These Teriyaki Pineapple Meatballs are perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Homemade meatballs are coated in a delicious teriyaki sauce full of sweet crushed pineapple. Serve over rice or noodles for a delicious dinner your whole family will love.
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These pineapple meatballs are baked or pan-fried and ready in about 50 minutes, start to finish.
For another easy and delicious dinner recipe, check out these Honey Garlic Meatballs made in the slow cooker!
Recipe at a Glance
- Ready in 50 minutes (5 min prep, 45 min bake)
- Makes about 21 meatballs, 5 servings
- Homemade beef meatballs in a sweet-tangy teriyaki sauce made with crushed pineapple
- Can be baked or pan-fried
- Serve over rice or noodles - or skip the rice and serve as an appetizer.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs
- They are easy to make and can be made ahead of time.
- The homemade teriyaki sauce is full of flavor.
- Freeze extra meatballs for future meals.
- Serve them as a main dish or appetizer.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Lean ground beef. You can also use regular ground beef, a mix of beef and pork, ground venison, ground chicken, or ground turkey. You can also save time by using frozen meatballs. Just cook them for a little longer.
- Egg. Acts as a binder to help hold the meatballs together as they cook.
- Almond flour. You can also use Panko breadcrumbs, quick oats, or crushed soda crackers.
- Seasoning. I seasoned the meatballs with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Teriyaki pineapple sauce is made with a can of crushed pineapple with juice, brown sugar, white vinegar, cornstarch, soy sauce, garlic powder, and ground ginger. You can also use canned pineapple chunks or fresh pineapple and pineapple juice instead of canned pineapple.
See the printable recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Teriyaki Pineapple Meatballs
Step 1: Mix the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl. My favorite method is using your hands to mix the meatball mixture.
Step 2: Shape the meatballs into 1.5-inch balls - you'll get about 21 meatballs this size.
Step 3: To cook in a frying pan, add olive oil to a large skillet and brown meatballs on all sides. To bake in the oven, bake meatballs at 350 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes.
Step 4: Make the teriyaki pineapple sauce while the meatballs are cooking. Add all the sauce ingredients to a medium saucepan.
Step 5: Cook over medium heat until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens, stirring frequently. Because the sauce is made with crushed pineapple, it won't be perfectly smooth.
Step 6: When the meatballs are cooked, add them to the saucepan with teriyaki pineapple sauce or pour the sauce over them before serving. Garnish with green onion or sesame seeds.
What to Serve with Teriyaki Pineapple Meatballs
These meatballs are versatile enough to serve a few different ways:
- As a main dish: Serve over steamed white rice, Instant Pot Jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, or toss with noodles to soak up the extra sauce.
- As an appetizer: Skip the rice and serve straight from the pan with toothpicks - a great option for parties or game day.
- Round out the meal with a simple side like steamed or Air Fryer Roasted Root Vegetables, or a quick Creamy Cucumber Salad, to balance the sweetness of the sauce.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: Store leftover cooked meatballs in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer: These meatballs can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to two months.
Jeri's Top Tips
- Make sure the meatballs are all the same size for even cooking. Use a small cookie scoop or kitchen scale to measure out equal-sized meatballs.
- Do not overmix the meatballs in order to avoid tough meatballs.
- As you brown the meatballs, keep the lid on so you prevent water from evaporating.
FAQs
Serve them over rice or noodles for a full dinner, or skip the rice and serve them as an appetizer with toothpicks.
Yes - you can make the meatballs ahead, and extras freeze well in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to two months.
Yes - regular ground beef, a mix of beef and pork, ground venison, or ground chicken or turkey all work. Frozen premade meatballs also work in a pinch; just cook them a little longer.
Printable Recipe
Easy Teriyaki Pineapple Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1½ pounds lean ground beef
- 3 tablespoon almond flour
- 1 egg large
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the Teriyaki Pineapple Sauce:
- 14 oz can crushed pineapple with juice
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine ground beef, almond flour, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix together well. Using your hands works the best.
- Shape meatballs into 1.5" balls. You will get approximately 21 meatballs this size.
- Place raw meatballs in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Place meatballs in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes, until the meatballs are nicely browned OR cook them in a frying pan. To do this, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil to a large skillet and preheat on medium heat. Next, add meatballs to the skillet and brown them. Flip them over to brown on all sides.
- To make the teriyaki pineapple sauce, add the can of crushed pineapple with the juice to a medium saucepan along with brown sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, cornstarch, and ground ginger. Whisk the ingredients together and heat over medium heat. Cook until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens, stirring frequently.
- Serve cooked meatballs with teriyaki pineapple sauce and enjoy!
Video
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Notes
- Make sure the meatballs are all the same size for even cooking. Use a small ice cream scoop or kitchen scale to measure out equal-sized meatballs.
- Do not overmix the meatballs in order to avoid tough meatballs.
- As you brown the meatballs, keep the lid on so you prevent water from evaporating.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Celeste65 says
why can't I see any ratings for this recipe? it looks good I'd really like to make this recipe but I want to know what the ratings are
Jeri Walker says
The ratings are in the recipe card right below the description. 🙂