Baked Teriyaki Meatballs
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These teriyaki meatballs are one of my favorite family dinners because the whole batch bakes at once, so I’m not stuck at the stove cooking meatballs in batches. While they’re in the oven, I make the simple garlic-ginger glaze and get the rest of dinner ready. This delicious dinner is meal prep friendly, too!
I love serving these meatballs with rice and whatever veggie I already have on hand, which makes them easy to work into a busy weeknight. The savory garlic-ginger glaze gives them plenty of flavor, but the meal is still simple enough to adapt that everyone in my family can make it their own.
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Why This Recipe is a Family Favorite
The meatballs are packed with flavor. Garlic, ginger and green onions season the chicken meatballs from the inside, and the savory glaze adds even more flavor once everything is tossed together.
Even better, the prep is easy and cooking is mostly hands-off. Once I get the meatballs into the oven, I can make the glaze and finish getting dinner ready while they bake.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my important mom-tested cooking tips for making this recipe! I’ve made this countless times, so I can save you from a failed attempt.
- Mix gently. I stop mixing as soon as the chicken mixture comes together. Overworking ground chicken can make the meatballs firmer instead of tender.
- Wet your hands. Ground chicken is naturally sticky, so I keep a small bowl of water nearby and dampen my hands before shaping the meatballs.
- Keep them evenly sized. They don’t have to look perfect, but similar-sized meatballs will cook more evenly.
- Mix the slurry separately. Whisking the cornstarch and water together before adding it to the skillet helps the sauce thicken smoothly without clumps.
- Let them rest before adding the sauce. A short rest helps the baked meatballs hold together better when I toss them in the glaze.
Ingredients
You’ll want to add these ingredients to your grocery shopping list:
Ground chicken makes tender meatballs and takes on the garlic, ginger and green onion flavors really well.
Almond flour helps bind the meatballs without making them heavy. You can use regular or panko breadcrumbs instead if that’s what you have on hand.
Garlic, ginger and green onions add plenty of flavor right into the meatballs. I like freshly grated ginger, but ginger paste is a convenient shortcut that works well too.
Coconut aminos seasons both the meatballs and the sauce. Soy sauce can be substituted, but it tends to be saltier, so you may want to adjust the added salt accordingly.
For the sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar add richness and acidity, while a cornstarch slurry thickens everything into a glaze that coats the meatballs. If you don’t want to use cornstarch, arrowroot is great substitute.
How to Make Baked Teriyaki Meatballs
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- Measure the ground chicken, almond flour, garlic, ginger, seasonings, green onions and coconut aminos to a large bowl. I like to get everything into the bowl before I start mixing so I don’t have to keep working the chicken as I add ingredients.
- Gently mix everything just until it comes together. Ground chicken can get firm when it’s overworked, so I stop as soon as the ingredients look evenly distributed.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the chicken mixture. This is my easiest trick for getting similar-sized meatballs so they cook at about the same rate.
- With lightly dampened hands, gently roll each portion into a ball and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Don’t worry about making them perfectly round. Using a light touch is more important here.
- While the meatballs bake, make the glaze so it’s ready when they come out of the oven. Warm the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar and coconut aminos in a skillet until the garlic and ginger smell fragrant.
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry and keep an eye on the sauce because it will start thickening quickly. I stir constantly until it turns glossy and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Helpful Tip
If the glaze gets thicker than you want, stir in a small splash of water until it reaches the right consistency for coating the meatballs.
- Let the baked meatballs rest briefly, then transfer them to the skillet. I use a wooden spoon to gently turn them through the glaze instead of stirring too aggressively. This helps keep them intact.
- Once every meatball is coated in that glossy glaze, they're ready to serve. Spoon any extra sauce from the skillet over the top. You definitely don't want to leave that behind!
Make it kid friendly:
Let your kids decide how saucy they want their meatballs. I set a few aside before adding the glaze, then serve some sauce on the side for dipping.
Serving Suggestions
The teriyaki meatballs are delicious with rice with air fryer broccoli or microwave broccoli on the side. A sprinkle of sesame seeds or sliced green onions makes an easy finishing touch.
Other Meatball Recipes
If your family loves meatballs as much as mine does, you will probably love these recipes! Salisbury steak meatballs and gravy is my husband's favorite, and my kids always want ground chicken meatballs parmesan. I like ricotta meatballs the most!
Baked Chicken Meatballs FAQs
Overmixing the chicken mixture can make the meatballs firm instead of tender. Mix everything just until combined and use a light hand when shaping them.
Make sure the cornstarch is completely mixed with the water before adding it to the skillet. Give the sauce a little time to simmer while stirring, and it should thicken enough to coat the meatballs.
Yes. You can cook the meatballs ahead of time and refrigerate them until you're ready to reheat and serve.
The meatballs themselves freeze well for up to 3 months, but it's best to freeze them without glaze. Making the glaze only takes a few minutes, so I usually make it while the meatballs are reheating in the oven.
Storing and Freezing
Store leftover teriyaki meatballs with the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or gently in a skillet, adding a splash of water if the glaze gets too thick.
For meatball meal prep, portion the cooled meatballs with rice and veggies for easy meals throughout the week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
After you make this recipe, please give it a star rating below and comment to let me know how it went!
Baked Teriyaki Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- ⅓ cup almond flour or breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon green onions
- 1 teaspoon coconut aminos
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 3-4 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the 2 lbs ground chicken, ⅓ cup almond flour or breadcrumbs, minced 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon green onions, and 1 teaspoon coconut aminos. Mix gently until just combined (avoid overmixing to keep meatballs tender).
- Using wet hands, form the mixture into 1½-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and are lightly browned.
- While the meatballs bake, prepare the sauce. In a skillet over medium heat, combine the 1 tablespoon sesame oil, minced 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, and 3-4 tablespoons coconut aminos. Heat through for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- In a small bowl, mix the 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Stir this slurry into the sauce and simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the glaze thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes, then add them to the skillet and gently toss to coat with the glaze. Serve immediately.
