Teriyaki Meatballs are pork meatballs that are smothered in a homemade teriyaki sauce to give them that sweet and savory teriyaki flavor. Serve these over a bed of rice and a side of Roasted Carrots for a complete meal! If you love a saucy meatball, give my Honey BBQ Meatballs a try!

Teriyaki Meatball Recipe in a White Skillet with One on a Spoon

Teriyaki Meatballs

The word teriyaki is actually a combination of two Japanese words–teri and yaki. Teri means luster and yaki means grill or broil. If you have seen a teriyaki dish, you probably noticed the ‘shine’ that the sauce gives the food. That is the ‘teri’ part of the word. And the ‘yaki’ would involve cooking the ingredients that have been marinated in the sauce. Yes, you can go out and buy teriyaki from the store, but it is so easy to make at home and is an important part of these Teriyaki Meatballs.

Teriyaki Meatballs in a White Skillet Looking from Overhead

Teriyaki Meatballs Recipe

It doesn’t take any fancy ingredients to make these tasty pork meatballs. And, with just a few more ingredients, you will have a teriyaki glaze that makes them that much better! The sauce would also be great with my turkey meatballs and chicken meatballs

Teriyaki Sauce for Meatball Recipe

How to Make Teriyaki Meatballs

It’s easy to make these Teriyaki Meatballs. In fact, you will probably choose to make your own meatballs from now on and skip the frozen ones from the grocery store. It’s all about the meatball topped with the teriyaki sauce.

  • First, to make the meatball, combine the ground pork, egg, cheese, parsley and salt in a large bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the milk, breadcrumbs, garlic, and onion.
  • Add the milk mixture to the ground pork mixture. Don’t overmix all the ingredients. If you overmix the ingredients, it will make the meatballs tough. Just get the ingredients combined for the most tender meatballs.
  • I would suggest that you grease your hands before you start forming the meatballs.
  • Place each meatball into a greased 8×8-inch pan. Roast them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the teriyaki sauce.

  • To make the teriyaki sauce, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Cook that for about 2 minutes, or until the brown sugar has dissolved.
  • Reduce the heat to low and whisk together cornstarch and water in a small bowl.
  • Add this mixture to the saucepan and simmer until it has thickened.
  • After the initial 15 minutes of baking time, pour the sauce over the cooked meatballs, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. The meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
  • Use up all that sauce that is at the bottom of the pan to add as much flavor as you want for the meatballs. Garnish with some green onions and sesame seeds.
Teriyaki Meatball on a Toothpick

Teriyaki Meatballs as an Appetizer

Just in case you are looking for something amazing to serve at a get-together or pot luck, this recipe would be perfect! You can prepare all of the meatballs and keep them warm in a crockpot or a commercial warming pan. In general, ceramics and glass will hold their heat better than metal pans, so opt for those if possible. Once you pour the sauce over the baked meatballs, cook it on low for about an hour.

Bit into Teriyaki Meatball on a Toothpick

More Meatball Recipes

4.50 from 2 votes

Teriyaki Meatballs

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Smothered in a homemade teriyaki glaze, these Teriyaki Meatballs are a perfect appetizer to share or serve over a bed of rice and veggies.

Ingredients

MEATBALLS

  • 2 pounds ground pork
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup fine dry breadcrumbs
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup finely chopped onion

TERIYAKI SAUCE

  • ½  cup  soy sauce
  • tablespoons  rice vinegar
  • tablespoon  brown sugar
  • teaspoons  garlic, minced
  • teaspoon  ginger, minced
  • ½ tablespoon  cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup  green onions, thinly sliced
  • tablespoon  sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a large bowl, combine ground pork, beaten egg, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix together until just combined.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the milk, breadcrumbs, garlic, and onion.
  • Add milk mixture to the meat mixture being careful not to overwork ingredients.
  • Form into desired size meatball, greasing hands before starting to keep the meat from sticking, and place in a greased 8×8-inch baking dish.
  • Place in preheated oven and roast for about 15 minutes (or until the meatballs are crisp on the outside).
  • While meatballs are cooking, prepare teriyaki sauce.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Whisk ingredients together and cook for 2 minutes or until the brown sugar has dissolved.
  • Reduce heat to low.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Pour into the saucepan and simmer until thickened. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
  • Pour the sauce over the cooked meatballs. Cover the dish with foil and return it to the oven to bake for an additional 15 minutes (or until the meatballs are cooked through – 165°F on a meat thermometer).
  • Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Did you make this recipe?

You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.

Share with your friends!

Categorized in: , ,

Related Recipes

Meet Amanda Rettke

Reader Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Your food looks great and worth making. Thank you.
    Going to store this evening to get Ingredients to make the recipes I have copied so far.

    Lana

  2. 4 stars
    I’m a little confused-the recipe states to bake meatballs- without the sauce -for the first 15 minutes-until crispy. Another reader said the meatballs were still pretty raw on the outside after the first 15 minutes. Your reply was that the meatballs should cook for a total of 30 minutes. Okay, but the recipe also states that they should be crispy on the outside after the first 15 minutes. Would you clarify please? Thanks

    1. The directions very clearly state to bake twice. This is what the directions say (be sure to see the bolded words)
      PLACE IN PREHEATED OVEN and roast for about 15 minutes (or until the meatballs are crisp on the outside).
      While meatballs are cooking, prepare teriyaki sauce.
      In a saucepan over medium heat, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Whisk ingredients together and cook for 2 minutes or until the brown sugar has dissolved.
      Reduce heat to low.
      In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Pour into the saucepan and simmer until thickened. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
      Pour the sauce over the cooked meatballs. Cover the dish with foil and RETURN IT TO THE OVEN to bake for an additional 15 minutes (or until the meatballs are cooked through – 165°F on a meat thermometer).

  3. It was easy enough to come together, but after 15 minutes at 350 degrees my meatballs were FAR from crispy. In fact they were still pretty raw. Advice?

    1. Hi Leslie – the total baking time is 30 minutes. Step #11 in the instructions is where you finish baking, and make sure the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating