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Home » Appetizers » Vegan Teriyaki Meatballs

Vegan Teriyaki Meatballs

January 26, 2015 By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 11 Comments

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It’s not incredibly common for me to borrow recipe names from distinctly non-vegan foods, but I really didn’t know what to call these other than vegan teriyaki meatballs. I think that in some instances, it’s good to use the name that describes what the dish is meant to evoke in terms of texture/eating experience.

Sweet and savory from scratch vegan oil free, refined sugar free teriyaki seitan meatballs browned in a cast iron skillet topped with green onions and sesame seeds | yupitsvegan.com

The Seahawks (my hometown team) are in the Super Bowl again this year. Go Hawks!! I don’t seem to excel at posting holiday- or event-appropriate recipes very far in advance, but nonetheless, this week I wanted to share a couple of vegan finger food ideas for game day. The Super Bowl could practically be considered a holiday for me, since I have a firm tradition of making a huge spread of indulgent appetizers for myself and my guests, and sort of watching the game while chowing down and drinking beer.

One cast iron pan with eight vegan teriyaki meatballs garnished with parsley and sesame seeds make the perfect super bowl appetizer or base for a filling and healthy meal

These vegan teriyaki meatballs can be incredibly simple to prepare if you start from pre-made teriyaki sauce and vegan meatballs, or you can go the homemade route with each of the components. I provide recipes for those if desired. I actually really enjoy store-bought vegan meatballs a lot of the time, but I almost always make my own teriyaki sauce because then I can make it with coconut sugar. The white sugar just makes me so sleepy. And considering that the Super Bowl is probably gonna end significantly past my normal bedtime (I’m more of an early bird than a night owl..), I need all the energy I can get =].

I just love how teriyaki sauce looks with a sprinkling of sesame seeds on top. Something about that color contrast gets me. Add cilantro or green onion/scallions and (not pictured) a generous dash of sriracha, and you are cruising for an easy and delicious vegan appetizer. (FYI, the ones pictured were made with my favorite homemade chickpea and seitan “meatballs”).

Closeup of one fluffy chickpea and seitan meatball with sweet coconut sugar homemade teriyaki sauce

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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Teriyaki Meatballs

Easy recipe for vegan teriyaki meatballs, which make a perfect finger food for game day, or if served with rice and veggies, make a filling meal.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine vegan, vegetarian
Keyword Vegan Teriyaki Meatballs
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 35 minutes minutes
Servings 1 dozen meatballs
Calories 73kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

For the vegan teriyaki sauce:

  • 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or sugar of choice)
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp sake
  • 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

For the vegan teriyaki meatballs:

  • Teriyaki sauce of choice about 1/2 cup (see above for homemade recipe)
  • Vegan meatballs of choice about a dozen (depending on the size)
  • sesame seeds for serving
  • (optional) green onions or chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Instructions

For the vegan teriyaki sauce:

  • In a saucepan, combine all of the sauce ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer.
  • Simmer until the sauce has thickened considerably and reduced to approximately 3/4 cup in volume. Taste the sauce, and if you still want a more powerful flavor and syrupy texture, continue reducing it to as small as 1/2 cup in volume. Add salt if desired. Turn off the heat.

For the vegan teriyaki meatballs:

  • Heat the vegan meatballs according to package directions, or however you prefer to heat your homemade recipe. If they can stand up to being mixed around in sauce, add them to the pan with the teriyaki sauce, and toss to coat. Otherwise, drizzle them generously with the sauce. Serve immediately, sprinkled with sesame seeds and fresh herbs if using.
  • To serve as a finger food, spear each of the vegan teriyaki meatballs with a toothpick.

Notes

Nutrition facts are for the homemade teriyaki sauce only (apologies for the inconvenience!). Vegan meatballs can vary quite widely in their nutrition content.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons sauce (enough for 3 meatballs) | Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 577mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 100IU

Vegan teriyaki sauce adapted from Food and Wine Magazine.

Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: Asian-inspired, meat analogues, oil-free, plant-strong, refined sugar-free

« Vegan Meatballs Recipe
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Comments

  1. Cate says

    February 9, 2015 at 08:06

    5 stars
    they look delicious! My recipes are vegan too and i use terms like (dairy free) cheese and milk too for sake of ease!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      February 9, 2015 at 12:35

      Thank you! Yes, I’m totally on the same page as you about that. 🙂

      Reply
  2. rika@vm says

    January 29, 2015 at 16:23

    What a brilliant Super Bowl finger food idea! These vegan teriyaki meatballs are so gorgeous and I love that you add few of my favorite garnishes: cilantro, scallion, sesame seeds and Sriracha…Have a wonderful Super Bowl weekend!

    Reply
  3. Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says

    January 28, 2015 at 02:02

    These look fantastic! I think the name is perfect too – you’re right, it’s just what they are 🙂

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      January 29, 2015 at 07:33

      Thank you, Kari 🙂

      Reply
  4. Jen and Emily @ Layers of Happiness says

    January 27, 2015 at 12:34

    You rock! Meatballs for everyone now! Soooo yummy!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      January 29, 2015 at 07:33

      Thanks, Jen and Emily!

      Reply
  5. Mihl says

    January 27, 2015 at 04:51

    In Old English the word meat (or mete) meant food, so it’s absolutely okay to cakk them meat balls! They look terrific, by the way.

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      January 29, 2015 at 07:33

      I’m glad that some other vegans approve of my decision to name them this! Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  6. The Savvy Sister says

    January 26, 2015 at 08:10

    Sweet! A great Super Bowl dish Thanks!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      January 29, 2015 at 07:33

      Thank you!

      Reply

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I'm Shannon, founder of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. I create healthy plant-based recipes that everyone will love, using seasonal produce and global inspiration.
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