These Eggless Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are juicy, flavorful, and coated in the most delicious homemade teriyaki sauce. Made with simple ingredients and ready in no time, they’re perfect for busy weeknights when you need something quick, comforting, and family-approved. No eggs needed—just bold, savory-sweet flavor in every bite!
Oriana’s Thoughts On The Recipe
If there’s one dish that’s always a hit in my house, it’s meatballs! They’re easy to make, endlessly versatile, and perfect for packing in flavor. These Eggless Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are no exception—they’re juicy, saucy, and loaded with those bold Asian-inspired flavors we all crave. And the best part? My kids devour them without a single complaint. I call that a total mom win!
What I Love About This Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
For the Meatballs:
- Ground turkey meat
- Dry Binder: You can use crushed saltine crackers, breadcrumbs, panko, or a crushed white sandwich bread slice. See recipe notes for details.
- Wet Binder: You can use buttermilk, yogurt, or ricotta cheese. See recipe notes for details.
- Green onions
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste
- Canola or vegetable oil
- Sesame seeds (optional)
For the Teriyaki Sauce:
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Garlic cloves
- Ginger – Fresh or ground
- Canola or vegetable oil
- Brown sugar
- Black pepper
- Cornstarch
Food Allergy Swaps
- Gluten-Free: Instead of saltine crackers and soy sauce (both of which typically contain gluten), use gluten-free crackers or breadcrumbs, and opt for gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos. Additionally, double-check that rice vinegar is labeled gluten-free, or substitute with apple cider vinegar if needed.
- Dairy-Free: Instead of plain yogurt, ricotta cheese, or buttermilk, use unsweetened plain dairy-free yogurt, dairy-free ricotta, or a mix of plant-based milk and lemon juice or vinegar to mimic buttermilk.
- Soy-Free: Instead of soy sauce, vegetable oil, or canola oil (which may contain soy or be soy-based), use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce and swap the oils for avocado oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil.
- Sesame-Free: Instead of sesame seeds, simply omit them.
- Corn-Free: Instead of cornstarch, use arrowroot powder or tapioca starch as a thickener in the teriyaki sauce.
Process Overview: How to Make Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs Step by Step
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Step 1 – Make the Meatballs Mixture
Combine ground turkey, crushed crackers, buttermilk, green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Gently shape into 16-18 meatballs.
Step 2 – Prepare the Teriyaki Sauce
Combine teriyaki sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Step 3 – Brown the Meatballs
You can do this over the stovetop or in your pressure cooker. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to your pan or pressure cooker and brown the meatballs, about 2 minutes per side.
Step 4 – Cook
When the meatballs are browned for all sizes, add the teriyaki sauce, cover, and cook. Depending if you are making this recipe over the stovetop or pressure cooker, the cooking times might vary. Check the recipe card for more details.
Step 5 – Garnish and Serve
Garnish with fresh chopped green onions and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately over rice, quinoa, or steamed vegetables.
Recipe Tips
If you are not a big fan of turkey, you can also use ground chicken or pork.
Browning meat in the Instant Pot can be tricky. The trick is to do it in small batches and not turn until the meat has formed a crust on the bottom, or it will stick.
The amount of sauce in this recipe is more than enough for 1 lb of meat, which yields 14-16 meatballs. If you use more than 1 lb of meat, increase the amount of sauce accordingly.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Make Ahead
Eggless Meatballs can be shaped and kept covered in the refrigerator for up to a day in advance.
Store
If you have leftover meatballs, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Then, reheat the meatballs in a pan or microwave until heated through.
Freeze
- Uncooked meatballs: prepare the meat mixture, form meatballs, place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, and then put them in the freezer. Leave them in for 30–60 minutes. Then, transfer them into a Ziploc freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Cooked meatballs: Prepare the meat mixture, form meatballs, and cook them as directed in the recipe. Then, let them cool completely, put them in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 2 months. When you are ready to eat, let them thaw in the refrigerator and heat them as needed. Then, you can reheat them on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can also use ground chicken or pork if you prefer.
Over time, I’ve noticed that depending on the ground turkey brand and the fat percentage, the mixture could be too wet and not firm enough to hold the meatballs together. If this is your case, add an additional 1/4-1/2 cup of panko to the mixture to help keep the meatballs together when cooking.
If you don’t have saltine crackers available, you can use 1/2 cup of plain panko.
Yes, you can use 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt.
Yes! Prepare the turkey mixture and teriyaki sauce as instructed in the recipe. Then brown the meatballs in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Add the teriyaki sauce and mix to combine. Reduce the heat to low, and cook covered for 15-20 minutes, or until the meatballs reach 165º F (75º C).
Recipe Card
Easy Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs (Egg-Free)
Equipment
Important
• For best results, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) ground turkey meat
- 1/2 cup Dry Binder: crushed saltine crackers, breadcrumbs, panko, or crushed white sandwich bread slice (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons Wet Binder: plain yogurt, whole ricotta cheese, or buttermilk (see notes)
- ¼ cup green onion, sliced + more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
Teriyaki Sauce:
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) rice vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon of ground ginger)
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 4 1/2 tablespoons (54 g) brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
PRESSURE COOKER:
- In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, crushed crackers, buttermilk, green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Gently shape into 16-18 meatballs.
- Combine teriyaki sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the Instant Pot in sauté mode. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and brown the meatballs, about 2 minutes per side. When the meatballs are brown for all sizes, add the teriyaki sauce, cover, and lock the lid. Cook high pressure for 10 minutes.
- After the cooking time is over, press "cancel" and allow it to release pressure naturally. This will take about 5-8 minutes. Then, carefully turn the valve to "Venting" to release any extra pressure that might still be in there. Then remove the lid.
- Garnish with fresh chopped green onions and sesame seed, if desired. Serve immediately over rice, quinoa, or steamed vegetables.
STOVETOP:
- In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, crushed crackers, buttermilk, green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Gently shape into 16-18 meatballs.
- Combine teriyaki sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large pan over medium heat. Brown the meatballs, about 2 minutes per side.
- When the meatballs are brown on all sides, add the teriyaki sauce and mix to combine. Reduce heat to low, and cook covered for 20-25 minutes, or until the meatballs' internal temperature reaches 165º F (75º C).
- Garnish with fresh chopped green onions and sesame seed, if desired. Serve immediately over rice, quinoa, or steamed vegetables.
- Uncooked meatballs: prepare the meat mixture, form meatballs, place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, and then put them in the freezer. Leave them in for 30–60 minutes. Then, transfer them into a Ziploc freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Cooked meatballs: Prepare the meat mixture, form meatballs, and cook them as directed in the recipe. Then, let them cool completely, put them in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 2 months. When you are ready to eat, let them thaw in the refrigerator and heat them as needed. Then, you can reheat them on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the oven.
- Gluten-Free: Instead of saltine crackers and soy sauce (both typically contain gluten), use gluten-free crackers or breadcrumbs and gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos. Additionally, double-check that rice vinegar is labeled gluten-free, or substitute with apple cider vinegar if needed.
- Dairy-Free: Instead of plain yogurt, ricotta cheese, or buttermilk, use unsweetened plain dairy-free yogurt, dairy-free ricotta, or a mix of plant-based milk and lemon juice or vinegar to mimic buttermilk.
- Soy-Free: Instead of soy sauce, vegetable oil, or canola oil (which may contain soy or be soy-based), use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce and swap the oils for avocado oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil.
- Sesame-Free: Instead of sesame seeds, simply omit them.
- Corn-Free: Instead of cornstarch, use arrowroot powder or tapioca starch as a thickener in the teriyaki sauce.
- Browning meat in the Instant Pot can be tricky. The trick to brown meat in the Instant Pot is to do it in small batches and not turn until they have formed a crust on the bottom, or they will stick.
- The amount of sauce in this recipe is more than enough for 1 lb of meat. 1 lb meat yields 14-16 meatballs approximately. If you use more than 1 lb of meat, increase the amount of sauce accordingly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
This recipe was originally published in 2017. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information were added to the post in March 2023 to make it as helpful as possible!
Was this recipe taken down from the site? 🙁
Hello Lauren! No, the recipe is up. Can’t you see it? Do you have an adblocker? That might be the problem.
I cooked these and they were awesome. I used quinoa as the “absorbent” grain on the bottom. I incorporated 1 egg in place of the buttermilk and used store-bought breadcrumbs.
I was concerned, as many have written, that they’d be dry. I formed the meatballs, then chilled them in the fridge for about 3 hours. Maybe this helped?
They stayed together for the most part. Only 2 pieces came off during the sautee part.
You could definitely make this on the stove. An InstantPot isn’t essential.
Hello Mary! I’m delighted to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks so much for your feedback and for trying my recipe.
I ended up making these the other night and they came out amazing!! I used 1 egg (I realized you wrote that in the notes after I asked you what to substitute). They came out so good and everyone loved them!! They kind of stuck to the pot and were falling apart when I was sautéing them but I think I just needed to roll them tighter. But besides that I highly recommend this recipe, it’s amazing!!
Hello Steph! So glad everyone enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for your feedback and for trying my recipe.
I don’t have buttermilk or yogurt. Is there anything else I can substitute?? I really want to make these 🙂 thanks!!
Hello Steph! You can also use sour cream. If you don’t have any of those available, mix 3 tablespoons of milk with 1/8 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for a few minutes. When it is ready, the milk will be slightly thickened and you will see small curdled bits. Use that mixture instead of the buttermilk. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
I used 1 egg instead of buttermilk, deglazed after sautéing but received the burned message on the insta pot. Not sure what I did wrong. Smells delicious tho! And it tastes delish. Also when i opened the insta pot nothing was burned and there was still plenty of liquid (sauce)
Hello Amber! The IP burning message is so annoying, sometimes it happens to me too. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for your feedback.
My sauce burnt to the bottom of the pan and I got a water message.
Hello Stacy! I am sorry this recipe didn’t work for you. Did you deglaze the pot after you brown the meatballs? When using the saute mode always deglaze the pot after sauteing with some water or broth before adding your other ingredients and use a wooden spoon or spatula to remove any food that may be stuck to the bottom. Hope this helps!
Hi there. I decided to try this recipe even though tonight was a busy we’d night for us. It looked pretty easy and it was! I made some substitutions since I had it prepared ahead of time such as using coconut aminos, ground ginger, flour and regular vinegar and they still turned out luscious! I will definitely be making these again. I’m pretty sure my daughter licked her plate! Ha ha. I’m sorry there’s no picture but we were too excited to eat them to think about it!?
Hello Michale! I’m very glad to hear that everyone enjoyed it so much. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!
What if I don’t have an instant pot? My son also has an egg allergy, but what could I substitute the buttermilk with if I don’t have it on hand?
Hello Marilyn! You can totally make these in the stovetop. Plain yogurt can be a good substitute. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =) P.S. Make sure to check my other eggless recipes (https://mommyshomecooking.com/category/recipes/eggless/)
Way too much soy sauce. I would cut in half if I make again.
Hello Debbie! Thanks so much for your feedback and for trying my recipe.
Could I make this with frozen turkey balls ?
Hello April! Yes, you can =) Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it.
I’m giving this recipe 5 stars because it’s a great idea. I followed it completely (bread crumbs instead of saltines and egg instead of buttermilk) and the meatballs were fantastic. The next time I make it though, I’ll add more brown sugar for the Teriyaki Sauce because I felt like it wasn’t sweet enough. I’ll also add more cornstarch, my sauce just didn’t thicken as much as what’s in your video. But otherwise, it was fantastic! I served it over rice with steamed carrots, bok choy and broccoli!
Hello Sandra! So glad you enjoyed this, thanks so much for trying my recipe!
I made these using my Instant Pot for the very first time! While the meatballs themselves were moist and flavorful (I made substitutions with Panko and eggs as well), I’d have to agree that the sauce was super salty (I didn’t have low sodium soy sauce). Browning in the Instant Pot worked well for me. Next time I make them, I will use low sodium soy sauce and dilute a bit with water if necessary. Overall, my family enjoyed them and this will definitely be in our rotation. I will say, for me prep time was way more than 5 mins. It was closer to 1/2 hour making the meatballs and cutting up the green onion and garlic. Not a big deal, but I think 5 mins is a bit of a stretch. Looking forward to trying the cheesy gnocchi next!
Hello Quicha! I am glad everybody enjoyed it. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!
I thought the recipe was great. Instant hit with my husband and 2 year-old son. I used 1 cup of Panko instead of 1/2 cup, an egg instead of buttermilk, and ground turkey with 7% fat. If you are sensitive to salt, I would probably omit the kosher salt when making the meatballs. I did use low sodium soy sauce, but it was still a little on the salty side for me while my husband thought it was fine. I guess it is just personal preference on what you like! Will definitely make again!
Hello Angie! Sounds like you nailed it =) Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!
I make this recipe all the time at home for my family, the kids devour it and it’s adult friendly too. I’m away on vacation and don’t have an instant pot, how do I make these without? Do I use a slow cooker? Stovetop? Do I change any of the ingredients?
Hello Cady! You can do this recipe in the stovetop. 1- Mix meat with all the seasonings and veggies. 2- Prepare the sauce. 3- Brown the meatballs in a skillet or pan over the stovetop, then add the sauce, cover, reduce heat to low and cook until done; about 15 – 18 minutes. Hope this help. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know! Happy Vacation =)
Great flavor, I found that post browning I had to de-glaze the bottom a bit with a little chicken broth which added some crispy bits to the sauce which became a family thumbs up all the way around. Thank you for the great recipe!
Hello Brian! Thumbs up make me happy ?? I’m very happy you and your family enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know! ?
If you make this, I can’t recommend enough NOT browning the meatballs in the instant pot. I just tried several times to do it, and they kept sticking to the bottom no matter what I did. Stick with a non-stick pan and then use the instant pot!
Hello Hichan! Browning in the Instant Pot can be tricky. Thanks so much for your feedback and for trying my recipe.