These sticky teriyaki turkey meatballs are a DELICIOUS and unique appetizer, made with tons of flavor and fresh ingredients in under 20 minutes. Appetizers are my favorite course, especially when bite-sized.
Inspired by the classic cocktail meatballs, these sticky teriyaki turkey meatballs are just so much fresher. The sauce is so addicting! It will make enough to heavily coat the meatballs. You might also be interested in my healthy buffalo chicken meatballs too!
The sauce is the real winner here. It’s packed with so much flavor from the soy sauce, honey, fresh garlic and orange. It’s perfectly balanced between sweet, salty, and garlicky. You cook it down until its sticky and will latch onto the meatballs. The recipe makes enough to coat the meatballs and then some.
Ingredients
- ground turkey
- panko
- onion (fresh and powder)
- garlic (fresh and powder)
- ginger (fresh and powder)
- soy sauce
- mustard
- orange (zest and juice)
- honey
- mustard
- vinegar
How to make these sticky teriyaki turkey meatballs
Make the meatballs. Mix the panko breadcrumbs, soy sauce, and seasonings together until combined. Then mix in the turkey. Form the turkey into bite-sized rounds and cook in the oven for 15 minutes at 375F.
While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. Mix the sauce ingredients to a cold pan and stir to combine. Turn the heat up to medium. Keep an eye on the sauce. It will start to bubble but you want to stir every couple minutes. The sauce will thicken and get sticky
While you’ll love this recipe
- Full of flavor from fresh ingredients
- Easy and quick to make
- Similar to cocktail meatballs but more fun
- Can be served as a snack or appetizer with toothpicks, or over rice for a meal
- Kids love them
Tips, Tricks, and Substitutions
- For the meatballs, mix everything but the turkey together first so that the mix ins are more evenly spread out
- Feel free to use chicken instead of turkey for the ground meat
- Serve the meatballs with a toothpick or over a bed of rice
- You can sub breadcrumbs or quick oats for the panko, and grade A pure maple syrup for the honey
- The sticky teriyaki sauce is great to use in other recipes, such as with salmon, chicken, tofu, or vegetables!
Lastly, if you do make this recipe (then first of all, thank you!!), be sure to leave a comment and rating below! It would mean the world to me if you tagged me on Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations. 🙂
Sticky Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ½ onion grated
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
Sticky Garlic Honey Ginger Orange Sauce
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon mustard
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced (or ½ teaspoon powdered ginger)
- 3 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Instructions
To make the meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients except the turkey to a bowl and mix. Then add the ground turkey. Once all combined, form into meatballs. You can make 20-25 bite sized meatballs out of this, and they will all fit on one large sheet pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
To make the sticky garlic honey ginger orange sauce
- While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. To a cold pan, add all of the sauce ingredients. Whisk together and then turn the heat up to medium. Allow the sauce to begin bubbling, and stir every few minutes. The sauce will thicken up in 10-15 minutes.
- When the meatballs are out of the oven, toss them into the sauce. Serve warm with toothpicks or over rice.
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