Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

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Flavorful, juicy, and easy to make, these Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are the perfect weeknight meal, meal prep, or party appetizer. The meatballs are easily baked in the oven and then tossed in a homemade teriyaki sauce.

I love meatballs and I love teriyaki sauce, so bringing the two together makes for an amazing meal! It’s easy, delicious, and always a fan favorite. You can enjoy it as a simple weeknight dinner, prepare it as a meal prep for lunch, or serve it as an appetizer.

Overhead view of a pile of teriyaki turkey meatballs on a plate with green onions and sesame seeds.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These baked teriyaki meatballs are super easy to make with simple kitchen stapes. Most of these ingredients are already in my kitchen!
They’re so flavorful, juicy, tender, and moist! I’m obsessed.
Perfect over rice, noodles, or on their own! These teriyaki meatballs are so versatile.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Set of two ingredients photos showing ingredients needed to make teriyaki turkey meatballs.

For the Turkey Meatballs

ground turkey — I use two pounds of ground turkey. However, if you don’t have enough, you can always do a 50/50 mix with another ground meat such as chicken.
salt — I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
pepper — you can use white or black pepper. If you don’t like seeing little black specks, then use white pepper.
garlic powder — I prefer using garlic powder instead of fresh mince garlic for the meatballs.
onion powder
paprika — you can use sweet, smoked, or regular paprika, depending on how you’d like the meatballs to taste.
egg — the egg acts as a binder of all the ingredients.
panko — I prefer making my meatballs with panko breadcrumbs instead of traditional breadcrumbs.
parmesan — I love the flavor you get with adding freshly grated parmesan to the meatball mixture.
olive oil — adding a bit of olive oil gives the meatballs a little extra moisture.

For the Teriyaki Sauce

soy sauce — use low sodium soy sauce.
honey or maple syrup — you can use honey or maple syrup to sweeten the teriyaki sauce.
orange juice — you can use bottled orange juice or freshly squeezed. I just use a bottle of no-pulp orange juice for ease.
garlic — I recommend freshly minced garlic. However, you can use garlic powder instead for a smooth sauce.
mirin — mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine.
cornstarch — I use cornstarch to speed up the thickening of the sauce.

How to Make Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

Set of two photos showing all the meatball ingredients added to a bowl and mixed.

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, egg, panko, parmesan, and olive oil.
Using a spatula or hands, mix until just combined.

Set of two photos showing meatballs on a sheet pan and sauce in a pan.

Using a cookie scoop or a large spoon, scoop up 1½ tablespoons worth of mixture and gently roll it into a ball. Place on a lined sheet pan. Continue until all the meatball mixture is rolled. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165°F/73°C.
As the meatballs bake in the oven, prepare the teriyaki sauce by adding all the ingredients to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and let it reduce until it’s thickened to your liking, stirring frequently.

Set of two photos showing meatballs coated in teriyaki sauce.

Once the meatballs are done, toss them in the teriyaki sauce. Feel free to garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Overhead view of a white plate of a pile of teriyaki turkey meatballs.

My Recommendation

This is my go-to meat thermometer for making sure that the internal temperature of my meat is good to go. It’s also magnetic so I have it on my fridge door to save drawer space!

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Recipe Tips and Notes

A cookie scoop is ideal to portion out my meatballs so they’re the same sized and bake evenly.
Your turkey meatballs will get denser as they cook, so avoid overpacking/over-rolling your meat mixture.
Do not overmix the turkey meat. If the meat mixture is overworked, you end up with a rubbery and dense meatball.
Be careful not to overcook the turkey meatballs. Overcooking them will dry them out and make them tough.
Room temperature egg mixes more easily into the turkey than a cold egg.
A larger saucepan with more surface area speeds up the thickening process.
Keep a close eye on the simmering sauce as the mixture gets bubbly and can get too thick suddenly! You can thin it back out with a splash of orange juice.

Close view of a teriyaki turkey meatball on top of rice.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked meatballs in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freezer: hold off tossing the meatballs in the teriyaki sauce if you plan on freezing it. Allow the baked meatballs to cool before transferring them into an airtight container and storing them in the freezer. They can last for up to 3 months. Toss with sauce after reheating.

Overhead view of a meal prep container with rice and teriyaki turkey meatballs,

Should I freeze meatballs before or after baking them?

It’s up to you! It saves you time upfront to freeze the meatballs raw and cook them later, but then it saves you time later if you cook them now and freeze them, so you’ll only have to reheat them in the oven. Take your pick.