Gluten-Free Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs
Juicy chicken meatballs with a sticky sweet teriyaki glaze. These are amazing with rice & your favorite green veggie!
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Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 316kcal
Ingredients
For The Chicken Meatballs
- 1 pound Ground Chicken Breast*
- 1/4 cup Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs
- 1 Green Onion, Thinly Sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Minced Cilantro
- 1 clove Garlic, Minced
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger, Minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1-2 Tablespoons Oil, For Cooking (I use olive oil or avocado oil)
For The Teriyaki Glaze
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/3 cup Low Sodium Gluten-Free Tamari (or coconut aminos)
- 3 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 clove Garlic, Minced
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger, Minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
Instructions
- Combine Meatball Mixture. In a large bowl, combine ground chicken breast, gluten-free breadcrumbs, green onion, cilantro, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Use a fork or clean hands to gently mix until just combined. Try to use a light touch here and don't over-mix. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with second half of the meatballs. Drain any fat or remaining oil from the pan.
- Divide & Roll. Divide the mixture into 20 meatballs. (I use a medium cookie scoop for this!) Gently roll meatballs smooth between your hands.
- Make Sauce. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine water, gluten-free tamari, pure maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, pepper, and cornstarch. Whisk until evenly blended.
- Brown Meatballs. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches (I cook 1/2 the meatballs at a time!), brown meatballs 2-3 minutes per side, just till golden brown. The meatballs will NOT be fully cooked through at this point. Set aside on a clean plate and repeat until all meatballs are browned, adding more oil, if needed.
- Thicken Sauce. Give the sauce one more whisk to make sure there are no lumps of cornstarch at the bottom. Add the sauce to the pan and use a whisk to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes over medium heat until the sauce has thickened.
- Coat & Cook Meatballs. Add all the browned meatballs back into the skillet and gently coat with sauce. Cover the pan and cook 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the meatballs are fully cooked through. An instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the meatballs should reach at least 165 degrees F.
- Serve & Store. Garnish with additional cilantro, green onions, or black pepper to taste, or top with sesame seeds or red pepper flakes! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator 2-3 days. (The sauce will thicken even more in the fridge, but should loosen back up when re-heated.)
Notes
- Ground Chicken Breast. I prefer using extra lean ground chicken breast instead of regular ground chicken. It’s higher in protein and has a more neutral flavor.
- Watch The Sodium! Everyone has different salt tolerance, but I highly recommend using low-sodium tamari or coconut aminos here to help moderate the salt content. If you often find stir-fry or teriyaki sauce to be too salty for your taste, reduce the tamari to 3-4 Tablespoons instead of my 1/3 cup.
- Serving Suggestions. I love to serve this with fluffy jasmine rice and steamed broccoli, but feel free to serve it with cauliflower rice, stir-fry veggies, or stir-fry noodles instead.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 5Meatballs (1/4 recipe) | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.8g | Protein: 31.5g | Fat: 10.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Cholesterol: 64.9mg | Sodium: 791.9mg | Potassium: 336.7mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 9.7g | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 27.7mg
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.