Description
This Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs recipe offers a deliciously easy way to enjoy tender, flavorful meatballs coated in a glossy, homemade teriyaki sauce. Using ground chicken and a simple mix of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar, these meatballs are pan-fried to golden perfection, then simmered briefly in the sauce for a sticky, savory finish. Perfect served over rice and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 500 g / 1 lb chicken mince (ground chicken) (or pork or turkey)
- 1 egg (preferably small 50g / 1.4 oz)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (or ¾ cup normal breadcrumbs)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 ½ tsp cooking sake (or substitute with Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry)
- ½ tsp salt
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1/4 cup / 65 ml soy sauce (all purpose / ordinary)
- 1/4 cup / 65 ml cooking sake (or substitute with Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry)
- 1/4 cup / 65 ml Mirin
- 1 tbsp white sugar (brown sugar also ok)
- ¾ cup / 180 ml water
For Cooking and Garnish
- 1 tbsp oil
- Sliced green onions / scallions (for garnish, optional)
- Sesame seeds (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: Place the chicken mince, egg, panko breadcrumbs, minced garlic, 1 ½ tsp cooking sake, and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Mix together with your hands until well combined.
- Make the Teriyaki Sauce: In a separate bowl, combine 1 tbsp cornflour with 1 tbsp of the water and mix until smooth and lump-free. Add 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup cooking sake, 1/4 cup mirin, and 1 tbsp sugar. Stir well until sugar dissolves.
- Incorporate Sauce into Meatballs: Add 2 tsp of this teriyaki sauce mixture into the meatball mixture for flavor, then mix thoroughly by hand.
- Prepare Remaining Sauce: To the remaining sauce, add the remaining ¾ cup minus 1 tbsp water and mix well. Set this aside for later use.
- Form Meatballs: Take a heaping tablespoon of the meatball mixture and roll it into balls using your hands. If the mixture is too sticky, lightly wet your hands or add a bit more breadcrumbs.
- Cook Meatballs: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the meatballs and cook, turning frequently to brown evenly on all sides, for about 5 minutes. The meatballs will still be slightly undercooked inside at this stage.
- Simmer in Teriyaki Sauce: Reduce heat to low. Give the reserved teriyaki sauce a quick stir, then pour it into the skillet with the meatballs. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency that coats the meatballs well.
- Serve: Serve the teriyaki chicken meatballs hot over cooked rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired for added flavor and presentation.
Notes
- Note 1: Use regular all-purpose soy sauce to maintain the traditional flavor balance.
- Note 2: Cooking sake can be substituted with Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry if unavailable.
- Note 3: If the meatball mixture is too sticky to handle, wet your hands with water or add a small amount of extra breadcrumbs to make rolling easier.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: Teriyaki, Chicken Meatballs, Japanese, Easy Dinner, Skillet Meatballs, Ground Chicken
