Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatballs

chicken meatballs in teriyaki sauce served with rice and edamame.

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5 from 27 votes

Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatballs

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Course: dinner, lunch

Cuisine: Asian

Servings:

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Agnieszka

Ingredients

Chicken Pineapple Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken
⅓ cup crushed pineapple canned, drained and pressed, see Note 1
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup red bell pepper finely diced
1 scallion or green onion, sliced thinly
1 large garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated or minced, See Note 2
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper ground or milled

Teriyaki Sauce

½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce See Note 3
½ cup water or low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ tablespoon corn starch See Note 4
2 tablespoon water (for making a slurry)
½ cup pineapple juice reserved
1 garlic clove minced
½ teaspoon ginger grated or minced
2 tablespoon brown sugar
sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds as garnish, optional

Instructions

Preheat the over to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a medium baking tray with parchment paper or spray with oil.
In a medium bowl mix together ground chicken, diced red pepper, drained and pressed crushed pineapple, panko breadcrumbs, scallion, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Use a spoon or your hands.
Divide the mixture into 22 parts (I used a medium cookie scoop) and roll uinto meatballs using wet hands. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking tray.
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. If you want, you can spray the meatballs with some oil before baking (to help them brown), though it's not necessary.
While the meatballs are baking, prepare the Teriyaki Sauce. In a bowl or a measuring cup whisk together reserved pineapple juice, ½ cup water, soy sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger.
In a small bowl mix 1 ½ tablespoon corn starch with 2 tablespoons cold water until dissolved. Set aside.
Pour the soy sauce pineapple juice mixture into a medium or large skillet and cook, whisking over medium heat, until sugar dissolves.
Add the starch slurry and keep stirring (I use a silicone whisk) until the sauce thickens.
Once the meatballs are baked, transfer them to the skillet with Teriyaki Sauce and toss to coat.
Serve immediately garnished with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

Note 1: make sure to drain most of the juice from crushed pineapple. The easiest way to do so is to drain the pineapple on a sieve over a bowl or measuring cup and press with the back of a spoon. If you skip this step, the meat mixture will be too wet to form meatballs and you'll need to add more breadcrumbs.

If all you have is pineapple chunks, you can still make this recipe. Drain the chunks, reserve the juice and chop the pineapple finely.

Note 2: I always keep a piece of fresh ginger in my freezer. It's easier to grate ginger when it's frozen, plus it doesn't go bad in the freezer as fast as it would in the fridge.

Note 3: You can swap reduced sodium soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos.

Note 4: Corn starch can be replaced by potato starch, tapioca flour or arrowroot powder.

Note 5: Taste the sauce before adding meatballs and adjust the flavors/ thickness, as needed. If it's too thick, add a splash of water and whisk over medium heat to thin out. Not sweet enough? Add an extra teaspoon of sugar.

Note 6: Serve the meatballs over rice (white or brown), quinoa, farro or your favorite grains with a side of shelled edamame or steamed broccoli.

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