Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs Slow Cooker

This Crockpot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs recipe is the best party appetizer! It's gluten free and made with a sweet sticky teriyaki sauce.

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

I've been asking readers via Facebook what kind of recipes y'all wanted to see on The Rustic Foodie this holiday season. I got requests for party appetizers, festive cocktails, gluten free sugar cookies, desserts with cranberries, and detailed instructions on how to prepare lefse.

I am LOVING the input partly because it's fun to connect with readers and partly because it makes my job a little easier. So, feel free to keep the requests coming - I'll do my best to honor them. If not this year I'll get them on my editorial calendar for the next holiday season.

First up we have party appetizers. I wanted something that was easy and flavorful but also a little out of the norm and would stand out a bit next to all the other tasty treats that we tend to find at holiday potlucks.

Enter these sweet and sticky Teriyaki Meatballs. This is one of those appetizers that you keep going back for again and again.

Jump to:

How To Make Crockpot Turkey Meatballs
How To Make Turkey Meatballs From Scratch
How Long Should I Bake The Meatballs?
How To Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
How Long Do Turkey Meatballs Take To Cook?
What To Serve With Teriyaki Meatballs
Can These Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs Be Frozen?
Gluten Free Crockpot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients For Turkey Meatballs In Bowl

How To Make Crockpot Turkey Meatballs

These Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are made entirely from scratch but I assure you that this recipe is totally doable - Even during this busy holiday season!

I prefer ground turkey to ground beef for this recipe because turkey picks up all of the flavors that are added to it nicely. Ground beef may mask these flavors. You can use ground chicken, beef, or pork as well.

Start by placing 2 ½ - 3 lbs. of ground turkey in a large mixing bowl.
To the turkey add 2 eggs, 1 cup Gluten Free Panko breadcrumbs (use regular Panko breadcrumbs if not GF), 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, and ¼ of both salt and pepper.
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 teaspoon of powdered ginger if you can't find the fresh stuff but if possible go fresh!
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 but try not to over-mix or the meat may become tough.

Unbaked Turkey Meatballs On Baking Sheet

How To Make Turkey Meatballs From Scratch

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.

Using a medium size cookie scoop, ice cream scoop, or a spoon scoop the meat into your hands and roll it around until it forms a ball.
Place the meatball on a baking sheet and repeat with the remainder of the turkey. Using a scoop helps to ensure that all the meatballs are the same size and helps them to cook evenly.
You may need more than one baking sheet as this recipe makes 30-35 meatballs.

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

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Turkey Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
Enchilada Stuffed Peppers

How Long Should I Bake The Meatballs?

Place the baking sheets into an oven that has been heated to 400 degrees. Bake the meatballs for 20-22 minutes. They should be completely cooked through at this point.

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

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

Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Place the turkey meatballs into a crockpot. There is no special method to this - Just pile them in there.

How To Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

The next step is to make the teriyaki sauce that gets poured over the turkey meatballs and gives them ALL the flavor. This sauce can be prepared as the meatballs are baking - Major time saver! This teriyaki sauce is really easy to prepare:

Combine ½ cup Tamari or your favorite gluten free soy sauce (use regular low-sodium soy sauce if not GF), ⅓ cup gluten free Hoisin sauce (use regular hoisin sauce if not GF), ¼ cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar to a skillet or sauce pan.
Bring all of these ingredients to a very light boil and stir them together.
Add 2 tablespoon corn starch to 1 ¼ cups water. Stir the corn starch into the water, making a slurry.
Slowly pour the slurry into the pan, stirring constantly.
Continue to cook the sauce on a very light boil for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. The sauce will start to thicken and get kind of glossy. Remove from the stove top 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.

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 Turkey Meatballs Take To Cook?

Once the sauce is finished feel free to pour it into the crockpot all over the meatballs. Try to make sure the meatballs are totally coated in the sauce.

Turn the crockpot on low and heat them for 1-2 hours. They should be totally ready at this point.

Feel free to turn the crockpot to the 'Keep Warm' setting if you are setting them out for a party.

You can serve them in the crockpot, heaped into a bowl, or placed decoratively on plates with toothpicks.

What To Serve With Teriyaki Meatballs

I like to sprinkle these turkey meatballs with sesame seeds to make them a little more festive plus sesame seeds just add a little something.

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

These teriyaki turkey meatballs make great appetizer for parties and are hearty enough to serve as a weeknight dinner recipe.

They're great paired with rice and some green vegetables like roasted Brussels sprouts or green beans.

I love rich and tangy sauces like this one served with pickled veggies like kimchi or any kind of pickled Asian condiment.

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

Sesame Ground Chicken Rice Bowls
Vietnamese Shrimp Salad
Thai Grilled Chicken Skewers
Pho Ga Vietnamese Soup

Can These Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs Be Frozen?

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

To Freeze:

Prepare the meatballs as directed and allow to cool completely before transferring to the freezer for storage.

Place the cooled meatballs in heavy-duty freezer storage bags, label with the date, and store up to 3 months in the freezer.

To Thaw:

Transfer the frozen meatballs to the fridge 24 hours before use and allow them to thaw completely.

Prepare the teriyaki sauce at this time.

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.

I love the rich, deep color of these turkey meatballs as well. They just feel festive. These meatballs would be great for any kind of holiday celebration - From Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year's Eve. They also make great Game Day fare.

Anything that's a little sweet, a little salty, and a little savory always keeps you coming back for more.

Don't miss these Slow Cooker BBQ Turkey Meatballs!

Love party appetizers? Don't miss these recipes!

Mushroom Gruyere Tartlets
Maple Spiced Glazed Nuts
Crispy Air Fryer Mushrooms
Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
Roasted Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Smoky Baba Ghanoush
Roasted Mushroom Tapenade
Kalamata Olive Tapenade
Smoked Salmon Crostini

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

Slow Cooker Queso Dip

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip

Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Crockpot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

Gluten Free Crockpot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

This Crockpot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs recipe is the best party appetizer! It's gluten free and made with a sweet sticky teriyaki sauce.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Warming Time 2 hrs

Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Asian

Servings 32

Calories 96 kcal

2 ½ - 3 lbs. ground turkey
2 large eggs
1 cup Gluten Free Panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 inch ginger root

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl combine 2 ½ - 3 lbs. ground turkey, 2 large eggs, 1 cup Gluten Free Panko breadcrumbs (use regular Panko breadcrumbs if not GF), 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, ¼ teaspoon of both kosher salt and pepper. Grate 1 inch of fresh ginger into the turkey using a microplane or zester. (Alternatively you can use 2 teaspoon of ground ginger)
Using a wooden spoon or your hands mix all of these ingredients until completely combined. Try not to over-work the turkey or it may become tough.
Using a medium sized cookie scoop, ice cream scoop, or spoon scoop a meatball into your hands. Roll it around until it forms a ball. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remainder of the turkey. You may need more than one baking sheet to fit all of the meatballs.
Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes. The meatballs should be cooked through at this point.

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

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

Remove the pan from the oven and place the meatballs in a crockpot.

For The Teriyaki Sauce:

Add ½ cup Tamari or Gluten Free Soy Sauce of choice (use regular low-sodium soy sauce if not GF), ½ cup Gluten Free Hoisin Sauce (use regular Hoisin Sauce if not GF), ¼ cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon rice vinegar to a skillet or sauce pan.
Heat the pan to medium-low and bring the sauce to a very light boil. Stir all of the ingredients together.
Add 2 tablespoon corn starch to 1 ¼ cup water. Stir the corn starch into the water making a slurry.
Pour the slurry into the pan and stir it into the sauce. Cook the sauce on a very light boil for 8-10 minutes. Stir the sauce constantly to prevent burning. The sauce should thick and get glossy. Remove from the heat when finished.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs making sure they are coated. Cook the meatballs in the sauce for 1-2 hours on low. Turn the setting to 'Keep Warm' after they're finished.
Serve from the crockpot, in a bowl, or arranged on a plate with toothpicks. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).

Gluten Free BBQ Sauce can be substituted for Gluten Free Hoisin Sauce if needed (use regular BBQ sauce instead of regular Hoisin if not GF).

Calories: 96 kcal

Keyword turkey meatballs, crockpot turkey meatballs, teriyaki meatballs, teriyaki turkey meatballs, gluten free meatballs

Let us know how it was!