Teriyaki meatballs are our latest go to weeknight dinner — they are quick and easy, saucy with so much flavor, and the kids love them too. If you are getting tired of traditional meatball recipes, you need to try these. Made with an assortment of Asian seasonings like soy sauce, mirin, and ginger, cooked in the air fryer or oven, and tossed in a delicious homemade teriyaki sauce, these Asian meatballs are one of our favorite 30-minute meals (and great for meal prep too!). Serve them over steamed rice and stir-fried vegetables.
Why You’ll Love Teriyaki Meatballs
- A different take on meatballs. We are kind of obsessed with meatballs over here because they are quick and easy to make, and totally customizable by using different ingredients and sauces. Classic meatballs are our go-to dinner but sometimes we want to switch things up. These teriyaki meatballs are the perfect answer.
- They are loaded with so much flavor. One of the best things of giving meatballs an Asian twist is that it adds so much flavor. Not only do the meatballs themselve have added flavor from soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and ginger, but the teriyaki sauce adds even more depth of flavor to every bite — sweet, savory, salty, and unami.
- The delicious homemade teriyaki sauce. Although these meatballs can hold their own without sauce (and you could totally serve them this way!), this teriyaki sauce takes things up a few notches. To make our homemade teriyaki sauce, you’ll need soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, mirin, chicken broth, and cornstarch. Plus, it's ready in just 5 minutes!
- Great for meal prep. One of the things I love about meatballs is that they are great for meal prep. You can make a big batch and store in meal prep containers with steamed rice for lunches the next few days. They are freezer-friendly too and can be frozen before or after cooking.
Ingredient Notes
To make delicious Teriyaki Meatballs, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- ground beef - you can easily substitute with other ground meats. Try it with ground pork, turkey, or chicken.
- breadcrumbs
- Shaoxing wine - or substitute with mirin.
- soy sauce
- ginger
- garlic powder
- green onions
- egg
- salt and pepper
- cooking oil spray - I recommend cooking oil spray over the meatballs when air fryer or baking so that they don't stick.
- teriyaki sauce - I use a batch of my homemade teriyaki sauce for the best results. Store-bought teriyaki sauce works well too.
These teriyaki meatballs are sweet and savory, but you can add a spicy kick by introducing some your favorite spicy seasonings, including sriracha, gochujang, red pepper flakes, or cayenne.
How to Make the Best Teriyaki Meatballs
- Prepare the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef with breadcrumbs, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, green onions, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well until evenly combined. Set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
- Shape. Take 2 spoonfuls of the beef mixture at a time and roll into meatballs.
- Cook. Cook the meatballs in the air fryer or in the oven:
- Cook in the air fryer: Place the meatballs in a single layer into the air fryer basket and lightly coat with some cooking oil spray to keep them from sticking. Air fry the meatballs at 350F for 13-15 minutes until browned nicely and fully cooked through, shaking the basket halfway during cooking to brown evenly. The internal temperature for the beef should reach 165F as read on a meat thermometer.
- Cook in the oven: Preheat oven to 400F. Transfer meatballs onto a parchment-lined half sheet baking pan and lightly coat with some cooking oil spray to keep them from sticking. Bake for 15 minutes until fully cooked through.
- Make teriyaki sauce. While cooking the meatballs, prepare the teriyaki sauce (if cooking from scratch). I made a batch of my homemade teriyaki sauce for this. If using storebought, heat it over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
- Toss in meatballs. Add cooked meatballs to the pan and toss well to coat.
How to Serve Teriyaki Meatballs
Serve Teriyaki Meatballs over a bowl of steamed rice. Some other side dishes that you can serve alongside this are:
- Gomae Spinach Salad
- Scallion Oil Noodles
- Air Fryer Vegetable Stir Fry
- Vegetarian Fried Rice
- Vegan Soba Noodle Salad
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Asian Chopped Salad
Storing Instructions
- How to store: Cooked meatballs will keep for up to four days in an airtight container in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
- How to freeze: Teriyaki meatballs freeze well either before or after cooking. Frozen meatballs are reheated best when un-sauced, but you still freeze saucy teriyaki meatballs.
- To freeze uncooked meatballs: Place the shaped meatballs on a large half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper. Transfer the pan to the freezer and freeze until hard, about 1 hour. Then, transfer the meatballs into a freezer bag or freezer-safe airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook, allow the meatballs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first, then cook as per recipe instructions on the stove.
- To freeze cooked meatballs: Once cooled, freeze the meatballs separately first on a parchment lined baking sheet (about 1-2 hours) before transferring to an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- How to reheat: If frozen, allow the meatballs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first. Reheat teriyaki meatballs in a covered microwave-safe dish in the microwave on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Or, reheat in a covered pan over medium-low heat on the stovetop for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
More Teriyaki Recipes
- Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with Pineapple
- Teriyaki Grilled Salmon Rice Bowl
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Recipe
Teriyaki Meatballs
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 18 meatballs
Description
Teriyaki meatballs are our latest go to weeknight dinner — quick and easy to cook in the air fryer or oven, saucy and flavorful, and freezer-friendly.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or mirin)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- cooking oil spray
- ½ cup teriyaki sauce
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef with breadcrumbs, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, green onions, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well until evenly combined. Set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
- Take 2 spoonfuls of the beef mixture at a time and roll into meatballs.
- Cook the meatballs in the air fryer or in the oven:
- Cook in the air fryer: Place the meatballs in a single layer into the air fryer basket and lightly coat with some cooking oil spray to keep them from sticking. Air fry the meatballs at 350F for 13-15 minutes until browned nicely and fully cooked through, shaking the basket halfway during cooking to brown evenly. The internal temperature for the beef should reach 165F as read on a meat thermometer.
- Cook in the oven: Preheat oven to 400F. Transfer meatballs onto a parchment-lined half sheet baking pan and lightly coat with some cooking oil spray to keep them from sticking. Bake for 15 minutes until fully cooked through
- While cooking the meatballs, prepare the teriyaki sauce (if cooking from scratch). I made a batch of my homemade teriyaki sauce for this. If using storebought, heat it over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
- Add cooked meatballs to the pan and toss well to coat.
Notes
How to store: Cooked meatballs will keep for up to four days in an airtight container in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
How to freeze: Teriyaki meatballs freeze well either before or after cooking. Frozen meatballs are reheated best when un-sauced, but you still freeze saucy teriyaki meatballs.
- To freeze uncooked meatballs: Place the shaped meatballs on a large half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper. Transfer the pan to the freezer and freeze until hard, about 1 hour. Then, transfer the meatballs into a freezer bag or freezer-safe airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook, allow the meatballs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first, then cook as per recipe instructions on the stove.
- To freeze cooked meatballs: Once cooled, freeze the meatballs separately first on a parchment lined baking sheet (about 1-2 hours) before transferring to an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months in the freezer.
How to reheat: If frozen, allow the meatballs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first. Reheat teriyaki meatballs in a covered microwave-safe dish in the microwave on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Or, reheat in a covered pan over medium-low heat on the stovetop for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinate Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Beef
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Japanese
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Mel says
My family makes this ALL the time.