Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs (Gluten Free)

These gluten free Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are made with ground turkey, ginger, and tossed with a homemade teriyaki sauce in the crockpot.

These Crockpot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are literally bursting with flavor - Fill up your slow cooker these meatballs, warm them up, and bring them to your next party. I guarantee they won't last long!

One of the best things about the holiday season are all of the appetizers that appear on serving tables during seasonal parties. There is no shortage of tasty bites this time of the year.

We're often asked to bring a dish to share when invited to holiday parties and it can be difficult to land on one that everyone will love. These Teriyaki Meatballs are my go-to appetizer for parties during the holiday season, or any time of year.

They're gluten free, full of flavor, and easy to transport. These meatballs may be served individually on a platter with toothpicks, in a serving bowl, or straight from the slow cooker.

These turkey meatballs are moist and tossed in a sweet and sticky teriyaki glaze. This is one of those appetizers that you'll find yourself going back for again and again.

Jump to:

• How To Keep Turkey Meatballs From Falling Apart
• Ingredients For Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
• How To Make Turkey Meatballs
• Do Meatballs Need To Be Browned Before Adding To The Crockpot?
• How To Tell When Turkey Meatballs Are Done?
• How To Make Teriyaki Sauce
• What Is Hoisin Sauce?
• How Long Do Meatballs Take In The Slow Cooker?
• What To Serve With Teriyaki Meatballs
• How Long Do Meatballs Last In The Fridge?
• Can These Meatballs Be Made Ahead Of Time?
• Can They Be Frozen?
• Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs (Gluten Free)

How To Keep Turkey Meatballs From Falling Apart

Meatballs are often made with pork, or a mixture of pork, beef, and veal. Using a blend of ground meats ensures that they're made with a sufficient amount of fat, which results in better flavor and texture.

I love meatballs of all kinds, but for this recipe I prefer to use ground turkey. Ground turkey tends to absorb all of the flavors that are added to it, instead of masking those flavors.

It's entirely possible to create meatballs that are not only flavorful, but also moist and juicy. Ground turkey is also healthier than ground pork and ground beef, resulting in meatballs that are healthier overall.

There are a few tips that I like to employ to ensure that help to prevent turkey meatballs from falling apart.

• Use ground turkey that is 85% lean. It's essential that meatballs are made using ground meat with the highest fat content possible. Lean ground turkey does not contain enough fat and will result in dry meatballs.
• Add Panko breadcrumbs and eggs to the ground turkey before forming the meatballs. It's important that meatballs contain a binder, so that they do not fall apart. Panko breadcrumbs and eggs both act as a binder and help hold them together.
• Chill the meatballs for at least 15 minutes before baking them in the oven.
• Do not overcook the turkey meatballs. Overcooking them will result in a dry texture.
• Bake the meatballs in the oven instead of frying them in a pan on the stove top. This hands off approach helps keep them together.

Ingredients For Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

Here's what you'll need to make them.

• 3 lbs. Ground Turkey (85% lean)
• ¾ cup Gluten Free Panko Breadcrumbs (or regular Panko breadcrumbs if not gluten free)
• 2 Eggs
• 3 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tsp. each Kosher Salt and Pepper
• 1 inch Ginger Root (grated) (can use 2 tsp. ground ginger if needed)
• Cooking Spray
• ½ cup Low Sodium Tamari (can use low sodium soy sauce if not gluten free)
• ⅓ cup Gluten Free Hoisin Sauce (can use regular hoisin sauce if not gluten free)
• ¼ packed cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp. Rice Vinegar
• 1 tsp. Sriracha
• 1 cup Water
• 2 Tbsp. Corn Starch (can sub arrowroot powder)
• Sesame Seeds and Fresh Chives or Scallions for garnish (optional)

How To Make Turkey Meatballs

The first step to making these turkey meatballs is to combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

It's best to use an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to measure the meatballs, so that they are all the same size. This ensures that they cook evenly in the oven.

Use your hands to form the meatballs and make sure not to overwork the meat, or it may become tough.

1. Start by placing 3 lbs. of ground turkey (85% lean) in a large mixing bowl.
2. To the turkey add 2 eggs, ¾ cup Gluten Free Panko breadcrumbs (can use regular Panko breadcrumbs if not gluten free), 3 tsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. red chili flakes, and 1 tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper.
3. Peel a 1-inch chunk of fresh ginger and grate it into the bowl using a Microplane or zester of some kind. Zesting the ginger gives you that great ginger flavor without the big chunks that can get a little assertive. Feel free to substitute 2 tsp. of powdered ginger if you can't find the fresh stuff, but if possible go fresh!
4. Mix all of the ingredients until completely combined. You can use a wooden spoon or just go in with your hands. Make sure all the spices are evenly distributed throughout the meat.

Do Meatballs Need To Be Browned Before Adding To The Crockpot?

The next step is to form the meat into meatballs. The turkey meatballs are first baked in the oven and then added to the crockpot fully cooked.

For food safety, it's important that the meatballs are cooked before adding to the slow cooker. Cooking them first also helps to brown them, which creates better flavor.

1. Using a medium size cookie scoop, an ice cream scoop, or a spoon scoop the meat into your hands and roll it around until it forms a ball. Each meatball should be about 1 ½ inches wide.
2. Spray a couple of large baking sheets with cooking spray to prevent the meatballs from sticking.
3. Place the meatball on a baking sheet and repeat with the remainder of the turkey. You should end up with between 45 - 48 meatballs.
4. Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and allow the meatballs to chill before baking.

If you like turkey I think you'll love these recipes!

• Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
• Turkey Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers
• Enchilada Stuffed Peppers

How To Tell When Turkey Meatballs Are Done?

After the meatballs have chilled in the fridge, it's time to pop the baking sheets in the oven.

Turkey meatballs that are roughly 1 ½ inches in size take 20 minutes to bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

The best way to tell if meatballs are cooked through is to measure the internal temperature using a meat thermometer.

The safe internal temperature for ground turkey is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The meatballs should be firm (but not tough) to the touch and the outside golden brown in color.

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the baking sheets into the oven and bake the meatballs for 20 minutes. They should be completely cooked through, but not overcooked, at this point.
3. Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Use a spatula to remove the meatballs from the baking sheets (they may stick a bit).
4. Repeat the process with the second half of the meatballs, making sure to chill them for 15 minutes before baking.
5. Place the cooked turkey meatballs into a crockpot. There is no special method to this - Just pile them in there.

How To Make Teriyaki Sauce

The next step is to make the teriyaki sauce that gets poured over the turkey meatballs and gives them ALL the flavor.

The sauce can be prepared as the meatballs are baking - Major time saver! This recipe is very easy to prepare.

Teriyaki sauce is not gluten free, so I have tweaked a few of the ingredients to make it gluten free. This recipe uses Tamari instead of soy sauce and gluten free Hoisin sauce instead of regular hoisin.

Feel free to use either of those ingredients if gluten is not an issue for you.

1. Combine ½ cup low sodium Tamari (can use lowsodium soy sauce if not gluten free), ⅓ cup gluten free Hoisin sauce (use regular Hoisin sauce if not gluten free), ¼ packed cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. rice vinegar, and 1 tsp. Sriracha in a small sauce pan on the stove top.
2. Bring all of these ingredients to a very light boil and stir them together until the brown sugar dissolves.
3. Add 2 Tbsp. corn starch (or arrowroot powder) to 1 cup of water. Stir the corn starch into the water until fully dissolved, creating a slurry.
4. Slowly pour the slurry into the pan, stirring constantly with a whisk.
5. Continue to cook the sauce just under a boil for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. The sauce will start to thicken and get kind of glossy. Remove from the stove top and set aside.
6. Feel free to add 1 Tbsp. more of corn starch to a bit more water and add if necessary. The sauce should thicken up at this point.

What Is Hoisin Sauce?

Hoisin sauce is a thick and rich dark sauce that is used in Chinese cooking. It's a little sweet, a little salty, and a little pungent. You can find hoisin sauce in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores.

If you absolutely can't find hoisin sauce feel free to substitute your favorite brand of gluten free BBQ sauce (use regular BBQ sauce if not GF).

If you love teriyaki sauce be sure to check out these Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls!

How Long Do Meatballs Take In The Slow Cooker?

At this point, the meatballs are cooked, but heating them in the crockpot along with the teriyaki sauce will help the flavors blend together. The meatballs soak up the sauce as they warm in the slow cooker.

I recommend heating them for 1-2 hours on the 'Low' setting and then switching it over to the 'Warm' setting, so that they don't overcook and dry out.

1. Pour the teriyaki sauce into the crockpot all over the meatballs. Try to make sure they are totally coated in the sauce.
2. Turn the crockpot on 'Low' and heat them for 1-2 hours. They should be totally ready at this point.
3. Feel free to add a bit of chicken broth or water if you would like to thin out the sauce a bit. The meatballs may be stirred carefully if you would like them to be more evenly coated in the sauce.
4. Feel free to turn the crockpot to the 'Keep Warm' setting if you are serving them at a party.

What To Serve With Teriyaki Meatballs

These meatballs make a great appetizer. You can serve them in the crockpot, heaped into a bowl, or placed decoratively on a platter with toothpicks.

I love to sprinkle these teriyaki meatballs with sesame seeds to make them a little more festive, along with some chopped chives or scallions for extra color and flavor.

You can serve them individually on toothpicks or in a serving bowl with a spoon.

These meatballs can also be enjoyed as a meal, paired with some rice and a roasted vegetable. They're perfect served on top of some basmati rice, brown rice, or wild rice along with a side of kimchi or any pickled Asian condiment.

They're delicious with green veggies like roasted Brussels sprouts or green beans.

If you like Asian flavors be sure to check out these recipes!

• Sesame Ground Chicken Rice Bowls
• Vietnamese Shrimp Salad
• Thai Grilled Chicken Skewers
• Thai Basil Pesto
• Korean Turkey Bowls

How Long Do Meatballs Last In The Fridge?

These meatballs last for 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Be sure to allow them to come to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator for storage.

Can These Meatballs Be Made Ahead Of Time?

Yes, these meatballs can be prepared the day ahead and stored in the refrigerator until needed.

1. Prepare the meatballs and sauce as directed, allow both to cool completely, and then transfer to the refrigerator for storage (they can be stored separately or mixed together).
2. The next day, place both the meatballs and sauce in the slow cooker and heat on either High or Low. Once warmed through, feel free to turn the slow cooker down to the 'Keep Warm' setting. If the sauce seems a little thick, it can be thinned out with a bit of chicken broth or water.

Can They Be Frozen?

Yes! These meatballs may be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer until use.

How To Freeze

1. Prepare the meatballs as directed (without the teriyaki sauce) and allow to cool completely before transferring to the freezer for storage.
2. Place the cooled meatballs in heavy-duty freezer storage bags, label with the date, and store up to 3 months in the freezer.

How To Thaw

1. Transfer the frozen meatballs to the fridge 24 hours before use and allow them to thaw completely.
2. Prepare the teriyaki sauce at this time.
3. Once thawed, transfer to a slow cooker and top with the teriyaki sauce. Allow the meatballs to cook for 1-2 hours until completely heated through in the teriyaki sauce.

Love meatballs? Check out these recipes!

• Slow Cooker BBQ Turkey Meatballs
• Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

Love party appetizers? Don't miss these recipes!

• Mushroom Gruyere Tartlets
• Maple Spiced Glazed Nuts
• Roasted Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
• Roasted Mushroom Tapenade
• Kalamata Olive Tapenade
• Smoked Salmon Crostini
• Walnut Stuffed Dates

Looking for more Crockpot Appetizers? Don't miss these!

Slow Cooker Queso Dip

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip

Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings