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Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs are an easy 30 minute dinner with ground chicken, crushed pineapple, and a homemade teriyaki sauce. Ground chicken meatballs bursting with pineapple teriyaki flavor. Serve over rice for a delicious dinner that everyone will love.
PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI CHICKEN MEATBALLS
Meatballs are something that my entire family can agree on! Kid-friendly and loaded with flavor, these pineapple teriyaki meatballs are a family favorite dinner recipe that can be ready in just 30 minutes. We love this served over some white rice and then drizzled with some of the homemade teriyaki sauce.
Some of my family’s other favorite meatball recipes are these sweet and sour meatballs, easy swedish meatballs, and spaghetti and meatballs. They’re all slow cooker recipes that are simple to make with easy ingredients.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE TERIYAKI CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH GROUND CHICKEN
Ground Chicken
Panko Breadcrumbs – These are found by the breadcrumbs in the baking aisle. They are a crispier bread crumb that are best in this recipe.
Crushed Pineapple – An 8 ounce can is plenty for the amount needed in the recipe. You will have some extra but not much. Just be sure that when you drain the juice you keep the juice! Don’t let it go down the drain because you will need it for the pineapple teriyaki sauce.
Milk – Any milk works fine. I use whole milk when I bake or cook and the recipe calls for milk.
Reduced-Sodium Soy Sauce
Green Onions
Garlic Cloves – You can use the fresh garlic cloves that you mince or press. Use chopped garlic from a jar. Or use some garlic paste from a tube. Lots of options here!
Fresh Ginger – Ground ginger can be substituted if needed. You can use a fresh ginger knob that you grate or use ginger paste from a tube. I prefer to use the ginger paste which you will find in the produce section of the grocery store by the fresh herbs.
Black Pepper
Brown Sugar
Water
Cornstarch
TIPS & HELPFUL HINTS
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How do I serve pineapple teriyaki chicken meatballs?
- I serve these meatballs over some cooked white rice and with a little extra drizzle of the teriyaki sauce from the pan.
- You can eat them plain as meatballs if you don’t want the rice.
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What do I do with the leftovers?
- The leftovers store really well in a covered container in the fridge for about 3 days. I reheat leftovers in the microwave with great results.
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Can I use ground ginger instead of fresh ginger?
- You can but for the best flavor use fresh ginger.
- For fresh ginger you can either use a tube of ginger paste (found in the produce area of the store near the fresh herbs) or buy a knob of ginger. Ginger has this brown rough exterior type skin and inside is fresh ginger that you grate on the fine side of a cheese grater.
- If you choose to use dried ground ginger then use half the amount. So if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon then only use 1/2 teaspoon of dried ground ginger.
TRY THESE OTHER TERIYAKI DINNER RECIPES
Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls – Ground chicken mixes with some fresh veggies and a homemade teriyaki sauce in this one skillet pan dinner recipe.
One Pan Chicken Teriyaki – Everything cooks in one pan including the chicken and the sauce!
Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken – A super easy slow cooker recipe that is a dump & go dinner recipe. Chicken breasts cook all day in the delicious teriyaki sauce in the slow cooker.
Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry – The best stir-fry recipe with pineapple chunks, veggies, and chicken in a homemade pineapple teriyaki sauce.
Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup crushed pineapple drained (reserve the juice)
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Pineapple Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Heat oven to 500°. Spray a 9x13 baking dish or cookie sheet very well with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- In large mixing bowl combine all the meatball ingredients and mix together well.
- Form into meatballs, about the size of a golf ball, and place in the baking dish or on the cookie sheet. You should get about 21 meatballs.
- Cook for 15 minutes or until meatballs are fully cooked. Temperature inside the meatball needs to be at 165°.
- While meatballs are cooking prepare the sauce: combine soy sauce, brown sugar, water, pineapple juice, garlic, and ginger in a large skillet pan or saucepan. Whisk together over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Stir together the cornstarch and water and add to the teriyaki sauce. Let the sauce simmer until it has thickened, about 5 minutes.
- When meatballs are done add the cooked meatballs into the teriyaki sauce and combine together so all meatballs are coated. Let simmer for a few minutes and then serve over rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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i need to make these a week before serving them. Will they be okay if I freeze them for a few days?
I think so? I can’t be positive as I have never tried freezing these. I see no reason why you couldn’t 🙂
WHat do you think the serving size is for this recipe?
I must have forgotten to add that. So sorry! You can make the meatballs whatever size you want so it depends. It uses the 1.25 lb package of ground chicken so you can plan on for sure getting 4-6 servings. We have no leftovers when I make this for my family of 6. If that helps 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight- quick, easy, & everybody loved it. I’ve been told it’s a keeper.
Thanks!
Made as is except added more panko soaked breadcrumbs. It was delicious served over a rice/quinoa medley with peppers. Even the hubby liked it and he’s a beef eater. Will definitely make again.
Made this for dinner tonight…..it was okay… couldn’t really taste the pineapple and maybe I would cut down on the fresh ginger next time ….seemed to overpower everything…..overall I guess I would make it again …..
Sorry the pineapple taste didn’t come through! Please let me know if you make it again and hopefully it turns out better for you!
I did not make the meatballs, as I already had some in the freezer. (Side note, some meatballs were beef and some were chicken. Both tasted good, but chicken was probably a favorite.) They were a hit! Next time, I will make the meatballs, too, but either way – great flavor!
what are you reviewing? you stated you didn’t make the meatballs.
She made the sauce from the recipe and used meatballs she already had. 😊
I’m sure these would be good if the sodium content was way way way less. The sodium level in this recipe is off the chart! Me or my wife could eat these? Sorry!
Very yummy. I adhered to other comments and added an egg as well as extra bread crumbs.
Worried they may spread flat, I tested 3 balls first at 500 for 15 mins and found the heat to be too high and the time too long. Baked the rest at 450 for about 12 mins. They came out moist and temped at 165. Sauce was quick, easy, and flavorful. Everyone loved it.
Thank you so much for sharing what worked for you!
Made these for dinner the first time about 2 weeks ago. My husband and I loved them. I made them again for Easter dinner and they were a big hit. Definitely a keeper.
Made these tonight for dinner….just the two of us retired folks…used 1/2 pound of ground turkey a halved the other meatball ingredients…added too much milk so added panko til I could form 12 small meatballs.
Made full amount of sauce….yum…used lo mein noodles rather than rice. Have about 1 serving left for a nice lunch. It’s a do over!
Very tasty! I didn’t have ground chicken but used ground turkey and it still had a great taste. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
I added more panko. I also added garlic powder, onion powder, and 5 spice to my meatballs. I added thin sliced baby peppers to my marinade when cooking it up. Everything was delish!
This was very tastey! I was skeptical about cooking these meatballs at 500 degrees… and I did have to flip them halfway through to make sure they were cooked evenly. Forming the meatballs was also a little skeptical. They didn’t form like regular meatballs, and I had to add a little more bread crumbs probably almost double what it called for. The sauce came out no problem! Served with rice and corn. Very delicious 🤤
The recipe says 1lb ground chicken but the comments say 1.25lb. The meatballs were very wet and didn’t hold their shape. Next time I would prob use an egg and more Panko to bind the meatballs better. Flavor was good and recipe was easy to execute. Thanks!!
Excellent recipe. I do not like salty food but I did not find this recipe to be too salty. I use amino’s vs soy and it was great!I may add zucchini next time like the other person recommended.
Followed recipe as instructed. Meatballs flattened in the oven like cookies. Added them to the sauce and they fell apart turning to mush.
So sorry to hear the recipe did not turn out for you. Sounds like the meatballs were too wet to begin with. The key to this recipe is making sure the pineapple is drained really, really well. That could be what contributed to the wet meatballs. Thanks for leaving your feedback. I appreciate it.
is this recipe missing egg?
Egg is a common binder in meatballs however the milk and breadcrumbs act as a binder for the meatballs in this recipe.
Thank you! I was making them and they felt sloppy so was concerned since I didn’t want to ruin my *triple* batch! I did add extra breadcrumbs but you were right these turned out so amazing and did not need egg!
So excited to try these. So very disappointed. No flavor and the sauce was nasty. I used all fresh ingredients.
Ease of making these was great. The chicken kept a decent shape. Don’t know who I can share them with because I didn’t like them – yet others thought they were wonderful!!
So sorry to hear the recipe didn’t turn out for you!
Used more pineapple juice and less soy in the sauce. Also added an egg and a little more bread crumbs to the meat (with a doubled recipe) and turned the meatballs half way through the bake. Delish for a Super Bowl pot luck!
Love the idea of using this for a potluck! Thanks for sharing your tips!
It seems like some kind of better binder like egg is missing. Mine came out flat as a pancake and falling to pieces. Dinner was ruined. Not sure what went wrong as I followed exactly.
The reason meatballs fall apart with this recipe is if the pineapple is not drained very well. If too much liquid from the pineapple remains when mixed with the meat the meatballs will be too wet and will not hold their shape. Sorry they didn’t work for you!
I am going to use ground beef for the meatballs and I bought bottles pineapple teriyaki sauce. I will drain my crushed pineapple very well.
Sounds good! Let me know how you like it!
Followed the recipe exactly. It was delicious! Served with rice pilaf and roasted broccoli.
Sounds delicious! 🤤 Thanks for sharing!
Very tasty recipe.
Thank you!
ultimately loved it. added more breadcrumbs as the mix was still wet even after pounding the juice out of the pineapple. also added an egg. But it was definitely a hit. served it over rice and edamame.
I’m glad the recipe worked for you with your additions! Thank you for your comment!
Do you think I can use rice squares ground up instead of panko to make it gluten free? I also will use gluten free soy sauce.
Thanks, Kelly
I’ve never thought to try that but I think it would work! Let me know how it turns out!
I have found GF panko at woodmans
Made the recipe as is (1 lb) but made gluten free with gf tamari and gf pinko. Scooped the balls with a mini ice cream scooper and placed on a parchment paper lined tray and Put them in the freezer overnight and baked them the next day still slightly frozen. They kept their shape nicely. My daughter in law is kinda picky but she loved this meal, we all did!
Thanks for sharing your experience! I love to hear when a recipe is picky eater approved 👌🏻
made this and my family loved them. even my son who rarely eats meat. this will be made more often. thanks for sharing the recipe
I love to hear when a recipe wins over someone! Thanks for commenting!
Absolutely loved this recipe! I added some sriracha to the meatballs and baked them at lower temp in the air fryer because it’s hot here and I did not want to use the oven. They turned out great! The sauce really compliments broccoli as well.
That sounds amazing! And amen to not wanting to turn on the oven, I will avoid it at all costs!
I added steamed fresh green beans and a can of chopped water chestnuts to the finished product and stirred it in. It was so good!
Love those additions! Thanks for sharing how you made the recipe your own 😊
Wonderful sauce. At the high baking temp any panko on the outside of a meatball charred slightly so mine were ugly looking but did not taste burnt. I plan to bake at lower temp next time, even though it will take longer.
On my copy of the recipe I’ve highlighted ingredients that get used in both the meatballs and the sauce (so I don’t put those away after meatball assembly), and also added a reminder to myself to start the rice cooking before starting the sauce.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the recipe! Great idea to add a reminder about cooking rice and what ingredients to leave out.
I doubled the recipe and the meatball mixture was very wet and made it difficult to form the meatballs. They turned out more like a cookie shape.
I’m sorry about that! Some people have said the meatballs come out too wet for them- could be a lot of reasons- the brand of pineapple, the brand of meat, how well you’d drained the pineapple, etc. Next time, feel free to add more breadcrumbs to get the desired consistency.
This was delicious!! I listened to a comment saying to bake at 450 for 12 minutes and to add more panko and an egg. They came out perfect!! This will now be in the meal rotation. 😋
I’m so happy the other comments were able to help you! I love that we can share ideas and experiences with each other as we try new things.
Hi I can’t have dairy. Would I be able to use Ripple unsweetened plant based milk? Also if I use minced garlic from a jar would it be 1 Teaspoon to equal 2 cloves?
Hello! I’ve never tried a plant based milk with this recipe but I’m pretty sure it will work just fine. And yes, 1 tsp minced garlic equals 2 cloves. I hope you love the recipe!
I doubled the recipe and made for my family of 7. Overall this was not a favorite. The complaints were too dry and a gritty texture. I did add more bread crumbs as suggested. This is not a meal for picky eaters/kids.
So sorry it wasn’t enjoyed!
I’m so confused. I followed the recipe and the meatballs melted into small pattie’s and crumbled apart. They didn’t seem cooked but they were. I have no idea what I did wrong!
I’m so sorry they didn’t turn out! From the sounds of it they didn’t bind together well. Is it possible you accidentally missed one of the ingredients? Maybe the crushed pineapple, milk or breadcrumbs?