Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs are the perfect combination of sweet, savory, and kid friendly. Sweet, pineapple soy meatballs are packed with grated zucchini to create a delicious teriyaki flavor. Serve over rice for a simple, hidden Veggie dinner.
Chinese craving: meet chicken teriyaki meatballs
Recently, I was trying to decide what to make for dinner when I got a random craving for Hibachi.
Sadly, there was no way I was going to pack up 2 hangry kids, beg the husband to go, and spend a bunch on dinner.
Enter: chicken teriyaki meatballs.
Did I mention that I snuck in veggies to add some extra goodness to this meal? My kids didn’t even notice, which is why I absolutely love hidden veggie recipes.
Tips for making chicken teriyaki meatballs
- Fresh ginger will give you a stronger, fresh taste. If using fresh, grate it with a microplane or box grater.
- I used grated yellow squash. Grate on the finest shred of a box grater so you don’t have big chunks.
- If using zucchini but think your kids will be put off by the green, try peeling it before you shred.
- Even if you don’t need the hidden veggies, don’t skip the squash in these chicken teriyaki meatballs. It adds a ton of moisture, which is much needed with the chicken meatballs.
Like hidden veggie recipes? Try this: Over 100 Hidden Veggie Recipes Your Kids Will Love!
Customize these to fit your families needs and wants. You can use zucchini or shredded carrot in place of the yellow squash. Instead of chicken, try ground turkey, pork, or beef in place.
The shredded vegetables help keep the meatballs super moist, so they are more forgiving to overcooking and lower fat meats.
Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs with Teriyaki Pineapple Sauce
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Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs with Teriyaki Pineapple Sauce
Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs with Teriyaki Pineapple Sauce are the perfect combination of sweet, savory, and kid friendly. Sweet, pineapple soy meatballs are packed with grated zucchini to create a delicious teriyaki flavor.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey or other lean meat
- 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp pineapple juice
- 1 small yellow squash grated and squeezed to remove water (about ½-¾ cup squeezed)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp oil I used olive
For the sauce
- 1 clove of garlic finely minced
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 20 oz can of pineapple chunks in juice
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 and prepare a large oven safe skillet with the oil.
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Combine all ingredients except for the meat and oil into a large bowl until everything is moist. Add meat and mix thoroughly.
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Portion into small meatballs, about 1 tbs each in size. Place into skillet.
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Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. While they are baking, remove fruit from the juice (save the juice!) and chop to your desired size. Remove the meatballs from the pan and put the pan on the stove over medium heat.
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Add chopped garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add 1 cup of the chopped pineapple (save the rest for on top of yogurt or in smoothies!) and saute about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for a minute before adding the meatballs back in.
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Cook another minute or two, and then serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes
- Feel free to play with the meat used – hidden veggie meatballs tolerate lean meats well since the veggies add a lot of moisture.
- Sesame oil is totally optional, but adds a ton of flavor. If you regularly cook Asian food, definitely grab a small bottle. Use sparingly as the flavor is huge.
Okay so tell me – have you ever had hibachi? Does your family love it? Let me know in the comments!
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