Easy Grilled Meatball Skewers
These easy grilled meatball skewers use prepared chicken meatballs and cook up perfectly evenly without any stray meatballs falling through the cracks of the grill. Line up a few skewers of fresh veggies and serve it with a bowl of fresh pineapple for a super easy dinner.
You're looking at a slice of real life here. This is down and dirty slapping food on plates and serving dinner up NOW because the kids are starving and mommy's tired and is it bedtime yet??
But this dinner was So easy and just perfect for exactly that kind of night that I knew I had to share it with you.
We recently got a shiny new grill and while all the grilled recipes I've pinned to my grilling board on Pinterest look absolutely drool worthy, sometimes a weeknight dinner doesn't allow time for playing.
In that case, these Mango Jalapeño Meatballs with Teriyaki glaze, grilled veggies, fresh pineapple, and jasmine rice step in to take the winning meal of the day.
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Ingredients
I use prepared chicken meatballs from the grocery store and then glaze them with a nice and thick homemade teriyaki sauce.
Bottled teriyaki doesn't work as well because it isn't thick enough to baste the meatballs.
Making your own only takes a few minutes and is absolutely worth it.
To make the teriyaki glaze, you'll need:
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Honey
- Minced garlic
- Dried ground ginger
- Cornstarch
- Water
If you want step-by-step instructions and photos, be sure to check out my full article on how to make a thick teriyaki sauce here.
The Best Meatballs to Use
My favorite meatball secret? The meatballs are from Costco!
They are the prepackaged Aidell's Spicy Mango & Jalapeño flavor. And no, this is not a sponsored post. This particular flavor of meatball is so fantastic I always have a package in my freezer.
If you can't find them, Aidell's also sells an amazing Teriyaki & Pineapple flavor that works great, too.
If you're not a Costco member, I have seen the chicken meatballs at my local grocery store.
You could always substitute your favorite prepared meatball, but frozen meatballs need to be thawed before you can grill them on a skewer.
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Grilling Tips
Since we have the new grill, we wanted to be outside. I didn't want to be in the kitchen cooking while everyone else was on the patio so I decided to thread the meatballs on skewers to keep them wrangled and cooked everything right on the grill.
The key is to grill the thawed meatballs on their own and then just baste them with the sauce towards the end. There's a fair amount of sugar in the teriyaki and you don't want the glaze to burn.
During the winter months, I just sauté the meatballs, peppers, and onions in a pan and serve it up with the awesome homemade teriyaki glaze for dunking.
Serving Suggestions
If your family likes grilled pineapple, definitely throw that on the grill too.
Mine prefers cold and raw so I just served it up on the side.
The red bell peppers and purple onion were basted with just a smidge of olive oil before grilling and then I basted them with some sauce at the end too.
I served everything over jasmine rice.
Note for Serving Kids
My only caution with this dinner is that be warned the mango jalapeño meatballs fall on the spicy side.
Little Pea won't touch them, the Peanut has finally come around but needs LOTS of pineapple on her plate to balance out the heat.
The teriyaki has a bit of kick from the ginger and garlic, so tweak the ingredients as needed to suit your tastes!
More Grill Recipes
Looking to fire up the barbecue this summer? Don't miss these other delicious grilling recipes your family will love:
📖 Recipe
Easy Grilled Meatball Skewers
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cold water
For serving
- 1 package prepared chicken meatballs We love Aidell's Teriyaki and Pineapple flavor from Costco.
Instructions
- Combine the cornstarch and ¼ cup cold water in a glass and set aside.
- Heat the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it thickens.
- Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and heat through. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water.
- Grill the Skewers:Thread the prepared meatballs onto long grill-safe skewers. (If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes before using to help prevent burning.)
- Place the skewers on a baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Pour the prepared teriyaki sauce in a bowl and place it on the pan with a pastry brush.
- The prepared meatballs are already cooked, you're grilling them to heat them up and add yummy grill lines. Grill the meatballs, turning the skewers so they are evenly browned, about 5 - 7 minutes.
- Paint the glaze over the meatballs and continue to turn until heated through completely, another 2-3 minutes.
Recipe Notes
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