Super juicy baked chicken meatballs stuffed with ginger, garlic, carrots, and green onions and tossed in a sticky-sweet homemade teriyaki sauce! A comforting twist on a classic that’s easy enough for weeknights. Ready in 45 minutes!
This recipe is the perfect combination of two of the best culinary creations — tender, juicy meatballs + sticky-sweet teriyaki sauce.
Unlike classic Italian Meatballs, this recipe uses Japanese-inspired, aromatic flavors to season the ground meat. You’ll use plenty of garlic, ginger, and green onions, plus some tamari and fish sauce. The extra ounce of savory aromatics makes every bite seriously flavorful.
While the meatballs are baking, you can then prepare a homemade teriyaki sauce quickly. The sweet-savory sauce provides that additional depth of richness to bring the dish together. I adore how its sticky, glossy consistency nicely coats the baked chicken meatballs.
And it’s SO easy to prepare! Let the oven do the majority of the work and dinner is served in 45 minutes or less.
Ingredients you need
There are two components to this teriyaki chicken meatballs recipe – the tender chicken meatballs and the savory, sticky sauce. Here’s what you’ll need for each.
For the chicken meatballs you’ll need:
- Ground chicken (look for at least 93% lean)
- Aromatics like garlic and ginger for tons of flavor (be sure to grate the ginger and mince the garlic to avoid any big chunks in your meatballs!)
- Sliced green onion and grated carrots for a pop of color and freshness
- Tamari (or soy sauce!) + fish sauce for lots of savory richness. If choosing soy sauce, I recommend using a low-sodium option.
- Egg and panko breadcrumbs to help bind the teriyaki chicken meatballs together
For the homemade teriyaki sauce you’ll need:
- Soy sauce for a savory punch
- Brown sugar to get that classic sticky teriyaki sweetness
- Mirin and sake (two subtly sweet Japanese drinks) add an extra depth of flavor to the sauce. The alcohol will burn off as it simmers!
- More grated garlic and ginger. (Tip: Prep some extra from the chicken meatballs to use in the sauce!)
- Cornstarch slurry (a simple combination of cornstarch and water) helps thicken up the sauce.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs in the Oven
Once you season the ground chicken it’s as simple as shaping your meatballs and baking them in the oven!
Step 1: Form the meatballs
Add all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and use your hands to combine the ground chicken with the seasonings. The mixture will be pretty soft and sticky but no worries, it will firm up in the oven. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to shape 15 meatballs then place them onto a greased baking sheet.
Step 2: Bake!
Cook the teriyaki chicken meatballs in a 400-degree F oven for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. They should turn golden brown as they bake. You’ll know they’re done once the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
While the chicken meatballs are baking, use the time to make a simple homemade teriyaki sauce! From scratch is always best and it truly couldn’t be easier.
Step 1: Heat the sauce on the stovetop
Combine all the savory-sweet teriyaki sauce ingredients (minus the cornstarch slurry) in a pan on the stovetop. Bring it to a simmer and let it bubble away for about 3 minutes. This allows the alcohol in the mirin and sake to cook off, while all the flavors meld together.
Step 2: Thicken with a cornstarch slurry
Combine 1 Tbsp of cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of water and whisk together, then slowly pour this mixture into the warm saucepan. Whisk continuously for about 30 seconds until the teriyaki sauce turns glossy and sticky.
Serving Suggestions
Dinner isn’t complete until you toss the chicken teriyaki meatballs in sauce! I do this in a pan or bowl and then garnish with green onions for serving. The warm, tender meatballs should be beautifully coated in sticky-sweet richness.
I love serving chicken teriyaki meatballs with a bed of warm white or brown rice. The grains soak up all the sticky sauce and make for the ultimate comforting dinner. You can also add a side of veggies like broccoli, snow peas, or bok choy for a well-balanced meal.
Baked Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
15
Meatballs15
minutes30
minutes80
kcal45
minutesIngredients
- Chicken Meatballs
1 lb Ground chicken
1 large egg
1 tsp grated ginger
1 large carrot grated (about 1/3 cup)
1 bunch Green onion/scallion (1 tbsp minced white stem, 2 tbsp chopped green stem + more for garnish)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce (low sodium)
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp fish sauce
¼ tsp kosher Salt
¼ tsp ground black Pepper
- Teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce (low sodium)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
Directions
- Making chicken meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- In a large bowl combine all of the meatball ingredients: 1 lb Ground chicken, 1 egg, 1 tsp grated ginger, ⅓ cup grated carrot, 1 tbsp minced white green onion, 2 tbsp chopped tops of green onion, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp tamari, 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tsp fish sauce, ¼ tsp kosher Salt, and ¼ tsp ground black Pepper. Using your hands, mix all of the ingredients together until evenly dispersed throughout the chicken.
- Grease a half sheet pan with cooking spray. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, scoop into your hand, roll into a 1 inch ball, then place onto a sheet pan. Repeat with remaining meatball mixture, ensuring there is space in between each meatball on the pan.
- Roast meatballs for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the internal temperature is 165°F. While the meatballs are baking, make the teriyaki sauce below.
- Once the meatballs are done, add them to a pan or a bowl and pour the teriyaki sauce over the top and toss them in the sauce until fully coated.
- Garnish with additional green onion and serve as is or over rice. Enjoy!
- Making homemade teriyaki sauce
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add in: ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup mirin, ¼ cup sake, 1 tsp ginger, and 1 tsp garlic. Mix and bring to a light simmer. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl add 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp water, whisk together to make a slurry.
- Reduce heat to low and whisk in the slurry. Whisk for 30 seconds until thickened. Remove from heat.
Notes
- If the meatballs are not holding their shape, you can add another tablespoon of panko bread crumbs. The meatball mixture will be softer and more sticky than a traditional beef meatball when rolling, they will firm when cooking.
- If you do not have cooking spray you can rub olive oil onto the pan or use parchment paper below the meatballs.
- Homemade teriyaki sauce is easy to make, but if you’re in a pinch you can use store bought.
- When prepping the ingredients, grate the ginger and mince the garlic for both the meatballs and teriyaki sauce at the same time.
Nutrition Facts
15 servings per container
Serving Size4 Meatballs
- Amount Per ServingCalories80
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
3g
5%
- Saturated Fat 1g 5%
- Trans Fat 0.02g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
- Monounsaturated Fat 1g
- Cholesterol 38mg 13%
- Sodium 163mg 7%
- Potassium 175mg 5%
- Total Carbohydrate
7g
3%
- Dietary Fiber 0.1g 0%
- Sugars 5g
- Protein 6g 12%
- Vitamin C 0.1%
- Calcium 9%
- Iron 0.4%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
