Irresistible Quinoa Teriyaki Skillet Meatballs: Your New Favorite Allergy-Friendly Meal!

Prepare to meet your new obsession in the kitchen! This incredible recipe features tender, flavorful pork meatballs, reimagined with a smart, allergy-friendly twist: using nutrient-rich quinoa as the binder instead of traditional eggs and breadcrumbs. Not only does this ingenious swap make the meatballs incredibly juicy and satisfying, but it also packs them with extra protein, ensuring a wholesome and energizing meal for the whole family.

These aren’t just any meatballs; they’re lovingly coated in the most exquisite, homemade teriyaki sauce you can whip up in your blender in mere minutes! The result is a sweet, savory, and sticky glaze that transforms every bite. Served alongside fluffy rice and perfectly steamed broccoli, these Quinoa Teriyaki Skillet Meatballs create a complete, balanced, and utterly delicious dinner that you’ll be eager to make again and again. Best of all, this recipe is designed to be inclusive, free of gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts, making it a fantastic option for those navigating common food allergies and adhering to a top 8-free diet.

Honestly, this dish has quickly ascended to the top of my personal favorite meals list, and that’s a significant statement coming from someone who typically isn’t fond of handling raw meat! But for these “flavor bombs,” as I like to call them, I gladly make an exception. Every element of this recipe, much like my popular beef teriyaki, comes together in perfect harmony. The meatballs themselves are wonderfully seasoned and flavorful, and then they’re enveloped in that luscious, sweet, and tangy teriyaki sauce. Add a generous helping of warm rice and some vibrant, freshly steamed broccoli (don’t forget to drench everything with that amazing sauce!), and you have a meal that is truly rich, deeply satisfying, and oh-so-good.

For unparalleled convenience and flavor, I highly recommend using Regular Jimmy Dean pork sausage. While not a sponsored endorsement, this brand is a staple in my kitchen because it comes pre-seasoned with a fantastic blend of spices. This thoughtful inclusion significantly cuts down on the number of additional ingredients I need to worry about, streamlining the preparation process and ensuring consistently delicious results. If you prefer to use plain ground pork or even ground turkey or chicken, you certainly can! Just be sure to add a bit more seasoning to taste, such as onion powder, extra garlic powder, and a touch of salt and pepper, to build that robust flavor profile from scratch.

Another fantastic benefit of this recipe is that it’s entirely a stove-top meal. This means you can create these magnificent meatballs without needing to turn on your oven, a major plus, especially during those scorching summer months when the last thing you want is to heat up your home even further. Skillet cooking also allows for a beautiful browning on the meatballs, sealing in juices and adding an extra layer of caramelized flavor that you just can’t achieve in the oven. It’s truly a one-pan wonder that simplifies cleanup and keeps your kitchen cool.

The secret weapon in these meatballs, and what makes them uniquely allergy-friendly, is the humble quinoa. I’ve previously experimented with quinoa as a binder in my Asian Quinoa Meatballs, so I had a hunch it would work its magic here too. With crossed fingers, I ventured into this recipe, and thankfully, it was a resounding success! When you think about it, cooked quinoa has a texture remarkably similar to wet breadcrumbs, albeit with smaller grains. This makes it an exceptional binder, perfect for keeping meatballs moist and intact, especially when wheat/gluten or eggs are off-limits. Beyond its binding power, quinoa also boosts the nutritional value, adding a complete protein and essential amino acids to every bite. It’s a true game-changer for creating delicious and safe meals for everyone.

I’ve already whipped up a batch of these Quinoa Teriyaki Skillet Meatballs twice, and I can confidently say they will be a permanent fixture in our regular meal rotation. The ease of preparation, combined with the incredibly satisfying flavors, makes them an instant hit. An added bonus, especially for families with little ones, is that there’s often enough leftover for lunch the next day. This is a huge win in my book, simplifying meal planning and ensuring healthy, delicious options are always available, saving time and stress during busy weekdays.

On a slightly different but equally important note, for those of us in the allergy community, there’s been some fantastic news recently! In case you haven’t heard, Daniel Tiger is now going to have a food allergy. This news has absolutely thrilled me, and I couldn’t help but share my excitement on my social media channels (are you following Allergy Awesomeness there?). I truly believe this is super-fantastically important! It’s incredibly thoughtful of PBS Kids to introduce a mainstream character like Daniel with a medical condition that affects so many children. Both my boys adore Daniel, and seeing one of their favorite characters navigating food allergies will undoubtedly help them and countless other food-allergic kids feel seen, included, and less alone. This move by PBS Kids is not just compassionate; it’s also incredibly smart. Food allergies are undeniably on the rise, and they’re not going away anytime soon (we’re still waiting for a cure!). With one in thirteen children affected by food allergies, integrating this reality into popular children’s programming is both brilliant marketing and a deeply considerate gesture to include and empower food allergy kiddos and their families.

So, as you can imagine, today is a pretty happy day for me. Happy not just for another genuinely delicious and allergy-friendly dinner that my family adores, but also profoundly happy that my children now have a beloved mainstream character who shares their experience with food allergies. It’s a wonderful reminder that food allergy awareness is growing, and inclusivity is becoming more common in media, helping to normalize what can often feel isolating for children and their families.

I’ve been riding a wonderful wave of positivity lately, and it truly feels good to acknowledge that life, despite its challenges, is beautiful. There are undoubtedly hard moments that test our resilience, but at its core, life is so incredibly good! Finding joy in delicious, safe meals like these Quinoa Teriyaki Skillet Meatballs is just one way we celebrate that goodness. And if you’re looking to diversify your meatball repertoire, be sure to explore my dairy-free Italian meatballs for a different flavor profile, and don’t miss these creative Black Bean Meatballs from my fellow blogger Running to the Kitchen for a fantastic vegetarian option.

I sincerely hope you enjoy making and savoring these delightful meatballs as much as we do. They are a testament to how truly delicious and satisfying allergy-friendly cooking can be. Have a wonderful day, filled with good food and great company.

Quinoa Teriyaki Skillet Meatballs (Gluten, dairy, egg, peanut and tree nut free)

Yield:
6 servings

Prep Time:
5 minutes

Cook Time:
25 minutes

Total Time:
30 minutes

A pork meatball that uses quinoa instead of the typical egg and breadcrumb mixture to hold it together. Delicious and packed with extra protein, these are swimming in the most delicious teriyaki sauce that is made in your blender! Served with rice and broccoli, this is a complete meal you’ll want to eat again and again! Free of: gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut and tree nuts; top 8 free.

Ingredients

SAUCE:

• 1/2 cup low-sodium gluten-free soy sauce*
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

MEATBALLS:

• 1 pound ground pork sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)
• 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (be sure to find a gluten-free one!)
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Sliced green onions, for garnish
• Steamed broccoli
• Rice for servings

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add the quinoa and lower it to a simmer and cover for ten minutes, or until the broth is absorbed. Allow to cool enough so that you can handle it.
2. While the quinoa is cooling, pour the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, cornstarch, honey vinegar, ginger and garlic powder into your blender. Blend well until everything is combined.
3. In a large bowl combine the quinoa, sausage, pepper, Worcestershire and garlic powder. Use your hands and mix until everything is combined well. Form them into meatballs. I prefer to use a cookie scooper so that they’re all uniform in size.
4. In a large non-stick skillet pour the olive oil and heat until it’s rippling hot around medium heat. Carefully add the meatballs (try not to have them touch). Brown them on all sides, using a pair of tongs to turn them. The meatballs don’t have to be cooked through completely, just get a nice brown.
5. Pour the sauce from your blender onto the meatballs. Turn the meatballs to coat them in that sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes until the meatballs are done. You’ll want to turn the meatballs once or twice to ensure they stay coated in the sauce.
6. I’ve never found this–but if the cornstarch from your sauce starts to get too thick you can add a Tablespoon of water at a time to thin it back out. You may also want to gently stir it while it cooks to help it not congeal in one spot.
7. While the meatballs simmer, steam some broccoli.
8. When the meatballs are done, serve them over rice with a side of broccoli. There will be plenty of extra sauce to pour over the meatballs if you want more, plus a nice drizzle over the broccoli.
9. Garnish with green onions.

Notes

*Normally I find regular and low-sodium soy sauce interchangeable–but trust me, you’ll want low sodium soy sauce for this recipe because of the sausage otherwise it will be too salty. For a completely soy-free option, coconut aminos can be used as a delicious alternative, though the flavor profile may be slightly different. Always read labels carefully to ensure all ingredients meet your specific dietary needs.

This recipe was lovingly adapted from: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe