Japanese Chicken Meatballs Teriyaki (Printable)

Juicy chicken meatballs glazed with sweet and savory homemade teriyaki sauce, perfect as appetizers or over rice.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken Meatballs

01 -
02 -
03 -
04 -
05 -
06 -
07 -
08 -
09 -
10 -
11 -

→ Teriyaki Sauce

12 -
13 -
14 -
15 -
16 -
17 -

→ For Serving

18 -
19 -
20 -

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, panko breadcrumbs, chopped green onions, soy sauce, mirin, grated ginger, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until just combined—avoid overworking the meat to keep meatballs tender.
02 - Lightly wet your hands with water to prevent sticking. Form the chicken mixture into 16 evenly sized meatballs, approximately 1.5 inches in diameter.
03 - Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs in a single layer and cook for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally to brown all sides evenly. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer meatballs to a plate and set aside.
04 - Wipe the skillet clean. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, cornstarch, and water until cornstarch is completely dissolved.
05 - Pour sauce mixture into the skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until sauce thickens and coats the back of the spoon, about 2 minutes.
06 - Return cooked meatballs to the skillet. Gently toss and stir to coat evenly with teriyaki sauce. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, allowing glaze to adhere and meatballs to heat through.
07 - Transfer glazed meatballs to a serving platter or serve over steamed white rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The homemade teriyaki sauce comes together in minutes and tastes worlds better than anything from a bottle, plus you can customize the sweetness to your exact liking
  • These meatballs freeze beautifully before cooking, so you can double the batch and always have homemade comfort food ready for busy nights
  • The glaze creates this gorgeous sticky coating that keeps the meatballs incredibly juicy, even after they've cooled down slightly on a party platter
02 -
  • The meatballs will continue cooking slightly after you remove them from the pan, so pull them when they just reach 165°F internally to prevent them from drying out
  • Cornstarch needs to be completely dissolved in cold liquid before hitting the hot pan, or you'll end up with lumpy sauce instead of a smooth glaze
  • The sauce thickens quickly once it hits the right temperature, so don't walk away—stir constantly and remove from heat as soon as it coats the back of a spoon
03 -
  • Let the meatball mixture rest in the fridge for 15–30 minutes before shaping—this helps the panko absorb moisture and makes the mixture easier to roll into uniform balls
  • If you're finding the meatballs too sticky to shape, lightly oil your hands or keep a small bowl of water nearby to dip your fingers in between each meatball

Go Back