The Best Teriyaki Beef Meatballs

There’s always a little risk involved when a recipe calls itself “the best.” That’s a bold claim in a world overflowing with recipes promising greatness. Sometimes they absolutely deliver, and sometimes…well, they’re just fine. I think it all balances out in the end.

These meatballs? I’m not sure I’d crown them “the best,” but I will happily call them delicious and repeatable.

As usual, I couldn’t leave the recipe entirely alone. I genuinely tried to follow it closely, but somewhere along the way my very specific meatball opinions took over. These are fairly new opinions, mind you, but I stand by them wholeheartedly now.

First, the sauce. It was really good, just not quite as teriyaki-forward as I expected. To be fair, I halved the recipe, and sauces can get a little wonky when you start adjusting measurements. Still tasty, just missing a little something for me. I added about 1/2 teaspoon of ginger paste, which immediately nudged it closer to the flavor profile I wanted. I also swapped the sake for Shaoxing wine because that’s what I had on hand, and honestly, it worked beautifully.

Now onto the meatballs themselves. Flavor-wise, these were fantastic exactly as written. Well…mostly. I accidentally used ground beef instead of pork because apparently I can no longer identify freezer packages correctly. Happy accident, though, because the beef gave them a richer flavor that I may have actually preferred. Once again, I used Shaoxing wine in place of sake and had zero regrets.

But here’s the big change — the one tied to my newfound meatball philosophy: I browned them before baking.

I know it adds an extra step, but that golden crust creates so much more flavor. It gives the meatballs a deeper, savory richness that you just don’t get from baking alone. In my opinion, that little bit of browning takes these from “pretty good” to “I’m definitely making these again.”

Halving the recipe gave me about 24 one-inch meatballs, which felt like the perfect amount for dinner plus a leftovers for me and the pantry goat.

The Best Teriyaki Beef Meatballs

Recipe from Cafe Delites

Makes 40 meatballs

MEATBALLS:

• 2 pounds ground beef mince or pork, chicken, turkey
• ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 2 scallions or green onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cooking Sake or Shaoxing, Chinese wine or dry sherry
• 1 pinch salt to taste
• 1 pinch pepper to taste

TERIYAKI SAUCE:

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced, or 2 teaspoons
• ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup mirin
• ¼ cup sake
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha or more, adjust to your preference of spice

TO SERVE:

• 1 pinch sesame seeds
• 1 green onion finely sliced

Preheat oven to 400°F.

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

Mix together all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl until well-combined. Spoon out 1 ½-inch of meat mixture with a cookie scoop (or tablespoon), shape into balls and place onto 2 large baking sheets or trays lined with baking or parchment paper.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden browned and cooked through.

While the meatballs are baking, make your sauce!

FOR THE SAUCE:

Heat a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Whisk ALL of the sauce ingredients together (except cornstarch and water mixture) in the pan until well blended. Bring to a simmer, pour the cornstarch mixture in and give it a quick good mix until it dissolves into the sauce. Continue cooking until sauce thickens, while stirring occasionally to prevent burning or sticking on the bottom of the pan (about 5 minutes).

COAT:

When meatballs have finished cooking, pour ¾ of the sauce over them and toss gently to evenly coat. Transfer the glazed meatballs to a serving dish or tray.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions (if desired), and serve warm with toothpicks or mini forks, and with remaining sauce for dipping.