Vegan Teriyaki Meatballs

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.

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.

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”).

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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

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 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.