Pineapple Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are tender, filled with crushed pineapple, and served with an easy teriyaki sauce. If you want to take a shortcut - you can even use a store bought teriyaki sauce.
I love to serve these meatballs with cooked rice or quinoa and a pineapple salsa. Some other favorite pineapple recipes are this banana pineapple smoothie and sheet pan pineapple shrimp.
Jump to:
Why I Love It:
- Fun Flavors - I love the subtle sweetness that adding crushed pineapple adds!
- Simple Ingredients - The meatballs use easy ingredients, including canned pineapple.
- Meal Prep Friendly - They are great to make ahead and reheat for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients and Equipment
- Ground Turkey - You can also use ground chicken
- Canned Crushed Pineapple - You can use some of the juice from the can to make the teriyaki sauce. Also try using crushed pineapple to make this Ninja Creami Dole Whip.
- Egg - An egg helps bind the meatballs together so they don't fall apart
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- Thinly Sliced Green Onions - I like to slice up extra to sprinkle on top as a garnish
- Spices - Garlic Powder, Ground Ginger, Ground Black Pepper
- For the Teriyaki Sauce (or buy store bought) - Water, Brown Sugar, Pineapple Juice (from the crushed pineapple can), Minced Garlic, Minced Ginger, Cornstarch (to thicken)
- Baking Sheet - To cook the meatballs
- Cookie Scoop (optional) - I used a 1.5 tablespoon sized scoop to make the meatballs the same size.
Variations
I like to bake the teriyaki turkey meatballs in the oven, but you can cook them in other ways:
- Cook Meatballs on Stove - Heat a large skillet or pan to medium high heat, add the oil, and cook the meatballs for a few minutes per side until browned and the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
- Air Fry Meatballs - Cook the meatballs at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. For regular turkey meatballs, check out the recipe for these Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs.
Step by step instructions
Pineapple Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs take only minute to mix up and form before popping in the oven to bake for under 20 minutes. The homemade teriyaki sauce is easy to make or you can even pick up a bottle from the store.
- Prep - Start by preheating the oven and spraying a baking sheet with cooking spray or lining with parchment paper.
- Mix Meatball Mixture - In a medium bowl, mix all of the meatball ingredients together. I find it easiest to do this with your hands. Don't over mix.
- Form Meatballs - Roll into ~1.5 tablespoon sized balls. I like to use a small cookie scoop to achieve even sizes.
- Bake Meatballs - Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven until cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees F).
- Optional - Homemade Teriyaki Sauce - When the meatballs are about 10 minutes away from being done, you can make the homemade teriyaki sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients (except for the cornstarch slurry) to a small pot and bring to medium heat while stirring so the sugar dissolved. Once simmering, add the cornstarch slurry and whisk together. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and let simmer until thickened.
- Serve - Serve the meatballs with the teriyaki sauce and your sides. I like to use rice and a pineapple salsa.
Leftovers and Storage
Leftover cooked meatballs can be stored in the fridge for 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To keep the meatballs from sticking, freeze the meatballs on a sheet pan or plate first then transfer to a container or plastic bag.
You then can reheat the frozen meatballs from frozen by warming in the oven (350°F for 15-20 minutes), in the microwave, or in a 350°F air fryer for ~10 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Don't Over Mix - Don't overwork the turkey meatball mixture or they can become dense and tough.
- Equal Sized Meatballs - I like to use a 1.5 tablespoon sized cookie scoop to make sure that the meatballs are the same size so they cook evenly.
- Use an Internal Thermometer - Checking the internal temperature is the best way to know that they are done so you don't risk over or undercooking them. The internal temperature should read 165 degrees F.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pan frying meatballs in the pan gives them a flavorful, brown crust on the outside, but baking is a good option if you don't want to stand by the stove cooking them.
If your turkey meatballs are rubbery and tough then they were likely overcooked. You also want to be gentle when forming the meatballs and not pack them too tight.
Teriyaki meatballs are great with cooked rice (or other grain), veggies like broccoli, and a side of pineapple salsa.
Related Recipes
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PrintRecipe
Pineapple Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
Pineapple Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are tender, filled with crushed pineapple, and served with an easy teriyaki sauce. If you want to take a shortcut - you can even use a store bought teriyaki sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main
- Method: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup drained canned crushed pineapple, reserve the juice for the Teriyaki sauce
- ⅓ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon lower sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Teriyaki Sauce
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice, from the canned crushed pineapple
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, to make a slurry
- 1 tablespoon water, for the cornstarch slurry
Instructions
- Prep - Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F and spraying a baking sheet with cooking spray or lining with parchment paper.
- Mix Meatball Mixture - In a medium bowl, mix all of the meatball ingredients together. I find it easiest to do this with your hands. Don't over mix.
- Form Meatballs - Roll into ~1.5 tablespoon sized balls. I like to use a small cookie scoop to achieve even sizes.
- Bake Meatballs - Place the meatballs on the baking sheet (with a little space in between) and bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees F).
- Optional - Homemade Teriyaki Sauce - When the meatballs are about 10 minutes away from being done, you can make the homemade teriyaki sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients (except for the cornstarch slurry) to a small pot and bring to medium heat while stirring so the sugar dissolved. Bring the mixture to a simmer (about 2-3 minutes) and once simmering, add the cornstarch slurry (the cornstarch and water mixed together in a small bowl) and whisk together. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and let simmer until thickened (about 5 minutes).
- Serve - Serve the meatballs with the teriyaki sauce and your sides. I like to use rice and a pineapple salsa.
Notes
Leftover cooked meatballs can be stored in the fridge for 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 meatballs + teriyaki sauce (¼ recipe)
- Calories: 301
- Sugar: 18.2 g
- Sodium: 276.6 mg
- Fat: 11.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.9 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 24.8 g
- Cholesterol: 130.6 mg
Katie says
That pairing of pineapple and teriyaki is so good!