown rice, or when I’m really in a hurry I grab frozen prepared rice from the grocery store. You can also serve a veggie on the side such as sauteed cabbage, Asian cucumber salad, or roasted green beans.
Quick Tip
Leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat the dish in a pan on the stove.
Recipe FAQs
Teriyaki sauce contains sugar, so it’s better to add teriyaki sauce after you cook your food. If you add it before you cook your food, the sauce could burn before the meat is done cooking.
I prefer to bake meatballs versus fry them. Meatballs contain fat because they are made with beef, so I don’t feel like they need the extra fat from frying. I also bake meatballs because you can fit a lot more meatballs on a sheet pan in the oven than you can in a pan on the stove, so baking tends to be faster because you don’t need to work in batches.
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Flavor Variations
This recipe is great as-is, but you can customize some of the flavors to your tastes.
- Protein: I typically use beef meatballs with this recipe, but chicken meatballs or turkey meatballs also work great.
- Vegetables: Add some vegetables to the pan when you bake your meatballs. Some great options that are quick cooking include broccoli, green beans or mushrooms.
- Flavorings: Feel free to add extra flavorings to the sauce. Some great options include rice vinegar, red pepper flakes or sriracha. You can also use chopped cilantro or chives instead of green onions.
I make teriyaki meatballs on a regular basis. They’re fast, delicious and my kids enjoy them too!
More Easy Dinner Ideas
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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
4 hrs 15 mins
Pizza Stuffed Shells
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Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
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Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Teriyaki Meatballs
Ingredients
- 18 ounces frozen meatballs
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Bake the meatballs according to package directions.
- While the meatballs are in the oven, prepare the sauce.
- Place the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, honey and sesame oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Turn up heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce and boil for 1-2 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
- Remove the meatballs from the oven. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions and serve.
Notes
- If you prefer to make your own meatballs, mix together 1 pound of ground beef with 1 egg, 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons minced onion, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Shape the mixture into 1 inch balls, then broil the meatballs for 8-10 minutes or until browned.
- The teriyaki sauce can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.
Love this recipe! I make it for my family on the regular and it’s always a hit!
I love the sweet and savory of the meatball. They are perfect for meatsub sandwich or pasta dish.
This was such a delicious and easy recipe!
These turned out so well!! They were tender and perfectly cooked, and the teriyaki sauce had such great flavor!
They were packed with flavor and had the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess. The meatballs were tender and juicy, and the teriyaki sauce was simply divine. I can’t wait to have them again!
We are big fans of foods made with teriyaki sauce and these meatballs are no exception. We will eat these as an appetizer or a meal.
My family LOVES this meal! I’ve made it probably 8-10 times and every time it’s a hit! I usually double the recipe because we like a lot of sauce and serve it with rice (white or fried) and edamame beans. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Could you make this recipe minus the rice and then freeze?
Thank you!
Yes that should be fine!
These sound delicious. I plan to make them tonight. I just wanted to let you know there’s a mistake in the recipe. Thank you for all your great recipes!!
I really enjoyed this easy recipe!
I love how sweet & tangy this recipe is! I can tell it will be a family favorite in my home!
I love a glazed meatball! Teriyaki is one of my favorite flavors and your sauce comes together so easily, thanks!
This is surely yummy and delicious and a perfect cooked meal and quick meal too. Love all the flavors to it.
I make teriyaki all the time, but have yet to try using meatballs! I am sure these are really great to have for meal prep. 🙂
Yum! These look awesome and perfect for a weeknight dinner for the family!
I made these meatballs for supper last night with rice and broccoli&cheese. Everybody was very happy! Thanks for the great (and quick!) recipe.
Amazing recipe!
Thank Sara.
Watching the Warriors game and making these for dinner! Yum!
Have you done these in a crockpot before? Would you recommend mixing all the sauce ingredients, pouring over the meatballs as they cook on low?
I have not done them in the crockpot but you could definitely do so! I would put the meatballs frozen in the crockpot, whisk together all the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and then cook on low for 4 hours. Stir in the cornstarch mixed with a little water after the meatballs are done, then turn heat to high for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Hope that helps!
Yes please! These look so good!