Teriyaki Meatballs
Sweet and sticky teriyaki meatballs are the starting point of a delicious dinner! Serve them in lettuce wraps, over rice, or with your favorite stir fry. Easy to make in the slow cooker!
You can travel the world with meatball recipes. Go to Italy with The Best Italian Meatballs. Porcupine meatballs—well, those could only be American, right? There’s Swedish meatballs with creamy gravy and lingonberry jam for a taste of Scandinavia, and then these teriyaki meatballs, which give meatballs an Asian-inspired spin.
This slow cooker teriyaki meatball recipe is ridiculously easy because it starts with any meatballs—your favorite recipe, store-bought, meatballs made with turkey, beef, chicken, pork, whatever!
Then comes the fun part: glazing the meatballs with the sweet, sticky teriyaki sauce. This part is homemade because trust and believe, teriyaki sauce from scratch is miles better than the syrupy store-bought variety—and it’s pretty darn simple too. The meatballs and glaze are cooked together in a crockpot to infuse the meatballs with sweet and savory flavor.
These teriyaki meatballs are perfect for serving as appetizers at a party on toothpicks or as a main dish for dinner over rice with some steamed vegetables on the side. (Pro-tip: Double the sauce so you have some extra to drizzle over the rice and veggies!)
Ingredients for Teriyaki Meatballs
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this recipe. For the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Soy Sauce – For a gluten-free teriyaki sauce, swap in tamari.
- Water – To achieve the right consistency.
- Sweet Rice Wine – AKA mirin.
- Brown Sugar – You can use dark or light; dark has slightly more molasses flavor.
- Minced Garlic and Ginger – I beg of you: use fresh! Fresh garlic and ginger are much more pungent and punchy than dried.
- Cornstarch – To thicken the sauce.
- Meatballs – I use frozen meatballs for convenience.
How to Make Teriyaki Meatballs
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for full printable instructions.
- Combine. Set a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk together the soy sauce, water, rice wine, brown sugar, garlic and ginger.
- Simmer. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Make a slurry. Whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl.
- Thicken the sauce. Whisk the slurry into the teriyaki sauce and turn off the heat.
- Slow cook. Place the meatballs in the bottom of a slow cooker and pour the teriyaki sauce over the top. Cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low.
- Thicken the sauce. Uncover and cook on low for 30 minutes more, until the sauce thickens.
Tips for Making Teriyaki Meatballs
Crockpot teriyaki meatballs are easy as can be, but these tips will help you make them perfect.
- Don’t overwork the meat. If you’re making your own meatballs from scratch, be gentle when mixing to avoid making the meatballs tough. Over-mixing can lead to a dense texture.
- Adjust the flavor of the sauce as needed. If you prefer a sweeter teriyaki sauce, you can add a little more brown sugar, or add less for a sauce that leans savory. A squeeze of sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes will make it spicy.
- Add some garnishes. Once cooked, garnish the meatballs with chopped green onions or sesame seeds for an extra pop of flavor and color.
How to Store Leftovers
Transfer leftover teriyaki meatballs to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months; thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat these teriyaki meatballs, warm them up in a skillet set over medium-heat with the sauce, or in the microwave. I suggest having extra teriyaki sauce on the side since the meatballs soak it up when they’re sitting.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some pairings and serving ideas for these slow cooker teriyaki meatballs.
- Serve them on toothpicks like sweet and sour meatballs for a party app.
- Tuck them into lettuce wraps.
- Plate them with jasmine rice or hibachi fried rice.
- Add them to your favorite stir-fried vegetables.
- Make them into a banh-mi-inspired meatball sub.
More Meatball Recipes
- Turkey Meatballs
- Meatball Sliders
- One Pot Spaghetti and Meatball Stew
- Ricotta Turkey Meatballs
- Chicken Marsala Meatballs Recipe
- The Best Oven Baked Meatballs
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Get the Recipe: Teriyaki Meatballs
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sweet rice wine
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 pounds meatballs
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the soy sauce, water, rice wine, brown sugar, garlic and ginger.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat to low.
- Simmer for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water.
- Slowly whisk the cornstarch into the soy sauce mixture and turn off the heat. Set aside.
- Arrange the meatballs in the bottom of a slow cooker or crock pot and pour the cooled teriyaki sauce over to coat.
- Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours.
- Uncover and cook on low for 30 minutes longer or until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve over rice or in lettuce wraps.