Description
Delicious and flavorful Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs made with lean ground chicken, naturally sweetened teriyaki sauce using pineapple and coconut aminos, perfect as a wholesome crockpot meal or quick dinner option.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 tablespoon almond flour (or gluten-free oat flour)
- 2 tablespoon coconut aminos (or gluten-free tamari)
- 1/4 cup crushed pineapple (drained, reserve the juice for the sauce)
- 2 tablespoon finely minced green onion (white part only, reserve green part for serving)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced or finely grated)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 lb ground 93% lean ground dark meat chicken
Sauce
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos (or gluten-free tamari)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice (reserved from crushed pineapple)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 garlic clove (minced or finely grated)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
- 1 tablespoon water
To Serve
- Sliced green onion (green part)
- Cooked white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, and sriracha (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the meatball mixture: In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, drained crushed pineapple, minced white parts of green onion, garlic cloves, grated ginger, and ground chicken. Mix thoroughly to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Form meatballs: Shape the mixture into meatballs of desired size, ensuring uniformity for even cooking. Set aside on a plate or tray.
- Cook meatballs in crockpot: Place the meatballs carefully into the crockpot. Ensure they are nestled closely but not overcrowded.
- Prepare the teriyaki sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup coconut aminos, water, reserved pineapple juice, honey, minced garlic, and grated ginger to form the sauce base.
- Combine sauce and meatballs: Pour the sauce evenly over the meatballs in the crockpot, covering them well.
- Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours (300 minutes), allowing the flavors to meld and the meatballs to become tender.
- Thicken the sauce: About 15 minutes before serving, mix arrowroot powder with 1 tablespoon water to create a slurry. Stir this slurry into the crockpot sauce and gently mix to thicken while continuing to cook.
- Serve: Garnish the meatballs with sliced green onion tops. Serve hot over cooked white, brown rice, or cauliflower rice with optional sriracha for added heat.
Notes
- These meatballs can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated before cooking for convenience.
- Use gluten-free alternatives like tamari if needed to keep recipe gluten-free.
- Adjust sweetness by varying honey quantities according to taste preference.
- For lower sodium, choose low-sodium coconut aminos or tamari.
- Ground chicken can be substituted with ground turkey if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 meatballs with sauce
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 535 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 78 mg
