These Baked Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Meatballs are made with ground chicken, and crushed pineapple, and tossed in a homemade teriyaki sauce.
Serve these flavorful meatballs over rice with sauteed bell peppers for a quick, easy, and delicious meal your whole family will love.
Who doesn't love a good meatball? They are quick and easy to make and shouldn't be limited to just Italian night.
Here are some other meatball recipes you will want to try: Traditional Meatballs with Italian Sausage and Ground Beef, Chicken Apple Meatballs, Sage Chicken Meatballs with Brown Butter.
I've also shared all of my trick and tips for Cooking Frozen Meatballs.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This is a quick and easy main course that is full of flavor and perfect for busy weeknights.
- Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Meatballs use common everyday ingredients.
- Because they are baked instead of fried, these meatballs are healthier than traditional pan-fried meatballs.
- This is an easy make-ahead recipe. Just assemble all of the ingredients and store them in the refrigerator and reheat them when you are ready to eat.
Looking for more easy dinner recipes? Try one of these: Easy Homemade Flatbread Pizza Recipes, Crockpot Chili with Bell Peppers, Lasagna with Ricotta and Cottage Cheese, and Sheet Pan Chicken with Zucchini and Tomatoes.
Recipe Ingredients
These Baked Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Meatballs are filled with fresh flavorful ingredients
Panko Bread Crumbs: These bread crumbs are found by the regular bread crumbs at the grocery store but they are crispier than traditional bread crumbs. Breadcrumbs help bind meatballs together and absorb moisture to create more tender meatballs.
Milk: Milk adds additional moisture to the meatballs. When combined with the bread crumbs it also prevents the meat proteins from shrinking and creating tough meatballs.
Canned Pineapple Chunks: Pineapple is the secret to moist chicken meatballs. Use the fruit in the meatball and reserve the juice to use in the Homemade Teriyaki Sauce.
If you love pineapple you will love this Pineapple Cream Cheese Pie.
Egg: The egg helps to bind the meatball together and adds additional fat, moisture, and flavor.
Soy Sauce: My recipes are formulated using reduced-sodium soy sauce.
Green Onions: Green onions are also known as scallions. They are milder than a regular white or yellow onion.
Sweet Chili Sauce: Sweet chili sauce adds just a touch of spice to the teriyaki sauce.
Honey: Just a bit of honey sweetens the teriyaki sauce without making it overly sweet.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the homemade teriyaki sauce.
Toasted Sesame Seeds: Toasting sesame seeds makes them crunchier and gives them a nutty flavor. As a shortcut, you can buy already toasted sesame seeds in the spice aisle.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
Ground Chicken: If you can’t find ground chicken you can either substitute ground turkey or ask your butcher to grind ½ a pound of chicken breasts and ½ a pound of chicken thighs together.
Pineapple: You can use fresh pineapple but you will also need a can of pineapple juice.
Garlic: Fresh garlic will give you the best flavor. You can use freshly chopped garlic cloves, chopped garlic from a jar, or use some garlic paste from a tube. If you only have garlic powder reduce the amount to 1 ½ teaspoon for the meatballs and 1 ½ teaspoon for the sauce.
Fresh Ginger: If you don't have fresh ginger you can substitute ground ginger or try ginger paste which can be found in the produce section of the grocery store next to the fresh herbs. If using ground ginger reduce the amount to ¼ teaspoon for the meatballs and ¼ teaspoon for the sauce.
Red and Green Bell Peppers: Red and green peppers add some color and crunch. Don't like bell peppers? Try substituting broccoli, snow peas, or cabbage.
Step by Step Directions
Meatballs
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Step 2: In a large bowl mix together the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, milk, pineapple, egg, soy sauce, green onions, garlic, ginger, and sweet chili sauce.
Step 3: Mix with your hands until just combined.
Tip: To test and adjust the seasoning, microwave a small amount of the meatball mixture until it is fully cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Step 3: Shape the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs using approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture for each meatball.
Do not overwork the meatballs. Mixing the ingredients by hand allows you to ensure the ingredients are combined completely without overworking the mixture. Overworking the mixture creates tight tough meatballs.
Step 4: Place meatballs in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Meatballs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). You can also cut a meatball in half to make sure the meat is no longer pink.
Tips: To keep the meatballs from sticking to your hands when rolling them into balls, spray your hands with a little nonstick cooking spray or coat them in a little oil.
Shape into evenly sized meatballs so that they all cook at the same rate.
Teriyaki Sauce
Step 5: While the meatballs are baking, combine the soy sauce, water, honey, pineapple juice, garlic, ginger, and sweet chili sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
In a small bowl mix together the corn starch and 1 tablespoon of water. Slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce. Continue whisking the sauce until it has thickened slightly and coats the back of the spoon.
Tips: If you are looking for a shortcut, using your favorite bottled teriyaki sauce is a great way to save a bit of time.
Assembly
Step 6: Top the meatballs with the remaining pineapple chunks and red and green pepper chunks.
Step 7: Pour the teriyaki sauce over everything and continue baking in the oven for 30 minutes until the peppers are fork-tender.
Step 8: Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve these Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Meatballs over rice. If you are looking for a low carb main dish, try substituting cauliflower rice for the white rice.
Recipe FAQs
Fresh ginger will provide the best flavor. You can either buy a knob of ginger that you peel and then grate using the fine side of a cheese grater or you can purchase ginger paste which can be found in the produce section of the grocery store next to the fresh herbs.
If you only have ground ginger you will want to reduce the amount by half. This recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger so you will want to use ½ teaspoon of ground ginger.
Yes. Shape the meatballs and place them in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet, being careful to not squish them together. Cover and refrigerate for up to one day.
Meatballs become tough when they are overworked, formed into too tight of balls, or are overcooked.
Don’t over-mix the ingredients. Remember the mixture will continue to mix together when you are rolling it into balls.
Yes, you can substitute ground turkey for ground chicken. The cooking time will be the same.
Store leftover meatballs in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan or in the microwave.
Expert Tips
- If you can’t find ground chicken you can either substitute ground turkey or ask your butcher to grind ½ a pound of chicken breasts and ½ a pound of chicken thighs together.
- To test and adjust the seasoning, microwave a small amount of the meatball mixture until it is fully cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- To keep the meatballs from sticking to your hands when rolling them into balls, spray your hands with a little nonstick cooking spray or coat them in a little oil.
- Do not overwork the meatballs. Mixing the ingredients by hand allows you to ensure the ingredients are combined completely without overworking the mixture. Overworking the mixture creates tight tough meatballs.
- Shape into evenly sized meatballs so that they all cook at the same rate.
- If you are looking for a shortcut, using your favorite bottled teriyaki sauce is a great way to save a bit of time.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Meatballs with Rice
Equipment
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup finely chopped pineapple chunks save the remaining chunks and juice
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 red bell pepper sliced into chunks
- 1 green bell pepper
- remaining pineapple chunks
- sliced green onions for garnish
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Mix the 1 lb ground chicken, ½ cup panko bread crumbs, ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup finely chopped pineapple chunks, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sliced green onions, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, and 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce together in a large bowl.
- Mix with your hands until just combined.
- Shape the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs using approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture for each meatball.
- Place meatballs in a 9x13 casserole dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Meatballs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). You can also cut a meatball in half to make sure the meat is no longer pink.
Teriyaki Sauce
- While the meatballs are baking, combine the ½ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup water, ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, and 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- In a small bowl mix together the 1 tablespoon corn starch and 1 tablespoon water. Slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce. Continue whisking the sauce until it has thickened slightly and coats the back of the spoon.
Assembly
- Top the meatballs with 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, and remaining pineapple chunks. Pour the teriyaki sauce over everything and continue baking in the oven for 30 minutes until the peppers are fork-tender.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
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