Tsukune (Chicken Meatballs)
A recipe for Tsukune (Chicken Meatballs) from the cookbook, The Japanese Pantry! These chicken-based meatballs are coated in a sweetened soy sauce to create a caramelized glaze.
Servings 3 -4 Servings as a Starter
Ingredients
Tsukune:
- 300 grams (10 1/2 ounces) boneless chicken thighs or chicken mince
- 4 centimeters (1 1/2 inches) ginger grated
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg white
- 3-4 tablespoons potato starch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- shichimi togarashi optional
- mayonnaise optional
Teriyaki Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
Instructions
- If you're using chicken thighs, mince them in a food processor, including any skin or fat- they make for juicier meatballs. Add the ginger, salt, egg white and potato starch and pulse to fully combine.
- If you're using mince, mix it all together in a bowl until well combined and a bit sticky.
- With wet hands, roll the mixture into 12 balls and slightly flatten.
- Mix the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Fry the meatballs for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the sauce to the pan, allowing it to sizzle for a moment.
- Flip the meatballs so the sauce coats them on all sides- do this quickly so the soy sauce doesn't burn.
- Serve immediately, perhaps with a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi and some mayonnaise.