But the real game-changer here is the easy restaurant techniques I’ve used to keep these meatballs incredibly juicy and tender. These techniques can be used for any meatball, whether you’re using lean ground beef for Italian Meatballs or ground pork to make sweet and sour meatballs.
Why This Recipe Works?
Making an egg and oil emulsion helps keep the lean ground chicken juicy. Panko breadcrumbs make these homemade meatballs tender while helping the chicken retain its juices. Baking the meatballs in the oven allows you to make a big batch while retaining their round shape. This technique can be adapted to make any style of meatballs by using different meat, seasonings, and sauces. Caramelizing the sauce into a thick glaze avoids using a cornstarch slurry while concentrating the flavors of the delicious teriyaki sauce.
Ingredients
Egg - Helps bind the ingredients together while locking in the juices from the chicken. Vegetable oil - This gets emulsified with the egg to create a mixture that keeps the lean ground chicken moist while cooking. Any neutral-flavored oil works here. If you want to give these a more nutty flavor, try using sesame oil. Salt - The teriyaki sauce has plenty of flavor but won’t soak into the meatballs, so I like to lightly season the meat mixture with salt. Ginger - Adds a zesty, aromatic kick essential to Japanese cuisine. Fresh ginger is best, but ginger paste in a tube will work. Panko - These Japanese breadcrumbs have a fluffy texture that absorbs the chicken juices like a sponge while giving the meatballs a tender texture. Plain breadcrumbs will also work, but they won’t be as effective due to their higher density. Ground chicken - I prefer ground thigh meat for its flavor and juiciness, but ground breast meat works too if you want to make this leaner. You could also use ground turkey, ground beef, or ground pork. Onions - Provide sweetness and flavor. I use yellow onions, but feel free to experiment with shallots or green onions for a different flavor profile. It’s important to mince the onions finely, or your meatballs will end up lumpy. Soy sauce - The foundation of our homemade teriyaki sauce. I use dark Japanese soy sauce (such as Kikkoman) for its balanced flavor, but tamari is a gluten-free option. Sugar - Balances the salty soy sauce in our teriyaki glaze. Other sweeteners such as brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup will also work. Sake - Sake is an essential ingredient in teriyaki sauce, imparting umami into the glaze as the alcohol evaporates. You can also use mirin, but you’ll want to halve the amount of sugar if you make this substitute. Garnish - Garnish this chicken teriyaki meatball recipe with chopped green onions, toasted sesame seeds, or shichimi togarashi( 7 spice red pepper flakes).
How to Make Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs
First, make an emulsion of egg, oil, salt, and grated ginger by whisking the ingredients together. This mixture helps baste the meatballs from the inside while binding the juices from the ground chicken to keep them from leaking out. Now, you want to add the panko and stir it into the egg mixture. These airy breadcrumbs act as a reservoir for juices while giving the meat a tender texture. Add the ground chicken and minced onions to the bowl and knead the meatball ingredients together until they’re well combined. If you’ve got time, cover the mixture and let it rest in the fridge overnight. This firms up the mixture, making it easier to shape. But don’t worry if you’re in a hurry – the meatballs won’t be quite as round, but they will still taste great if you cook them right away. When you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven to 465°F (240°C) and set the oven rack in the middle position. The hot oven will give us a nice outer crust while keeping the tender meatballs inside juicy. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. To shape them, grease your hands with oil to prevent sticking, then use a round tablespoon to portion out the mixture. Roll each portion between your palms to shape the mixture into balls. Aim for about 24 meatballs, each around an inch in diameter, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Pop the meatballs in the oven for 8-10 minutes. When they’re about two minutes from being finished, combine the sugar, sake, and soy sauce in a large saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Keep it boiling until you see thick, glossy bubbles forming. This indicates all of the alcohol and most of the water has evaporated, allowing the sugar to caramelize. If the sauce gets too thick, you can always thin it out a bit by adding a spoonful of cold water. When the meatballs are golden brown, transfer them straight into the teriyaki sauce. Gently toss them to coat evenly with that gorgeous glaze. Serve these as an appetizer with picks, or pile them up on a bowl of white rice.
Chicken Meatball Recipe Variations
Swedish Meatballs - Omit the fresh ginger from the meatballs and add in ½ teaspoon of black pepper and ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Serve the Swedish meatballs with my creamy mushroom gravy. Italian Meatballs - Substitute fresh garlic or ½ teaspoon of garlic powder for the ginger. Add a teaspoon of dried oregano and 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese to the meatball mixture along with the panko. Serve the meatballs with my Basic Tomato Sauce. Sweet and Sour - Make the meatball mixture according to this recipe and substitute the sauce from my Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe.
Serve it With
These warm meatballs can be served mounded onto a platter with picks as a party appetizer, but they also make for a delicious dinner over a bowl of white or brown rice, with the extra teriyaki sauce drizzled on top. If you make extra teriyaki sauce, it’s also good poured over steamed veggies like carrots, asparagus or broccoli. Leftover teriyaki meatballs make for a delicious meatball sandwich with a fried egg. If you’re looking for some vegetable side dishes to go with this, try out my Japanese Potato Salad or make a green salad dressed with my Japanese Sesame Dressing.
📖 Recipe
