Sweet Hawaiian Teriyaki Balls (Vegetarian)
Sweet Hawaiian teriyaki balls are plant-based meatballs made from textured soy protein and breadcrumbs, browned until golden and simmered in a glossy teriyaki-pineapple sauce. They deliver the sticky-sweet, savory flavor of the classic Hawaiian teriyaki meatballs with zero meat, and they come together with pantry-friendly ingredients in a single afternoon.
Why I veganized this Hawaiian classic
I chose to make the vegetarian version of the popular Hawaiian teriyaki meatballs because I am passionate about creatively converting famous meat-based recipes into vegetarian versions. I have a whole collection of popular international recipes, veganized, on the blog, and I love how these little balls hold their own next to any traditional version.
I like to experiment with vegetable ingredients and discover new flavors and combinations. 😊 Preparing this recipe for vegetarian Hawaiian balls, I had the opportunity to combine various vegetables and spices, creating a tasty and satisfying dish, suitable for anyone who wants to try something new. The tropical pineapple and the deep teriyaki glaze do most of the heavy lifting, so even a first-timer with plant proteins can get a plate everyone reaches for.
The ingredients that make them work
The balls are built on two textures: textured soy protein granules that rehydrate into a meaty, chewy base, and breadcrumbs that bind everything into a mixture you can roll. A few smaller players carry the savory depth:
- Miso paste and nutritional yeast bring the umami and that roasted, almost meaty savoriness soy granules need on their own.
- Soy sauce, sriracha, cumin and garlic season the soy from the inside as it soaks, so the flavor is not just on the surface.
- Chickpea flour, white wine and olive oil act as the binder that holds the balls together without egg.
- Ketchup, teriyaki sauce, crushed pineapple and brown sugar make the glaze — sweet, tangy and sticky, exactly like the Hawaiian original.
A quick note for a fully plant-based result: check that your teriyaki sauce and breadcrumbs are vegan, since some store-bought teriyaki blends contain honey and a few breadcrumbs are made with milk or egg. Swaps are easy if you need them.
How to shape balls that hold together
The one step people rush is the rest. After you fold in the breadcrumbs, the mixture looks sticky and a little loose. Let the bowl sit at room temperature until it thickens and cools — this is when the soy granules and breadcrumbs finish drinking up the liquid, and it is the difference between balls that roll cleanly and a mixture that smears on your palms.
- Moisten your hands before rolling. Wet palms stop the mixture from clinging and give you smoother, rounder balls.
- Keep them small, about 3 to 4 cm. Small balls brown evenly and soak up more glaze per bite.
- Brown before you sauce. A minute per side in a hot pan builds a crust that keeps the balls intact when the sauce goes in.
- Simmer gently. Once the sauce is on, let it reduce for about 5 minutes until it thickens and coats every ball. If the mixture still feels too soft to roll, add a spoonful more breadcrumbs.
The pineapple-teriyaki glaze
The sauce is what makes these unmistakably Hawaiian. Stir the ketchup, teriyaki sauce, crushed pineapple, brown sugar and minced garlic together first and set it aside, so it is ready the moment your balls are browned. The pineapple adds bright acidity and little bursts of fruit, the brown sugar caramelizes into stickiness, and the teriyaki carries that dark, savory backbone. If you love building sticky Asian-style glazes at home, my roundup of easy stir-fry sauces is a good place to riff from.
Short on stovetop time? Brown the balls, then transfer them to a slow cooker, pour the sauce over the top and let them cook for 3 to 4 hours. They come out even softer and more deeply glazed, which makes them a set-and-forget option for gatherings.
What to serve them with
These balls are happiest over something that soaks up the glaze. Spoon them over steamed rice or a brown rice and mushroom pilaf for a full plate, or turn them into the star of a tropical bowl alongside my vegan poke bowl for a Hawaiian-inspired spread. They also work as a party appetizer, speared on toothpicks with a little extra sauce for dipping. For more ideas in this flavor family, browse my Asian cuisine guide.
Make-ahead and storage
You can shape the balls a day ahead and keep them raw and covered in the fridge, then brown and sauce them fresh when you are ready. Cooked and glazed, they keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and reheat well in a pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. They also freeze nicely — freeze them once cooked, then thaw and warm through with a little extra teriyaki so the glaze turns glossy again.
If you make these sweet Hawaiian teriyaki balls, I would love to know how the glaze turned out for you — leave a star rating and a comment below telling me whether you went stovetop or slow cooker, and what you served them over. 🌺
Summarise & Save This Recipe
★ Add us as a trusted Google source
Sweet Hawaiian Teriyaki Balls (Vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 100 g textured soy protein granules
- 125 g breadcrumbs
- 150 ml hot water
- 2 tablespoons miso paste
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
- 3 tablespoons chickpea flour
- 4 tablespoons white wine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce:
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ½ cup teriyaki sauce
- ½ cup canned pineapple crushed
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients for the sauce, mix, cover with foil and set aside.
- In a bowl, pour the hot soup, inactive yeast, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, cumin and salt. Stir to dissolve and add the soy granules.
- The soy granules will absorb the liquid, add the crushed garlic, the chopped parsley and mix with a fork.
- In another bowl, mix chickpea flour, white wine and olive oil, add the soy mixture and mix.
- Add the breadcrumbs and mix once more to obtain a sticky composition.
- Leave the bowl at room temperature until the composition thickens, cools down and is easy to form the balls.
- Form meatballs, with moistened hands, about 3-4 cm.
- Place the meatballs on a clean surface in a single layer.
- In a frying pan on medium heat, add a spoonful of oil and the meatballs. Brown the meatballs for a minute on each side.
- Then add the teriyaki sauce over the meatballs and continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the sauce becomes thicker and all the meatballs are covered with the sauce. Alternatively, you can put the browned meatballs in the slow cooker pot, add the sauce over the meatballs and leave to cook for 3-4 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this version is fully plant-based. The balls are built on textured soy protein and breadcrumbs, bound with chickpea flour instead of egg, and the glaze uses ketchup, teriyaki sauce, pineapple and brown sugar. Just double-check that your store-bought teriyaki sauce and breadcrumbs are vegan, since a few brands contain honey, milk or egg.
Textured soy protein granules give the balls their meaty, chewy base, but you can swap in rehydrated textured vegetable protein (TVP) of a similar granule size. Keep the rest of the mixture the same so the chickpea flour and breadcrumbs still bind everything together.
The mixture needs to rest so the soy granules and breadcrumbs can fully absorb the liquid. Let the bowl sit at room temperature until it thickens and cools before shaping. If it still feels loose, work in an extra spoonful of breadcrumbs until it holds a ball.
Yes. Brown the balls in a pan first to set a crust, then transfer them to the slow cooker, pour the pineapple-teriyaki sauce over the top, and cook for 3 to 4 hours. They come out softer and more deeply glazed, which makes them great for parties.
Keep cooked, glazed balls in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat them in a pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. They also freeze well once cooked — thaw, then warm through with a little extra teriyaki to bring back the glossy glaze.
They shine over something that soaks up the glaze, like steamed rice or a brown rice and mushroom pilaf. For a tropical spread, pair them with a vegan poke bowl, or serve them on toothpicks with extra sauce as a party appetizer.
Such a creative twist!