Baked Teriyaki Turkey Meatball Recipe

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Teriyaki Turkey Meatball Recipe

A few days ago, I was cruising around the internet, looking through some of my favorite food blogs when I stumbled upon a recipe for Cherry Coke & Jalapeno Meatballs from Kay of Kayotic Kitchen. Kay, otherwise known as the cooking Dutch girl, hails from Gouda in the Netherlands.  For those of us who are not multilingual, I personally thank her for blogging in English so that we can enjoy her inventive recipes and beautiful photos. Well, I guess we could enjoy her photos in any language, but you get my drift. Not only is Kay a talented photographer, but she has a wit and joyful spirit that shines through in her writing and in the stories she tells about her beautiful little boy.

Back to the meatballs. There was something about the spice mix of paprika, nutmeg and cayenne that caught my attention and wouldn’t let go. Or perhaps it was the glaze, bubbling and rich with the flavors of cherry, brown sugar, and jalapeno peppers.  Whatever it was, I simply could not get meatballs off my mind.

I pulled out the recipe for my Greek Turkey Meatball Sandwich and replaced the Mediterranean flavors with Asian-inspired ones. The meatballs get a kick from five-spice powder and fresh ginger. The size is a hefty mouthful, which works well for a knife-and-fork dinner. However, if you wish to serve them as hors d’oeuvres, you might want to make them a tad smaller. If you do, be sure to reduce the cooking time.

The teriyaki sauce comes straight from Fusilli with Teriyaki Salmon and Vegetables. Store-bought teriyaki sauce really can not hold a candle to homemade versions, so be sure to take the extra 10 minutes to make your own.

Thank you for the inspiration, Kay.

The recipe:

The meatballs:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, grated onion, garlic, ginger, parsley, five-spice powder, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.

TeriyakiMeatballs1

Mix well to combine. Using a 2 tablespoon portion of the turkey mixture, form meatballs by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.

TeriyakiMeatballs2

Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

The teriyaki sauce:

In a small saucepan, combine rice vinegar, agave nectar, water, soy sauce, canola oil, flour, ginger, garlic, and sesame seeds.

TeriyakiMeatballs3

Whisk the sauce together and place over medium heat. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. Keep warm.

Brush the meatballs liberally with the sauce.

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Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

These can be served over rice or as hors d’oeuvres. Either way, serve with the extra sauce.

TeriyakiMeatballsLS

Other meatball recipes:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Greek Turkey Meatball Sandwich
Kayotic Kitchen’s Cherry Coke & Jalapeno Meatballs
Family Fresh Cooking’s Pumpkin Coconut Curry with Chicken Meatballs
The Pioneer Woman’s BBQ Meatballs
Elana’s Pantry’s Gluten-Free Chicken Meatballs

Instagram-button If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I’ll be sure to find it.

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Baked Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Yields 30 meatballs

Ingredients

The sauce

  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup soya sauce
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp minced fresh ginger
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

The meatballs

  • 1 1/4 lb. ground turkey meat (preferably not extra-lean)
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp grated ginger
  • 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
  • 3/4 tsp five-spice powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

The sauce:

  1. In a small saucepan, combine rice vinegar, agave nectar, water, soya sauce, 1/4 cup canola oil, ginger, garlic, flour, and sesame seeds.
  2. Whisk the sauce together and place over medium heat. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Keep warm.

The meatballs:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, grated onion, garlic, ginger, parsley, five-spice powder, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
  3. Mix well to combine. Using a 2 tablespoon portion of the turkey mixture, form meatballs by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.
  4. Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
  5. Brush the meatballs liberally with the sauce. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
  6. These can be served over rice or as hors d'oeuvres. Either way, serve with the extra sauce.

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Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Comments

  1. I love meatballs and i love teriyaki! What a fabulous idea! I have made Greek Meatballs, Swedish Meatballs, Sweet and Sour meatballs, Italian Meatballs and now i have to try these 🙂 Great recipe!

    Reply

    • My two boys couldn’t wait to be taste-testers for these meatballs. I received four enthusiastic thumbs up.

      Reply

  16. I’m just now realizing how much I love meatballs. I hated them growing up for some reason and then fell in love with them in my mid-twenties. So yummy!

    Reply

  17. Thos look yummy Dara….I’ve never had turkey meatballs nor teriyaki ones. I love Kayotic Kitchen as well. Kay has some beautiful pictures and recipes!

    Reply

    • Give them a shot, Sukaina. I have a feeling you’d like them. Kay is great, isn’t she?

      Reply

    • While turkey often makes you think “dry”, I assure you that this version of meatballs is very moist and flavorful.

      Reply

  21. Love this recipe, Dara! The flavor combinations in the sauce sound incredible.

    And isn’t Kay just the most creative cook? I’ve been enjoying her blog for a long time now and I’m still always surprised at the things she comes up with.

    Reply

  24. Dara, these meatballs look so delicious and diverse! I would love these just as much tossed with some soba noodles as I would on their own. Wonderful recipe and mouthwatering photos! Great job on this and thanks for inspiring me with a new idea.

    Reply

  27. Dara, I am so happy you introduced us to Kay and her awesome blog. I will certainly be following her now too. These meatballs would be a great hit over here. Especially with the homemade teriyaki sauce. xo

    Reply

  29. The cherry coke glaze at Kay’s had me hover over her space for a long time. Loved the idea. Yours look fantastic too! Love ginger and glad to see it in your recipe.

    Reply

  31. I’ve been craving meatballs lately, so when I saw this, you can imagine how excited I was. Love how healthy this is – baked and turkey meat – plus a flavorful sauce – what a wonderful recipe!

    Reply

  36. I can see why these would get your attention, they sure got mine…. in any language, these look great and you’re right, homemade is always best…. gonna have to try these along with that sauce too….. thanks Dara for doing the cruising for us…

    Reply

  42. I would love to taste test these meatballs! So perfect for sharing with friends at a get-together or an Asian inspired meal… I think my kids would love them!

    Reply

  51. Absolutely stunning. Love the ingredient photo. There is nothing better than a really tasty meatball – especially one that surprises the palate, and this one definitely would. I love making and serving them. Great photos!
    🙂
    Valerie

    Reply

  52. I adore meatballs. Like, really love them. I could eat them all the time! I’ve made a vegan (though never posted) version of Asian meatballs, and we loved them. I need to revisit the idea. These look fantastic!

    Reply

  57. Great post. I too have a great meatball recipe on my blog …
    http://oddlyhealthy.com/healthy-eating/sweet-onion-and-soy-sauce-turkey-meatballs-recipe/

    It’s slightly different from yours but, I think you and your readers will love it too.

    Right now, I just started and I know it’s 1 in a sea of a zillion blogs. I aspire to have a blog like yours. Like you, I will do my best to offer the best possible content to my readers. Thanks for the great post and inspiration.

    Reply

  59. Thank you for this great recipe. I followed a Pin for another recipe and looked around on your site for a while. When I saw these I knew I would have to try them. We made them tonight and my whole family really liked them. I think I might use a little less vinegar next time, but that is just our personal preference. Very Good!

    Reply

    • Thanks so much for commenting, Heather. I’m really glad that you and your family enjoyed them!

      Reply

  61. I made these last night for dinner and really enjoyed them! I tried another Asian meatball recipe last month (from another blogger) and was very disappointed. The meatballs were very bland with all the flavor packed in the sauce. Your recipe has a nice balance of flavors. The only change I made was to broil the meatballs for an additional 5 minutes at the end to brown them up. I’ll definitely make these again–thanks for another great recipe, Dara!

    Reply

  62. Tried these tonight, and oh my gosh. SO DELICIOUS! I will make them for dinner and appetizers as well. AMAZING!

    Reply

    • Jen, I read your comment last night right after a slid a pan of these into the oven. This is one of our favorite recipes and I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, too!

      Reply

  63. These are absolutely delicious! THey are a new family favorite; everyone loves them, kids and parents alike!

    Reply

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