Recipes‎ > ‎

Tsukune chicken meatballs

Get:
  • bamboo skewers
  • 1 lb ground chicken thigh meat (Zonotto's will grind up whatever you want)
  • 0.5c panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 4 scallions
  • yellow onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 0.25c cooking sake
  • 0.25c dark soy sauce
  • 0.25c brown sugar
  • dash of sherry vinegar (?)

Do:
  • Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for 60 minutes
  • Prepare glaze:
    • combine soy sauce, sugar, sake, and vinegar in a small pot
    • add 3 cloves minced garlic
    • add 1 minced scallion
    • bring to boil on high heat
    • reduce heat to simmer, reduce liquid to a syrup (45 minutes)
    • Set aside
  • Prepare meatballs:
    • saute a bit of finely minced garlic, scallion, and onion
    • combine with "some" breadcrumbs and the ground chicken
    • soy sauce and pepper to taste
    • press into balls around the skewers, place on a plate
    • use TWO skewers, so that balls can be rotated
    • place in freezer for 20 minutes to help solidify
  • Grill meatballs: (10-15 minutes total)
    • brush the glaze onto the meatballs
    • place on grill at ~350F using hands (they're not strong enough to pick up by skewers)
    • grill for at least 5 minutes before attempting to rotate, re-applying glaze frequently
    • using tongs, rotate meatballs once carefully.
    • apply glaze frequently


Results:
  • They were a little hard to work with, but they did taste great. Kevin made them, not me, so I am extrapolating.
  • I wish we had used pairs of skewers so that the meatballs could be turned.



Reference:
  • http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/10/tsukune-japanese-chicken-meatballs-recipe.html