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Whether you are craving juicy bite sized balls of beef drenched in sticky, glossy teriyaki sauce or trying to impress a crowd with minimum effort and maximum flavour, these Teriyaki Meatballs will absolutely deliver. They are the perfect mix of sweet and savoury, easy to make from scratch and way better than anything you can pick up in a bottle or order for takeout.
These teriyaki beef meatballs bake in the oven so they stay tender and uniform every time. Pair them with rice or noodles, serve them as an appetizer or make a big batch for lunch prep. Once you learn how to make teriyaki meatballs this good, you will want them on rotation weekly.
What Makes This Recipe Work
- Oven Baked Every Time: Baking keeps them juicy inside with a light outer texture without any mess from frying.
- Balanced Homemade Sauce: This teriyaki sauce is perfectly sweet and savoury and clings beautifully to every meatball.
- Simple and Accessible Ingredients: No weird pantry items required just everyday flavours that you already like.
- Versatile Serving Options: Go rice bowl, go noodle bowl, go party platter or dipping snack mode.
What Goes Into Teriyaki Meatballs
The star of the recipe is, of course, the rich homemade teriyaki sauce that brings everything together in a glossy, flavorful coating.
- Ground Beef (or Pork/Chicken/Turkey): The base of the meatballs—choose beef for richness, pork for tenderness, or leaner chicken and turkey for a lighter option.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: These give the meatballs a soft, tender texture while helping them hold their shape in the oven.
- Soy Sauce: Adds that essential savory depth both in the meatball mixture and the teriyaki glaze.
- Brown Sugar: Balances out the salty soy sauce, giving the teriyaki sauce its signature sweet, sticky finish.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
Add Ins and Swap Outs You Will Love
- Ground Pork or Turkey: Swap beef for pork or turkey for a different flavour and lighter texture, or if you’re looking for a completely different flavour twist, you have to try these savory mongolian glazed meatballs.
- Grated Ginger: Add a teaspoon of fresh ginger for a zesty flavour lift in the sauce.
- Pineapple Chunks: Sweet fruit paired with teriyaki makes a fun mouth pop of flavour.
- Steamed Broccoli or Carrots: Add veg on the side for colour texture and nutrition.
How To Make Teriyaki Meatballs
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat oven to 200°C | 400°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment. Set aside while you mix the meatballs.
- Make Meatball: Combine meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, sake, salt, and pepper in a bowl until combined.
- Shape the Meatballs: Scoop 1 1/2-inch portions and roll into balls. Arrange on the trays, leaving space between each one.
- Bake Until Juicy: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden and cooked through. Rotate trays once if needed for even browning.
- Cook the Teriyaki Sauce: While the meatballs bake, heat a pot over medium high. Whisk in sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and water, then add the cornstarch slurry and simmer until thick and glossy.
- Coat and Serve: Pour about three quarters of the sauce over the hot meatballs and toss gently to coat. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion, and serve with the remaining sauce for dipping or over rice and veggies.
Teriyaki Meatballs are deliciously versatile and can be paired with sides that balance their sweet and savory glaze. For a lighter base, try Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice; its fresh citrus kick soaks up the sauce beautifully without being too heavy. To add comfort to your plate, Creamy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes are a silky, savory side that makes every bite even more satisfying. And if you’d like a touch of cozy sweetness, Honey Roasted Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts With Bacon brings caramelized flavor and a hint of crunch to round out the meal.
Pro Tips For Meatball Mastery
- Don’t Overmix: Mix meatball ingredients just until combined to keep them tender.
- Even Sized Balls: Use a small scoop so all cook evenly and look picture perfect.
- Sauce Temperature: Let the sauce simmer on low so it thickens slowly without burning.
- Make Extra Sauce: You will want more to drizzle on rice and noodles.
- Rest a Couple Minutes: Let the meatballs sit briefly before serving so sauce sinks in.
Recipe FAQ’s
Using eggs and breadcrumbs helps lock in moisture, and baking them keeps them tender without drying out.
Warm the meatballs in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or extra sauce until heated through.
Not unless you add extra sriracha. The recipe includes just a touch of heat, but you can adjust to taste.
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The BEST Teriyaki Beef Meatballs
Ingredients
MEATBALLS:
- 2 pounds ground beef mince or pork, chicken, turkey
- 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- 2 scallions or green onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cooking Sake or Shaoxing, Chinese wine or dry sherry
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch pepper to taste
TERIYAKI SAUCE:
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced, or 2 teaspoons
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha or more, adjust to your preference of spice
TO SERVE:
- 1 pinch sesame seeds
- 1 green onion finely sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C | 400°F.
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
- Mix together all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl until well-combined. Spoon out 1 1/2-inch of meat mixture with a cookie scoop (or tablespoon), shape into balls and place onto 2 large baking sheets or trays lined with baking or parchment paper.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden browned and cooked through.
- While the meatballs are baking, make your sauce!
FOR THE SAUCE:
- Heat a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Whisk ALL of the sauce ingredients together (except cornstarch and water mixture) in the pan until well blended. Bring to a simmer, pour the cornstarch mixture in and give it a quick good mix until it dissolves into the sauce. Continue cooking until sauce thickens, while stirring occasionally to prevent burning or sticking on the bottom of the pan (about 5 minutes).
COAT:
- When meatballs have finished cooking, pour 3/4 of the sauce over them and toss gently to evenly coat. Transfer the glazed meatballs to a serving dish or tray.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions (if desired), and serve warm with toothpicks or mini forks, and with remaining sauce for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made it tonight and kids (home from college for the summer) loved it. I was looking for an Asian ground beef recipe and came upon this. I saw multiple similar recipes and liked this one the best. Will be part of my dinner rotation! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thanks!
Delish! And so easy to make, plus the kids loved them with no sauce. Definitely saving for later.
Thanks for the recipe!
Very yummy! Your ratio of ingredients is just perfect for our taste :):) Definitely trying more recipes from here “_”_
I made this last night. I only made the sauce because I had some frozen meatballs. This sauce is ? delicious! I didn’t have sake so I used diluted rice wine vinegar . My husband loved it. It is a perfect balance of sweet and sour. Oh, I did add some grated ginger (just a little).
Definitely adding this to my “to try” list. Thank you for sharing!