Teriyaki Meatballs

Name: Teriyaki Meatballs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 500g beef mince; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp mirin; 1 tbsp ginger; 1 tbsp cornflour; 2 tsp sugar; 1 egg; 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/2 cup mirin; 1/4 cup water; 2 tbsp ginger; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 tbsp cornflour

30-Minute Meals Beef & Ox Dinner East Asian Gluten Free Recipes Ingredients Japanese Meals & Occasions Recipes Region

7 years ago

by Bry

Published 11 March 2020

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Teriyaki Meatballs

Sweet and spicy Chinese beef is one of my favourite quick dinners when I’m craving bold, punchy flavours. The beef is pan-fried until tender, then tossed in a sticky sauce made with garlic, chilli, soy, and a good hit of brown sugar to balance it all out. It’s fast, full of flavour, and so satisfying with a bowl of rice or some steamed greens. Whether you’re after a cosy fakeaway or something a bit special midweek, this one always delivers.

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Yield: 4

Teriyaki Meatballs

5.0 Stars (9 Reviews)

Teriyaki meatballs are a proper crowd-pleaser in my kitchen. I make juicy meatballs from scratch, pan-fry until golden, then simmer them in a glossy homemade teriyaki sauce made with soy, ginger, garlic, and a hint of sweetness. They’re perfect served over rice, noodles, or even tucked into bao buns for something a little fun. Quick to pull together and absolutely bursting with flavour, these meatballs are one of my favourite weeknight recipes.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Marinating Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

Meatballs

500g beef mince
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp sugar
1 egg

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornflour

Instructions

Mix together all meatball ingredients in a bowl until well
combined.
Form mince into evenly sized meatballs and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat a small amount of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the meatballs each side for 2-3 minutes, or until starting to blacken.
Remove meatballs from heat and set aside.
In a small pot, combine all teriyaki sauce ingredients and whisk until the cornflour is dissolved.
Heat the teriyaki sauce over medium heat until bubbling, then simmer additional 1-2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Drizzle the teriyaki sauce over the teriyaki meatballs and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 494Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 2324mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 0gSugar: 22gProtein: 39g

Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

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Teriyaki Meatballs recipe

The Accidental Soba Incident

The other day I accidentally bought a few packets of soba noodles. Not one, not two, but a few. It was one of those mindless shopping moments where you think, “Oh, I’ll definitely use those,” and then you get home and realise you have absolutely no plan. So naturally, the soba noodles just sat there, judging me from the pantry shelf. I knew I had to come up with something to justify their existence, and while a stir-fry would’ve been the obvious choice, I wanted something different. Something fun. Something I hadn’t made in ages. Enter: Teriyaki Meatballs.

I love a good meatball. They’re comforting, easy to make, and you can do so much with them. But these teriyaki ones are something else entirely. They’re glossy, sticky, sweet-salty, and just the right level of moreish. The moment I decided on them, the whole meal started to come together in my head – warm soba noodle salad, a drizzle of glossy sauce, and these crisp little flavour bombs on top. Heaven. Absolute heaven.

Honestly, I don’t know why I don’t make them more often as they tick all the boxes. Weeknight friendly. Freezer friendly. Everyone-loves-them friendly. And paired with something light like a noodle salad? Chef’s kiss. I’m almost grateful for my soba mishap, because it brought these beauties back into my life.

Why I Make My Own Teriyaki Sauce

Let me just say this: I do not understand why people buy pre-made teriyaki sauce. It’s one of those things that is just so incredibly easy to make at home, and yet the supermarket shelves are lined with bottles full of additives and stabilisers and, well, goop. Real teriyaki sauce? It’s four ingredients. Soy sauce, mirin, ginger and sugar. That’s it. No thickeners. No mystery flavours. No need.

I always have those four ingredients on hand, which means whipping up a quick teriyaki glaze is a no-brainer. Plus, when you make it from scratch, you get that depth of flavour that just doesn’t come in a bottle. The balance of salty and sweet, the warmth of the ginger, the richness from the mirin – it all just sings. And it clings beautifully to meatballs, giving them that perfect caramelised coating.

Also, let’s be real, homemade sauce makes you feel a bit bougie. Just a touch. It’s like a tiny kitchen win. You’ve made something from scratch that tastes ten times better than anything store-bought. And when you pour that sticky, glistening sauce over your perfectly browned meatballs? Oof. That’s satisfaction right there.

That Classic Teriyaki Shine

You know that iconic shine that teriyaki dishes always have? That glossy, almost lacquered look? That’s the sugar doing its thing. It caramelises as it cooks, coating everything in a sweet-salty glaze that tastes as good as it looks. With these teriyaki meatballs, the sugar works its magic to give each one a lovely crispy edge, while the inside stays juicy and tender. It’s a texture contrast I adore.

It’s that same caramelisation that makes people think the sauce must be complicated. But it’s not – it’s just sugar and time. The sauce thickens on its own, bubbling away until it clings just right. Just good ingredients and a bit of patience. Well, not too much patience – this whole dish still comes together pretty quickly.

I like to pour a little extra sauce over the meatballs once they’re plated, especially if they’re going on top of a noodle salad. It adds that extra hit of flavour, plus it looks so good. Like you’ve really made an effort when, in reality, you’ve just stirred a few things together in a saucepan. My kind of cooking.

Ingredients Breakdown

The star of the show here is, of course, the meatballs. I use beef mince as my base, and then throw in soy sauce, mirin, ginger, sugar, an egg, and a little cornflour to bring it all together. It’s a simple combo, but it packs in so much flavour. The soy and mirin give that salty-sweet balance I love, the ginger adds a bit of zing, and the sugar helps everything brown up nicely in the pan. The cornflour and egg are the binders, making sure those meatballs stay tender but hold their shape.

Then comes the sauce – my homemade teriyaki. It’s still got the usual suspects: soy sauce, mirin, ginger, and sugar, but I add a splash of water to loosen things just a touch, and a little cornflour to help thicken it as it cooks. The result is glossy and luscious, coating everything it touches in sweet-savoury goodness. I know I always bang on about homemade being better, but honestly, once you taste this? You’ll never go back to the bottle.

And of course, the soba noodles deserve a quick mention. Not part of the meatballs or sauce technically, but they’re a key player in the overall dish. I like to toss them with a bit of sesame oil and something crunchy – thinly sliced veggies, maybe a handful of spring onions – and pile the meatballs on top with an extra drizzle of sauce. Every element brings something to the plate, but those meatballs? They’re the star of the show.

Teriyaki Meatballs are sweet, savoury, and utterly addictive – juicy meatballs coated in a glossy homemade teriyaki sauce that clings to every bite. They’re quick to make and perfect for serving over rice, tucked into lettuce cups, or skewered as a party appetiser. I love how the sauce balances salty soy, ginger, and a hint of sweetness, making it a hit every time. They’re simple, satisfying, and always a crowd-pleaser.

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Bry

Bry is the food writer and recipe developer behind Cooking with Bry, a recipe platform built on nearly thirty years of cooking experience and over 215 original recipes spanning classic Australian, British, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. She grew up in Western Sydney, where food was never just food. It was Aussie barbecues in the backyard, Middle Eastern bakeries down the road, and Mediterranean kitchens that treated every meal like an occasion. That early, immersive exposure to bold and diverse flavours shaped her palate and her cooking instincts in ways that underpin every recipe she develops today. She spent seven years living in the UK across London and Glasgow, deepening her understanding of British comfort food and traditional European cooking before returning to Australia via Adelaide, the country's undisputed foodie capital, where a passion for exceptional produce and honest, ingredient-led cooking only grew stronger. She's now based in Brisbane, developing and testing all of her recipes from her home kitchen. All of that, Western Sydney, the UK, Adelaide, Brisbane, and everywhere in between, feeds directly into what she cooks and how she writes about it. Her recipes pull from the traditions she knows most deeply, the food that feels like home, and are developed with the home cook firmly in mind. Honest, unfussy, and built around flavours that actually work.

- Jessica
- 17 March 2020
Reply
this looks sooo good!

Jessica | notjessfashion.com
1. - Bry
  - 17 March 2020
  Reply
  They taste even better than they look!! xx
- Tiffany
- 13 March 2020
Reply
Can I make these and then place in a crock pot to keep warm for a party?

Tiffany
Phlanx’s Marketing Specialist
1. - Bry
  - 14 March 2020
  Reply
  Definitely! If you make a little bit extra sauce, it’ll help keep them nice and moist and add extra flavour!
  1. Tiffany
    
    16 March 2020
    
    Reply
    Sounds perfect! Thank your Bry! By any chance you’re interested in doing collabs, you can check out the offers in our Collaboration section at Phlanx! https://phlanx.com/collaborations You can also check us out at Instagram @phlanxglobal
- Alison
- 13 March 2020
Reply
These are delicious meatballs with such unique flavors. My family loved them!
1. - Bry
  - 17 March 2020
  Reply
  Thanks Alison! So glad to hear!
- Angela
- 12 March 2020
Reply
I love to make my own sauces whenever possible. You are right, too many additives and preservatives. This is a great recipe. Thanks for sharing!
1. - Bry
  - 17 March 2020
  Reply
  Thanks Angela! I hope you enjoy it!
- Julia
- 12 March 2020
Reply
I had no idea making teriyaki sauce is so easy! Thanks for the recipe!
1. - Bry
  - 17 March 2020
  Reply
  No problem Julia!! Once you make it for yourself, you’ll never buy store bought again!
- Jen
- 12 March 2020
Reply
My family absolutely loved this! So easy to make and such a change from our normal dinner routine. I’ll definitely be adding this to our regular rotation. Thank you!
1. - Bry
  - 17 March 2020
  Reply
  So glad to hear Jen!!
- Jeannette
- 12 March 2020
Reply
Just the PERFECT recipe for a satisfying and delicious meal! I love meat and noodles and theset meatballs are just the way to make any noodles shine! Thanks for sharing!
1. - Bry
  - 17 March 2020
  Reply
  I hoe you enjoy them!!

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