Full-flavored chicken meatballs dressed with a sweet and salty glaze.
Japanese Grilled Chicken Meatballs (Tsukune)
Chicken makes great meatballs when dressed with a sweet and salty glaze.
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Time:
1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy sauce, preferably Japanese
- 1 cup mirin
- 1⁄4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. mizuame (Japanese sugar candy)
- 2 lb. ground chicken
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1` bunches scallions, trimmed and minced
- vegetable oil, for greasing
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by one-third, about 20 minutes. Stir in the mizuame and cook until the mizuame dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the glaze cool.
- In a large bowl, mix the ground chicken with the salt, pepper, scallions, and ginger until thoroughly combined. Form the meat into 20 oblong meatballs, about 1 1⁄2-oz. each, and place the meatballs on a lightly greased foil-lined baking sheet.
- Heat the broiler and broil the meatballs, turning and basting every 2 minutes with the glaze, until the meatballs are cooked through and dark golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve while hot.