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.
Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs
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.
hi there – i have a broiler that’s in a drawer, so my muffin tin won’t fit. any idea the temp for baking these?
I would try baking at 425 for 12-15 minutes. You basically just want to brown them, since they’ll cook through in the sauce. Hope that works for ya!
Could you use ground chicken instead of turkey? Turkey just doesn’t agree with me.
Absolutely! It might be a bit stickier, so make sure you use water on your hands before you roll out the meatballs.
Wow, just wow! I made these today and put them over TJ’s cauli rice. Such an incredible lunch for only 3 points. Thank you for your work in keeping us all healthy!!
What a wonderful thing to say! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. 😊
Hi Geri! Have you tried freezing these?
Hi, Melissa! I haven’t tried freezing them yet (they never last very long around here, lol), but I’m sure that would be fine. I can’t think of any ingredients in the recipe that wouldn’t freeze well.
My husband and I just made these for dinner and they were so flavorful and filling! I was worried that the lean turkey might be bland or dry, but is was delicious. We added steamed broccoli flourets as a side for 0 SP. We were thinking that these would be fun to make as an appetizer for a party, and no one would guess that it was a Weight Watchers recipe.
Yay!!! I love that the recipe was such a hot for you and your husband. I was shocked myself that lean turkey could come out so tender and flavorful.
Can you use crushed pineapple
As long as you get it packed in water and not in juice, it should be fine.
Holy cow these are amazing!!! Made them last night, new family fav!
Yay!!
Question about the pineapple. Is it diced pineapple (in the can) and then fresh or frozen for 1.5 cups? I think I’m confused on the pineapple part, sorry!
I don’t use canned pineapple, but I’m sure you could if you washed it (no juice). I usually buy it frozen and measure it out that way.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for this recipe. I thought it would be dry and bland. I made it for my boyfriend to take for lunches and WOW! I couldn’t stop having tastes as I made it! He loved it and told me to put it in the rotation. I made it exactly as written and it’s delicious. Highly recommend!
So good to hear, Sarah! I’m glad you gave it a shot. IT’s one of my favs for sure.
Like!! I blog quite often and I genuinely thank you for your information. The article has truly peaked my interest.
Slow cooker for just one hour?
I really liked this recipe, easy to fo,low and so delicious.
Loved the sauce! One question though. My sauce ended up being creamy and light brown almost like a peanut sauce and didn’t really glaze up. I used fresh pineapple. Where did I go wrong?
I would try to reduce the sauce a bit more–maybe simmer for another 5 minutes or so?
These were good, for me needed a bit more salt and I would add some teriyaki sauce to the actual meatball mixture next time. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad you liked it!
We really enjoyed this! Used my air fryer to brown the meatballs at 390° for 10 minutes and they were perfect. I did make them slightly bigger, only got 13 meatballs. We did think the ginger was a tad strong, I had scant 2tbsp fresh minced but that’s probably us. Will definitely be in our rotation, fresh, ready, and quick to the table.
Hi Monica, so happy to hear you enjoyed the meatballs! The ginger might have been a strong since the recipe calls for teaspoons, not tablespoons. Next time you try it see if it makes a difference!