Teriyaki turkey meatballs are a delicious dinner option, or you can serve them as an appetizer at your next party! Everyone loves this flavorful recipe.
I still have so many cookie recipes to share with you. But I don’t want you to think that my family is subsisting solely on cookies, so I thought I’d share a non-cookie recipe today. :)
You might be wondering…meatballs? That are egg free? Impossible!
Nope, it’s not impossible. You do need something in place of the egg, and in this case, it’s mashed potatoes. My mom mentioned using potatoes in meatballs a few years ago, and then recently my friend mentioned doing the same. I gave it a try, and it does work! Plus, it’s a great use for leftover mashed potatoes.
These turkey teriyaki meatballs are easy, delicious, and a perfect dinner option. You can even make them a little smaller and serve them as appetizers for you holiday party!
I prefer lean ground turkey, but you can use extra lean if you wish. They will be a little more firm and possibly a bit dry, so make sure to serve with sauce if you use the extra lean meat.
Can you make meatballs without eggs?
Yes, you can use mashed potatoes as a binder in this meatball recipe. If you can’t have potato, try leaving it out, but the meatballs will be a bit more firm.
Is there a gluten free soy sauce?
Yes, there is a substitute for soy sauce that’s gluten free, and it’s called tamari. You can find tamari in most stores, near the soy sauce. Read more about it here.
What is a soy free substitute for tamari?
If you can’t eat soy, you could try coconut aminos, or you can make this soy free “soy sauce” as a substitute.
What should you serve with teriyaki turkey meatballs?
These are delicious with brown or white rice, or mashed potatoes. You can also make them a little smaller and serve them on toothpicks as an appetizer.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
For the sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup tamari
- 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup red pepper chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon water
- green onion for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped onions, chopped red bell pepper, lean ground turkey, mashed potato, tamari sauce, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix well.
- Roll the mixture into balls (I made mine about 1 ½ inches wide, and place in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Cook over medium heat until brown on all sides.
- Transfer to a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
- While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce.
- Place the chicken broth, tamari, coconut sugar, honey, ground ginger, chopped red pepper, and minced garlic in a sauce pan and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small container and shake well to remove lumps. Drizzle into the pan and stir well to combine. Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 more minutes.
- Drizzle the sauce over the finished meatballs, and top with green onion. Serve over rice if desired, or insert toothpicks for an easy appetizer.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in December 2015. It has been updated.
Follow along:
Sherry McCosh
Is this recipe also soy free?
Kelly Roenicke
No, if you can’t have soy, you could try coconut aminos in place of the tamari.
Katie
Delicious recipe!
Anne
This looks delicious! Do you think mashed sweet potatoes would work in place of regular potatoes or would the flavor change considerably? My daughter can’t have potatoes. Thanks!
Kelly Roenicke
I think sweet potatoes would be fine!
Sharon
Can you freeze these either before cooking it or after it’s cooked?
Kelly Roenicke
You should be able to freeze them after cooking.
Michelle
These look delicious! I’ve been looking for a healthy recipe to bring for lunch at work, to offset the piles of cookies that are everywhere lately – this looks like the perfect option! And I like that you used mashed potatoes as the binder. Looking forward to giving them a try!
Kelly
I hope you enjoy them!
Sarah
Oooh, what a great idea to use mashed potatoes as a binder – love it!
Kristine | Kristine's Kitchen
It’s refreshing to see something besides sweets recipes, because we do need to eat dinner as well! What a great trick to use mashed potatoes in place of the egg in these meatballs!
Kelly
Thanks, Kristine!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
These meatballs sound fantastic! Love th teriyaki flavor!
Kelly
Thank you!
Rahul @ samosastreet
They sound delish! What a great recipe :)
Kelly
Thank you!
steven
This looks so beautiful and I love the flavors going on. Thanks for sharing!