Tender chicken meatballs, juicy pineapple & sauteed bell peppers are all tossed in a sweet homemade teriyaki sauce! They’re so easy to make and are full of fresh Asian flavors!
I’m a sucker for a good meatball. (As if that wasn’t apparent enough by the numerous meatball recipes I already have up on the blog… 😉 ) But they’re just too good and there’s so many flavors to try that it’s hard to NOT make more and more. So when I say these teriyaki pineapple chicken meatballs were kind of a game changer for me, I really mean it loves. (This was the first time I ever used ground chicken in a recipe and I am hooked now!) It made these meatballs so tender and moist and paired so well with my favorite homemade teriyaki sauce! All I can say is you have to try them – your mind will be blown!
How to make teriyaki pineapple chicken meatballs
- Make the teriyaki sauce: Add your soy sauce, water, minced garlic, honey and rice vinegar to a sauce pot on the stove and bring it to boil. Once boiling, whisk in your cornstarch & water mixture and continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken. Set your sauce aside to cool slightly.
- Make the meatballs: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray. Then mix your meatball ingredients together and form them into 1 inch balls. Place your meatballs on the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Prepare your veggies & pineapple: Chop your bell peppers into 1 inch pieces and lightly saute them until they’re just tender. Drain your can of pineapple chunks.
- Add it all together: Place your meatballs, chopped bell peppers and pineapple together in a large bowl and pour your desired amount of teriyaki sauce over the top. Give it a good stir and serve immediately!
Can I freeze chicken meatballs?
Absolutely! We love freezing these for an easy lunch or dinner option later in the week! Simply place the meatballs in a plastic bag (sometimes we’ll double bag them to avoid freezer burn) and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to eat. (You can also freeze the sauce too! Just make sure it’s completely cool before pouring it in to a plastic bag. Then store in the freezer along with your meatballs!)
What to serve with teriyaki chicken meatballs
These meatballs are great on their own (especially for an appetizer party) but we also love serving them as a full meal too! Here are a few of our favorite side dishes to serve them with!
- Steamed white or brown rice
- Fried rice
- Ramen noodles
- Chow mein
- Stir fried vegetables
- Roasted broccoli
- More pineapple! (Grilled pineapple is amazing with this too!)
Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out this list of easy dinners that are perfect for everyone!
How to serve these teriyaki pineapple chicken meatballs for a party
I absolutely LOVE serving meatballs for any type of party because they’re fast, easy, cheap and always a crowd favorite too! Here are a few easy tips to serve the best meatballs for your guests! (And make it easier on yourself too!😉)
- Before the party: Bake your meatballs and make the teriyaki sauce the day before. (Store them both in the fridge in separate containers overnight.)
- 30 minutes – 1 hour before the party: Add your meatballs, pineapple chunks and sauteed peppers in a crock pot and pour your sauce over the top. Stir everything together and set the slow cooker to low.
- During the party: Set the slow cooker to warm once your guests arrive to keep the meatballs warm.
- Enjoy the party!
Why you’ll love this easy meatball recipe
- Super flavorful! Soy sauce, pineapple juice, garlic and red onion are all packed into these homemade meatballs! They’re then covered in the best sticky sweet teriyaki sauce for a true flavor explosion!
- Secretly healthy! These meatballs are baked instead of fried and made with ground chicken which is much lower in fat and loaded with protein. Plus served with lots of fresh veggies and pineapple too!
- Easy to prep beforehand! Have a busy week? Make up these meatballs and the sauce over the weekend and just reheat them when you’re ready to eat!
Need it gluten free? Use gluten free panko breadcrumbs in the meatballs and replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos or tamari!
Need it dairy free? Great news, it already is!
More meatball recipes you might like:
- BBQ Turkey Meatballs
- Egg Roll Meatballs with Honey Sriracha Sauce
- Italian Turkey Meatballs with Homemade Marinara
- Easy Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments. I love seeing what you create!]
Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs*
- 1 Tbsp pineapple juice (from the can)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup white onion, finely diced
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks (drained, but reserve 1 Tbsp for the meatballs)
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces & sauteed
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces & sauteed
For the teriyaki sauce:
- ¼ cup soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)*
- ½ cup water
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp honey
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp water (to mix with the cornstarch)
Instructions
To make the sauce:
- Add the soy sauce, water, minced garlic, honey and rice vinegar to a sauce pot and bring it to boil over medium high heat. (Whisk these ingredients together to dissolve the honey.)
- Once boiling, mix the cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water together and slowly whisk it into your sauce. Continue whisking until the sauce has slightly thicken. Take the pot off the stove and allow the sauce to cool.
To make the meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Mix the ground chicken, egg, panko, pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, onion and pepper together and form it into 1 inch balls. Place the balls on your prepared tray and bake them for 25-30 minutes.
- Once done, toss the meatballs, pineapple chunks and sauteed bell peppers in your teriyaki sauce and serve immediately!
Notes
- Replace the panko breadcrumbs with gluten free panko
- Replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos or tamari
Better than I expected! Very tasty though it doesn’t require for ginger. My family loves it!
Hi Victoria! I’m so glad they loved it! 🙂
They are beautiful and look quite delish. Thanks for mentioning my easy dinners.
No problem at all Denise! Thank you so much! 🙂
Loved this MEATBALLS recipe, definitely will try it. I have been sharing Keto recipes for Indians. This recipe would be an additional one.
Oh yay! I’m so glad you loved the recipe Priya!