Teriyaki Meatballs

5 from 2 votes

Teriyaki Meatballs are sweet, savory, and so easy to make in the slow cooker.

Prep Time5

Cook Time4

Total Time4 5

Course: Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings (6-7 meatballs per serving)

Calories: 329kcal

Add the frozen homestyle meatballs to the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker (crockpot).
56 ounces (2 28-ounce) bags of frozen homestyle meatballs
In a medium bowl, add the low-sodium soy sauce, pineapple juice, hoisin sauce, light brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sesame oil. Whisk to combine to create the teriyaki sauce.
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce, ¾ cup 100% pineapple juice, ½ cup hoisin sauce, ½ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 tablespoons grated ginger, 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Pour the teriyaki sauce evenly over all the frozen meatballs in the slow cooker.
Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 4-4½ hours.
Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Remove the lid, pour the slurry into the slow cooker, and stir it into the sauce and meatballs.
1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon cold water
Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and keep the lid off of the slow cooker for 20-30 minutes. This will allow the sauce to thicken. Be sure to stir your meatballs and sauce every few minutes until your sauce has thickened to the desired consistency.
Stir the meatballs to evenly coat all the meatballs with the sauce and garnish with the thinly sliced scallions and sesame seeds if desired before serving.
thinly chopped scallions, sesame seeds

Storage:

To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: You can freeze the sauce-coated meatballs, once they have cooled completely, in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
To Reheat: You can rewarm these meatballs in a large sauce pot on medium-low heat. You may need to add a tablespoon, or two, of water to loosen up the sauce as the meatballs warm through. Be sure to thaw the frozen teriyaki meatballs in the refrigerator before rewarming them.

Tips:

These teriyaki meatballs are a great party appetizer, or they can be served over white rice with a side of steamed vegetables for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. If serving these meatballs as an appetizer, you can set your slow cooker to WARM, and the meatballs can be kept covered for an additional 1-2 hours.
Homestyle meatballs work best for this recipe. The Italian-style frozen meatballs are delicious, however I find that the Italian seasonings do not blend as well with the Asian flavors of the teriyaki sauce.
You can make a shortcut sauce by adding 2 cups of your favorite bottled teriyaki sauce, ¾ pineapple juice, and ½ cup water. Stir and pour over the meatballs. You will only need to add the cornstarch slurry if you want your sauce to thicken up.
Dole brand makes a 6-pack of mini, 6-ounce cans of 100% pineapple juice. One of these cans works perfectly in this recipe. I like to keep these mini cans on hand to make quick and easy marinades or to add to my favorite tropical cocktails.
Consider using a slow cooker liner when making these meatballs for super easy cleanup!