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Eggless Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs over white rice
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Easy Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs (Egg-Free)

These Eggless Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are perfect when you want a fast, family-friendly meal in a jiffy. These are crazy good and so easy. Serve over your favorite bowl of rice, quinoa, or steamed veggies.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 244kcal

Ingredients

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.

Notes

 
TURKEY: you can substitute ground turkey for ground chicken or pork if you prefer. 
SALTINES CRACKERS: If you don't have saltines crackers available, you can use 1/2 cup of plain panko. 
BUTTERMILK: I use buttermilk because my daughter is allergic to eggs, but If you don't have any food restrictions, you can substitute the buttermilk for 1 egg. You can also substitute buttermilk for 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt.
TURKEY MIXTURE TOO WET: Over time, I've noticed that depending on the brand of ground turkey and the fat percentage, the mixture could become 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 to keep the meatballs together when cooking. 
EXTRA TIPS:
  • 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 turning 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. 
 
If you're making this recipe, please read the whole post content to get lots of tips, tricks, variations, and frequently asked questions.
 
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Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 991mg | Potassium: 241mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1.7mg