Teriyaki Glazed Meatballs
I’ve partnered with SocialStars and Johnsonville to create these Teriyaki Glazed Meatballs.
These tasty meatballs are quick and easy…perfect for dinner on a busy weeknight! #SausageFamily
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Happy Monday! Somewhere in the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving break and now the holidays, I totally forgot to post photos from Robbie’s 1st birthday party. A whole mess of in-laws came into town, and we also invited over some of our closest friends and neighbors. I seriously can’t believe it’s been a year since we were driving home from the hospital with that little guy. It’s been a whirlwind year for Mom and Dad, but we wouldn’t trade one bit of it!
Ok, that’s enough sappiness. Back to the party! Robbie scored all kinds of new toys from friends and family. He’s been loving balls lately, and he got a little basketball activity set where he can “dunk” the ball through the hoop. That toy is definitely a favorite! But Robbie’s favorite toy? The $1 balloons that I picked up the morning of his party. We ended up shortening the string on the two balloons and then tied each to a toy. Now he just crawls around the house with a balloon in each hand…terrorizing the dogs as he goes!
We also got a smash cake for him, but he seemed thoroughly confused. It could’ve been the fact that 20 people were standing there watching him eat cake. Robbie doesn’t like getting his hands messy, so Laura and I weren’t too surprised when he just poked at the frosting on his cake. (Although, I did get the cake out again later that night and cut into it so Robbie could see the actual cake…and then he started going to town! Like father, like son…especially when it comes to birthday cake.)
Since we had a bunch of family in town, I wanted to whip up an easy dinner for everyone. Plus, Robbie needed help working on that smash cake…so I didn’t want to be stuck in the kitchen the whole time. I decided to make these Teriyaki Glazed Meatballs, and they were definitely a huge hit! Not only are these meatballs packed with flavor, but the whole recipe was ready in about 20 minutes. That’s right…20 minutes! Robbie spent longer than that trying to figure out how to crawl with both balloons in his hands!
The secret to these Teriyaki Glazed Meatballs is Johnsonville’s Fully Cooked Meatballs. These meatballs come in 3 different flavors, too–Homestyle, Classic Italian and 3-Cheese Italian. Since these meatballs are already fully cooked, they are the perfect solution for either an easy meal or a hearty appetizer.
I used the Homestyle variety for these Teriyaki Glazed Meatballs, and Laura and I also tried the Classic Italian over spaghetti for another easy meal once the in-laws left town. The 3-Cheese Italian is next up on my list! These meatballs are made with premium cuts of pork, and there’s ~28 meatballs per bag. (Look for them in the frozen section at your local grocery store.)
The holidays are hectic. There’s presents to wrap. There’s decorations and lights to hang. There’s babies to chase around the living room floor. There’s cookies to make for Santa. Heck, there might even be some leftover smash cake for Dad to eat. Our schedule gets a bit crazy this time of the year, and that’s when I turn to easy recipes like these Teriyaki Glazed Meatballs for dinner.
What are your go-to holiday meals?
Why can’t adults have smash cakes at our birthday parties?
Teriyaki Glazed Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Teriyaki Glazed Meatballs
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water divided
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- ½ Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 2 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 24-oz. package Johnsonville fully-cooked meatballs (Homestyle flavor), thawed
For Serving
- 4-6 cups white rice cooked
- green onions chopped
Instructions
For the Teriyaki Glazed Meatballs
- Using a medium saucepan, add soy sauce, ¼ cup water, brown sugar, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic and ground ginger; stir until well combined. Heat, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until brown sugar has fully dissolved.
- Using a small bowl, whisk the corn starch together with remaining ¼ cup of water; stir until well combined. Add corn starch mixture to saucepan; stir. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until glaze begins to thicken (~1-2 minutes). Stir sesame seeds into glaze.
- Add fully-cooked meatballs to saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir until meatballs are well-coated. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until meatballs are hot.
- For serving, place 4-5 meatballs over 1 cup of cooked rice. Spoon additional teriyaki glaze over meatballs and then sprinkle with chopped green onions.
Happy Birthday to little Robby! How fun! These meatballs look like a great, quick way to pull a meal together! The glaze looks amazing! 🙂 I could probably eat just a spoonful of the glaze!
Thank you so much, Kathy! We really did have a blast at his party…I can’t believe he’s already 1. And, yes, these meatballs are super easy and super fast…we actually made another batch over the weekend along with some stir fry veggies. Delicious! 🙂
Happy birthday to Robbie!! It’s unreal how fast a year goes, isn’t it? Such an adorable pic of him analyzing the cake! These meatballs sound fabulous and that glaze has so many good flavours goin’ on! Love the sesame oil in there…one of my fave ingredients for sure. This would be perfect for the holidays when guests drop by! And your pics are gorgeous, by the way! Pinned! Happy Monday 🙂
It is totally unreal how fast a year flies by, Dawn! I seriously can’t believe it’s been 12 months already. Everything changes so fast! Thank you so much for the kind comments, my friend. These meatballs are so crazy easy…and perfect for feeding a crowd over the holidays! (I speak from experience there…haha.) Hope you have a happy Tuesday!
Oh my!! Robbie is one already???? Time flies by when you are having fun, huh? Happy Birthday to him and both Laura and you!! David, david!! this meatballs look so yummy! I will try to make this recipe soon cause I love anything teriyaky glazed.. Well done!
Tell me about it, Gaila! The lil guy is already one year old! Hands down the fastest year of my life. Everything changes so fast with little kids. And friends keep telling me that it just gets faster and faster…I can’t take it! He already looks like such a little boy instead of a baby. Oh, and as far as the meatballs…definitely make a batch soon! These are delicious. Laura and I just made another batch this weekend and ate it with some stir-fry veggies. So good! 🙂
Duuuude – these photos should be banned! Those glazy balls are foodporn at it’s finest! It’s been so so long since I had meatbals or turkeyballs – this whole support-Lil-Shashi’s-vegetarian-choice is driving me batty – I was at a get-together recently and took the whole tray of chicken pakoras and sat in a corner! I’m so stoked that Johnsonville has Fully Cooked Meatballs! Now, I could stash these in the back of the freezer and sneak a few -with that droolicious teriyaki sauce- when I have a hankering!
That photo of Robbie with the cake is precious! I saw the video that Laura posted and I was impressed – he’s the only kiddo I know who didn’t smoosh into a smash cake and waste a ton of it in the process – saving y’all some for later 😉
And – YES!!!! I think us adults NEED smash cakes too – Hey, never to late to make that happen – right?
Hahaha…you are hilarious, Shashi! 🙂 I gotta give you a *virtual high five* for supporting Lil Shashi’s veggie run, but I also don’t blame you for stealing the chicken pakoras and running away. #PakoraHeist These fully cooked meatballs are totally a game-changer…so easy! And this teriyaki glaze comes together in just a few minutes. We actually made it again this weekend and tossed in a bunch of stir fry veggies with the meatballs. Yum squared!
Yeah, I was only a little bit surprised at Robbie and the cake. He HATES getting sticky things on his hands (sliced bananas are his worst enemy…) so the frosting was a no-go. But once I sliced into the cake, he started making a bit more headway there. 🙂
Hi David! Wow, you had a busy time for Robbie’s birthday! A great fast meal like this can be such a blessing! I love teriyaki sauce and the convenience of precooked meatballs make it come together in a snap. One of my go to meals when things are hectic is meatloaf and baked potatoes. Stick them in the oven and dinner is on the table in an hour, plus I happen to love leftover meatloaf sandwiches!
Yeah, it was a wee bit nuts around here for Robbie’s birthday…but that’s kindof a requirement for the 1st birthday, right? 🙂 Oh my gosh, now you have me craving meatloaf and baked (or maybe mashed) potatoes! Talk about the perfect comfort food. These meatballs have been awesome…in fact, we just made another batch this weekend and added in stir-fry veggies. Yum! Thank you!!
Wow! Robbie is growing up so fast, where does the time go. He looks so cute trying to figure out what he’s supposed to do with that oversized cupcake, how adorable. Congratulations for getting through the first year of parenting, I hear its a cake walk after the first year, just kidding, but it’s still a huge milestone. Those teriyaki glazed meatballs look dangerous, there is no way anyone could eat just one. 🙂
Dude, you’re telling me, Mary! Where does the time go?? It seriously feels like just yesterday that we were driving home with lil Robbie in the backseat. And now he’s starting to look like a little boy instead of a baby. It’s killing me! And everyone keeps saying that the years just go by faster and faster… Thanks so much, my friend! 🙂
Ah, the little guy seems to be giving his cake a through inspection! Happy Birthday to Robbie! They grow up really quick. The meal looks great, love teriyaki, so a great sauce there. I bet it’ll be good on chicken too!
Oh yeah, he gave that cake a thorough inspection alright, Matt! He wanted nothing to do with it until later when I cut into the cake..then he realized he could pick out pieces of cake with less frosting. And then Dad had to take the cake away from him before he ate too much! Haha! 🙂 This teriyaki sauce is super easy. In fact, we just made another round of meatballs this weekend but doubled the sauce and added in a bunch of stir fry veggies. Perfect for dinner! Thanks, my friend!
Meatballs are not only a weakness, but the possibilities to switch them up is endless. These look so incredible, killer photos here Dave. I have no appetite with this cold, but this could sway me. 😉 That smash cake and Robbie’s face are great!
You’re totally right, Kevin! There are so many ways to serve up meatballs. And these are awesome because they’re fully cooked already…so you can have fun with glazes and toppings without having to make the actual meatballs. In fact, Laura and I used some more meatballs to make meatball marinara English muffins. Yup, that’s right. English muffins. It’s what we had on hand…so we made it work. 🙂 Hope that cold is getting better over there, Kevin. It’s the holidays. You aren’t allowed to be sick. Dr’s orders! 🙂
Awww Robbie has been growing so fast, such a cutie!! Glad you had this delicious easy meal at hand so you can spend time with him!
Thanks so much, Ami! Robbie is indeed growing up fast…too fast in my opinion! 🙂
Oh my goodness! I can’t believe little Robbie is already 1! I’m sure he was a hoot with his cake and balloons and that photo of him is adorable. I’m actually a bit jealous of his cake! Those meatballs look like the perfect quick and easy dish to get out of the kitchen and enjoy the party! Happy Birthday, Robbie!
I know! I can’t believe the lil guy is already 1, too. He’s looking more like a little boy instead of a baby…and Dad most definitely does not approve of that yet. I was a bit jealous of his cake, too. Grandma made off with the leftovers before Dad got a say in the matter! But, yes, these meatballs are a quick and easy dinner…and the perfect way to enjoy friends and family rather than spend the whole evening in the kitchen. Cooking dinner is for January and February when it’s cold and the Christmas decorations have been put away! Haha! Thanks, Rachelle!
Congrats on belated Robbie’s birthday, David! This cake looks impressive. I just hoping one day I’ll get a gorgeous present like this one:) And these meatballs look perfect too (It’s totally okay to grab some frozen stuff once in a while even for a food blogger). And this sauce sounds fantastic indeed! Look how it worked with the meatballs making them so succulent and appetizing. Great, now I’m hungry:)
Thanks so much, Ben! Robbie’s birthday was a fun event for sure. Speaking of events, I sent you one of these cakes for your birthday. Didn’t you get it? 🙂 I’m right there with ya that it’s ok to occasionally grab frozen food…especially during the holidays when life is crazy. The teriyaki glaze on these meatballs is so darned good, too! Give it a shot sometime. And don’t add lavender. Haha!
Meat balls look awesome.. Likes the shiny and glossy texture!! Perfect for parties!!
Thank you so much, Sharmila! These meatballs were indeed super tasty…and perfect for feeding a crowd! 🙂
Priya @asmallbite
Robbie looks so cute,superb pics…
Thanks so much, Priya!
Bratton tested and approved!
With “teriyaki” in the name, I was a little surprised when I didn’t see it in the ingredient list. Who knew teriyaki is made from soy sauce and sugar. Ha.
Well, to be fair, my friend, true teriyaki uses soy sauce, sugar and mirin. Mirin is a rice wine (think sake), but it’s not terribly common here in the States. Instead, the rice vinegar in this recipe kinda serves as a substitute. And in case you were wondering, “The word teriyaki derives from the noun teri (照り), which refers to a shine or luster given by the sugar content in the tare (タレ), and yaki (焼き), which refers to the cooking method of grilling or broiling.” (credit: Wikipedia).
Glad you enjoyed this one…they’re delicious!