Description
These Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs are a delicious and easy-to-make dish featuring juicy ground chicken meatballs cooked in a homemade sweet and savory teriyaki sauce. Perfect served over rice and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, this recipe combines simple ingredients to deliver authentic Japanese-inspired flavors in under 40 minutes.
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
Cooking
- 1 tbsp oil
Garnish (optional)
- Sliced green onions / scallions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare Meatball Ingredients: Place the ground chicken, egg, panko breadcrumbs, minced garlic, 1 ½ tsp cooking sake, and ½ tsp salt into a large mixing bowl.
- Make Teriyaki Sauce Base: In a separate small bowl, combine 1 tbsp cornflour with 1 tbsp of the water, whisking until smooth and lump-free. Then add the soy sauce, ¼ cup cooking sake, mirin, and sugar, mixing well to combine.
- Add Sauce to Meatballs: Take 2 tsp of the prepared teriyaki sauce and add it into the meatball mixture bowl. This helps flavor and bind the meatballs.
- Prepare Remaining Sauce: Pour the remaining water into the rest of the teriyaki sauce mixture and stir to combine. Set this sauce aside for later use.
- Form Meatballs: Using your hands, mix the meatball ingredients thoroughly until evenly combined. Scoop out about 1 heaped tablespoon of mixture and roll into a ball. If the mixture is too sticky, refer to Note 3 for tips on handling.
- Cook Meatballs: Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the meatballs and cook, rolling frequently so they brown evenly on all sides, about 5 minutes. The meatballs will still be slightly undercooked inside at this stage.
- Simmer in Teriyaki Sauce: Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low. Give the reserved teriyaki sauce a quick stir and pour it into the pan with the meatballs. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens into a glossy coating that clings to the meatballs.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve the teriyaki chicken meatballs hot over rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
- Note 1: Use all-purpose soy sauce for a balanced flavor; low-sodium versions can be used if preferred.
- Note 2: Cooking sake can be substituted with Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry.
- Note 3: If the meatball mixture is too sticky to shape, refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes or lightly oil your hands before rolling.
