Slow Cooker Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs
These slow cooker turkey teriyaki meatballs are the ultimate easy weeknight dinner—flavorful, perfectly tender, and made with simple, better-for-you ingredients. Just mix, brown (if you want), and let the slow cooker do the rest. They’re naturally gluten-free and great for meal prep or feeding a crowd.
Servings: 8 - 10 Servings
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- ½ cup panko, breadcrumbs, or almond flour
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ bunch green onion, thinly sliced, divided
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- ½ teaspoon white sesame seeds
For the Sauce:
- 1 cup coconut aminos*
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine turkey, breadcrumbs, ginger, garlic, half of the green onions, salt, and pepper.
- Form the ground turkey mixture into 2-inch balls.
- Optional browning step: In a large skillet or saute pan (or the base of your stovetop-friendly slow cooker), melt the ghee. Sear the meatballs for 2-3 minutes per side until browned, then transfer to slow cooker.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the sauce. Pour onto the meatballs.
- Cook in slow cooker on high heat for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and the remaining green onion.
- Serve alongside cauliflower rice, simple white rice (basmati is my favorite), or rice noodles. Enjoy!
Notes
*Coconut Aminos Replacement: if you don't have coconut aminos on hand, you can replace it with 1/4 cup of soy sauce or gluten-free tamari and 3/4 cup of water. Omit the fish sauce so the sauce isn't too salty!
Instant Pot Version:
- Form your meatballs according to steps 1-2.
- Now place your ghee into the Instant Pot bowl and press the Saute button. Place your meatballs gently in the hot ghee and saute them on all sides until they begin to brown. Shift them regularly or they may stick.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all ingredients for sauce. Pour onto the meatballs and then secure the lid and manually set the time to cook for 5 minutes.
- Allow the cooking cycle to complete and then quick release the pressure valve and remove the lid once safe to do so. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to remove the meatballs and set them aside.
- Serve as stated above!
Nutrition
Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.3g | Protein: 23.5g | Fat: 14.1g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Cholesterol: 85.9mg | Sodium: 841.8mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 9g