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Sheet Pan Teriyaki Meatballs use either ground turkey or ground beef, you choose. Baked with a medley of veggies and an incredibly delicious Teriyaki Sauce, this sheet pan dinner is easy to bake and serve. (No sides needed.) Perfect for Paleo, AIP, Whole30 and Gluten-free.
Ingredients in Sheet Pan Teriyaki Meatballs
The meatballs are made with a flavorful combination of ingredients:
- ground turkey, or ground beef
- coconut aminos
- coconut flour
- apple cider vinegar
- maple syrup — optional for Whole30
- ginger powder and garlic
- baking soda and sea salt
The veggies and fruit used in the recipe are:
- asparagus, or carrots, if preferred
- zucchini
- yellow onions
- pineapple chunks, from canned pineapple, or fresh if preferred
And, for the sauce:
- coconut aminos
- pineapple juice, drained from the can of pineapple chunks
- ginger powder and fresh garlic
- tapioca flour
- avocado oil or olive oil
How to make Paleo AIP Sheet Pan Teriyaki Meatballs
- Prepare 2 sheet pans: Line 1 large sheet pan with parchment paper. Have a second sheet pan ready without parchment paper.
- In large mixing bowl, combine meatball ingredients, and mix well.
- For Teriyaki Sauce: combine ingredients in a small saucepan; then whisk well; heat and whisk for about 1 minute, until sauce visibly thickens.
- Place chopped veggies and pineapple chunks in large mixing bowl. Add 1/3 cup of the Teriyaki Sauce, and stir to mix well.
- Add meatballs to lined baking sheet. Pour mixed veggies and pineapple into second baking sheet, and spread out to cover.
- Use a pastry brush to brush teriyaki sauce quickly over the tops of the meatballs.
- Bake only the baking sheet with vegetables for 20 minutes. Then, add the second baking sheet, and bake both 15 minutes. (Do not over-bake, or the meat will dry out.)
- Use the remaining sauce to pour over the meatballs, and toss well. Serve, with optional cauliflower rice, Roasted Cauliflower, or for Gluten-free, regular rice.
I’ll confess, this isn’t the fastest dinner to make. All told, it takes about an hour. But the responses you’ll get for making homemade Teriyaki Meatballs will be worth that little bit more prep time.
How to keep and reheat leftovers
Store leftover meatballs in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Reheat in 325℉ oven for about 13 minutes.
Paleo AIP Sheet Pan Teriyaki Meatballs (Whole30, Gluten-free)
Equipment
- 2 sheet pans
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1-½ pounds ground turkey or ground beef
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 3 Tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup okay to omit for Whole30
- 3 cloves garlic crushed or minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda sifted
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Veggies
- 1 bunch asparagus or 2 carrots, if preferred, cut in 1-1/2" lengths
- 2 zucchini cut in half lengthwise and sliced, optionally peeled
- 2 yellow onions cut in half, and cut into 1"ish squares
- 1 14 oz-ish can pineapple chunks from canned pineapple (or use 1-½ cups fresh)
Teriyaki Sauce
- ¾ cup coconut aminos
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons pineapple juice drained from canned pineapple
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 clove garlic crushed or minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Prepare 2 sheet pans: Line 1 sheet pan with parchment paper. Have a second sheet pan ready without parchment paper.
Meatballs
- In a small bowl, mix together coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt.
- While the oven preheats, add the meat to a large bowl. Add the other meatball ingredients: coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, ginger powder, garlic and coconut flour mixture.
- Use a large fork to stir and smash the ingredients together well (or do it by hand like meatloaf, if preferred). (The baking soda and apple cider vinegar will react, and you may notice the meat become somewhat light and aerated as you mix.)
Sauce
- Assemble in a small saucepan, but do not heat yet: coconut aminos, pineapple juice, oil, tapioca flour, ginger and garlic. Whisk together well.
- Heat over medium heat, while still whisking. As the sauce begins to simmer, it will thicken. Allow to fully thicken, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Place zucchini, onions and pineapple chunks in large mixing bowl (not the asparagus). Add ⅓ cup of the Teriyaki Sauce, and stir to mix well.
Bake
- Add meatballs to lined baking sheet (I use a scoop and make mine about 1-½" in diameter). Pour mixed veggies and pineapple into second baking sheet, and spread out to cover. Put raw asparagus into same (now empty) veggie mixing bowl. Add about 2 Tablespoons Teriyaki Sauce, and stir well to coat. Set aside.
- Use a pastry brush (or a spoon and your fingertips) to brush about ¾ teaspoon teriyaki sauce quickly over the top of each meatball. You'll have a lot of remaining sauce for use after the baking.
- Bake only the baking sheet with vegetables for 15 minutes. Add asparagus to pan, and bake another 5 minutes.
- Add the second baking sheet with meatballs, and bake both pans 10 to 15 minutes more. (Do not over-bake, or the meat will dry out.) Cut open one meatball to be sure it's cooked through (but still moist).
- Carefully remove the parchment paper from under the meatballs. Pour the remaining sauce over the cooked meatballs, and toss gently to coat them well. Serve Teriyaki Veggies topped with Teriyaki Meatballs, with optional cauliflower rice, Roasted Cauliflower, or for Gluten-free, regular rice.
Linda says
I made this recipe for dinner this evening, and it was oh so yummy! The teriyaki sauce was perfect and easy to make. The only modification I made was roasting the garlic in avocado oil before putting it into the meatball mixture. I used asparagus (plus a few carrots). Thank you for this wonderful recipe, Megan!
Megan says
Hi Linda, I love that you made the recipe right away. So happy you enjoyed, and thank you so much for sharing what you did and how yours turned out! 🙂
Tonya G. says
This sounds delicious and I look forward to making it. I have a question about the meatballs. Will you please clarify WHEN to quickly brush the sauce on the meatballs? Should you do that just before putting them in the oven, or let them sit with the sauce on them while the veggies cook in the oven? Thanks!
Megan says
Hi Tonya, great. It doesn’t matter, actually; either is fine. Enjoy!
Kelli says
We made this tonight and it was great! I did carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions with the pineapple and they also turned out great. Very yummy flavors all around!
Megan says
Awesome, Kelli, thank you for sharing, and so glad!
Sarah says
We have made this multiple times, always with ground turkey. It’s a big crowd pleaser in my home. I am strict AIP while also watching sugars, and I’ve had to watch pineapple intake. I’m happy to report that you can sub 100% apple juice for the pineapple juice in the sauce, and just leave the pineapple chunks out of the veggie tray if necessary. It still allows the sauce a mild sweet tang. It is delicious both ways.
Megan says
Wonderful, Sarah! Thank you so much for reporting, and I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe and make it regularly! 🙂 Great to know about the apple juice sub!