Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs (Paleo, Whole30)

Are you looking for a fun appetizer or an easy dish that will please everyone? These whole30 Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs are exactly what you need!  The salty umami sticky sauce has the perfect kick from the fresh ginger and is loaded with flavor. With this recipe only taking 15 minutes to prep, it is a no-brainer for all of your meal prep and hosting needs. If you enjoy this dish, you will also enjoy my Cranberry BBQ Meatballs as well.

What You Need To Make Whole30 Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs

• Ground chicken-I prefer chicken meatballs over pork meatballs any day but you can totally swap the chicken for pork. As far as white meat vs. dark meat. The dark chicken meat will have more flavor. I prefer the darker meat for that reason. 
• Ginger-Ground ginger has a taste like no other. It can often be mistaken for salt in meals because it adds a bit of zest. This is a big part of the flavor in these meatballs, do not skip!
• Red pepper flakes-In combination with the fresh ginger, the red pepper flakes give this dish a nice kick. 
• Coconut aminos-Coconut aminos are the soy sauce of paleo cooking. They are naturally gluten and soy free and made from a coconut. This is what will give these meatballs that umami taste. 
• Garlic & onion powder-Add an additional layer of flavor to these meatballs

What Do I Need To Make the Teriyaki Sticky Sauce?

• Coconut aminos-As I mentioned above, coconut aminos are a pantry staple in paleo cooking. They are a little pricier than conventional soy sauce but are worth it! I love the Trader Joe’s brand. 
• Sesame oil- Will give this sauce the Asian flavor.
• Ginger & ginger-Give this sauce a kick!
• Honey-If you are NOT doing whole30 you can add the honey in to add a little bit of sweetness to this recipe.
• Lime-The lime works oh so well with the sesame oil adding to that umami taste. 
• Arrowroot-Arrowroot is a commonly used ingredient in paleo baking. It can be thought of as the corn starch of paleo baking and cooking. It helps bind things. When arrowroot is combined with water, it makes for a sticky combination. You will combine the arrowroot with the water to give it a sticky consistency.

How To Make Whole30 Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs:

• First, preheat the oven to 400. 
• Grab a non-stick baking pan or if you do not have one, you can use a regular one and spray/ wipe it with olive oil spray.
• Then, mix the meatball mixture in a large mixing bowl. 
• Now, either eyeball 1 inch thick meatballs or use a 1 inch cookie scoop and scoop the meatballs out. You should be able to make roughly 22. 
• Now bake the meatballs for 25 minutes. 
• While the meatballs are cooking, add all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat EXCEPT the arrowroot and water. Bring to a boil.
• In a separate bowl, add the 2 tbsp water and 2 tsp arrowroot and whisk together. If you have a small whisk, great! If not, whisk together with a fork. It will be cloudy. 
• Now, add the arrowroot mixture to the saucepan and whisk together for 1 minute until the sauce thickens. 
• Once it thickens, add the sauce and the meatballs into a clean bowl and toss.

To Garnish:

I like to garnish my teriyaki meatballs with sesame seeds and green onions. I like to use my kitchen scissors to chop the green parts of the onions. 

What To Make With The Best Ever Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs:

• You can serve these as an appetizer with toothpicks.
• OR you can serve them with a side dish. We love eating them with roasted broccoli, cauliflower rice, or even roasted zucchini.

If you like this recipe, you will LOVE:

• The Best Ever Paleo Italian Meatballs
• Chicken Curry Meatballs
• Buffalo Chicken Meatballs