Homemade Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs

Form the meatballs: Add the ground chicken (1 pound), panko breadcrumbs (1/3 cup), mayonnaise (1/4 cup), 1/2 tablespoon of the minced ginger and about 1/3 of the minced garlic (1 clove, minced) into a large bowl. Season with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, adjusting if your ground chicken comes pre-seasoned. Using your hands (I use gloves for this), gently work the mixture together into a smooth paste, and roll into approximately 20-24 tablespoon-sized balls. If the mixture is seeming too wet to form neat meatballs, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons more breadcrumbs into the bowl and try again.

Prep your sides: While the formed meatballs rest, start making your sides, if needed. I recommend steamed rice (follow package directions) and air fried broccoli (season then air fry at 400F for 7 minutes). Feel free to change up the sides as you wish!

Mix the sauce: In a mason jar or measuring cup, whisk or shake together the water or pineapple juice (1/2 cup), mirin (1/4 cup), soy sauce (3 tablespoons), hoisin sauce (2 tablespoons) and honey (1 tablespoon) until the honey has dissolved. Set aside.

Fry the meatballs: Add about 2 tablespoons avocado oil to a large, shallow frying pan or Dutch oven set over a low-medium heat. Once hot, add half of the meatballs and fry until golden all over, turning often, until cooked through. You want to keep the heat low while cooking the meatballs all the way through, as they won’t have much time to cook further in the sauce. Set the first batch on a paper towel lined plate and repeat the process with the remaining meatballs.

Cook the pineapple: Add the final 1 tablespoon of clean oil to the pan if it’s dry. Turn the heat up a bit to medium and add the pineapple chunks (2 heaping cups, diced), stir frying for about 5 minutes until they start to caramelize a little. Stir in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of ginger and 2 minced garlic cloves, then continue to cook for another minute or so until fragrant and soft.

Put it together: Pour in the prepared sauce, then stir in the cornstarch (1 tablespoon) and water (1 tablespoon) mixture as well. Return the meatballs to the pan and gently stir them in so they are coated with sauce. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs have heated through.

Serve and store: Serve the meatballs alongside the rice and the broccoli, with the green onions sprinkled on top. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container with lid in the fridge for up to 4 days.