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Tender meatballs simmered in an easy, homemade teriyaki sauce that is naturally sweetened–no refined sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Meatballs are one of my favorite foods to lighten up. They are portion-controlled servings of protein, so it’s a lot easier for me to be mindful of how much I’m consuming. And I can completely changed the flavor profile of them by incorporating different sauces.
You probably know by now that I am a sauce fiend. Creamy, sweet, spicy–I love them all. I used to grab bottled sauces quite a bit before I started being more mindful of what I consume. Now that I know how easy it is to recreate some of my favorites at home–and with better ingredients–I rarely buy jarred or bottled sauces.
Teriyaki sauce is a perfect example. I always assumed it was pretty tricky to prepare something like that at home. But when I saw the extremely high sugar content in most pre-made sauces, along with the scary ingredient list, I researched how to make my own. This version uses pineapple at the sweetener along with just 4 other ingredients!
The meatballs themselves are super simple, a revised version of my Turkey Meatballs in Dijon Gravy. On their own, they might be a little plain, but when simmered in a good sauce, they take on all of that complexity.
cooking options
How you decide to cook these will change the texture and consistency of the meatballs and sauce. If you like a thicker sauce with more firm meatballs, follow the stove top directions. If you’re okay with a little bit of a thinner sauce with ultra-tender meatballs, do it in the slow cooker. I have yet to try these in a pressure cooker, but I’m sure they’d be great! Let me know if you try it that way.
My last piece of advice is to use a mini muffin tin to portion out your Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs without having to roll them out. Not only will you get an even 24 meatballs, you’ll also gets lots of browned bits around the entire meatball without having to flip them.
If you’re cooking for more than two, I highly recommend making a double batch. These also make great appetizers!
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you make it, be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook (@litecravings) and use the hashtag #litecravingsrecipes. I sometimes miss a tag here or there, but I always check in on the hashtag.
Print Recipe
4.78 from 9 votes
Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 4
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Geri
Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- 1.25 lb 99% fat-free, ground turkey
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (use Ian's brand for gluten free)
- 1 large egg
- 1 small onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SAUCE
- 8 ounces diced pineapple, fresh or frozen (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (use tamari or coconut aminos for gluten free)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional for some heat)
- optional garnish: green onion and sesame seeds
Instructions
Place all meatballs ingredients, except for onion and garlic, in a medium-sized bowl.
In a food processor or immersion blender cup, chop onion and garlic until fine. If you don't have this equipment, chop very finely with a knife. Add to the meatball mixture.
Mix until just combined (don't overmix–the meatball will be tough). Form into 24 balls, about one heaping tablespoon each. You could use a cookie scoop and place them on a cookie sheet, or use a mini muffin tin sprayed generously with cooking spray to portion them out.
Broil meatballs for 10 minutes.
While meatballs cook, add all teriyaki sauce ingredients to the same food processor or immersion blender cup. Blend until smooth.
IF USING THE STOVE TOP METHOD
Add the sauce and cooked meatballs to a large pot. Bring to a boil and return to a low simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Make sure you are flipping meatballs to coat with the sauce as it reduces.
IF USING SLOW COOKER METHOD
Add sauce and meatballs to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour. The sauce will also thicken as it cools.
Notes
Click hereto determine your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe (if you are logged in to your WW app, it should calculate for you automatically).
WW Green SmartPoints: 1 SP for up to 2 meatballs; 3 SP for up to 6 meatballs.
WW Blue SmartPoints: 0 SP for up to 2 meatballs; 1 SP for up to 6 meatballs.
WW Purple SmartPoints: 0 SP for up to 2 meatballs; 1 SP for up to 6 meatballs.
Nutrition
Calories: 226kcal
