Best 4 Tsukune Japanese Chicken Meatballs Recipes

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**Discover the Delights of Tsukune: Japanese Chicken Meatballs That Will Tantalize Your Taste Buds**

Embark on a culinary journey to Japan and savor the delectable flavors of Tsukune, succulent chicken meatballs that are a beloved street food and home-cooked dish. These meatballs, made with a blend of minced chicken, aromatic herbs, and savory seasonings, offer a unique taste experience that will leave you craving more. Whether you prefer the classic grilled tsukune, the juicy deep-fried variety, or the savory tsukune soup, this article presents a collection of tsukune recipes that cater to every palate. Get ready to tantalize your taste buds and immerse yourself in the rich culinary traditions of Japan.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

TSUKUNE (JAPANESE CHICKEN MEATBALLS) RECIPE



Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatballs) Recipe image

Lightly seasoned chicken meatballs are threaded onto skewers, grilled, and finished with a sweet and salty tare sauce.

Provided by Joshua Bousel

Categories     Mains     Snacks

Time 1h50m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 21

For the Tare Sauce:
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sake
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 medium cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
3 scallions, roughly chopped
1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, sliced
1 tablespoon whole black or white peppercorns
For the Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken thighs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
8-10 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes prior to use

Steps:

  • For the Tare Sauce: Combine mirin, soy sauce, sake, brown sugar, sherry vinegar, garlic, scallions, ginger slices, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, whisk to combine, and cook until mixture is thick and syrupy, about 45 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • For the Meatballs: Using hands, mix together chicken, bread crumbs, scallions, egg, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper until thoroughly combined. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs and thread onto skewers.
  • Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Careful transfer skewers to grill, if necessary supporting meatballs from bottom to prevent them from falling off skewers. Grill until first side is well browned, about 3-4 minutes. Using tongs, rotate meatballs and cook until well browned on second side, about 2-3 minutes. Repeat for remaining two sides.
  • Brush tare sauce all over meatballs and allow to cook for 15-30 seconds longer. Transfer skewers to a plate or serving dish, brush lightly with sauce again and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 532 kcal, Carbohydrate 42 g, Cholesterol 254 mg, Fiber 2 g, Protein 48 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Sodium 2492 mg, Sugar 26 g, Fat 17 g, ServingSize serves 4, UnsaturatedFat 0 g

TSUKUNE (JAPANESE CHICKEN MEATBALLS)



Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatballs) image

This is one of those foods that come in many different variations in Japan. They are served primarily on a stick but you can get them in soups, bentos, as a main dish, etc. It became a family favorite almost instantly (it needed some tweaks at first). I'm giving you my dinner recipe here, which I usually serve on a bed of Japanese rice with a side salad or sauteed enoki mushrooms.

Provided by garywhinton

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     Asian     Japanese

Time 42m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 22

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup tamari
¼ cup cooking sake
¼ cup mirin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
10 ½ ounces ground chicken
1 egg
3 green onions, chopped
½ carrot, grated
¼ cup panko bread crumbs, or to taste
2 tablespoons red miso paste, or more to taste
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon potato starch
1 tablespoon crumbled seaweed
1 tablespoon tamari, or more to taste
1 tablespoon cooking sake, or more to taste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar, or more to taste
1 teaspoon ground paprika, or more to taste

Steps:

  • Heat oil in a small pot over low heat. Add 1 teaspoon ginger and garlic; cook and stir until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup tamari, 1/4 cup sake, mirin, brown sugar, and sesame seeds; simmer until glaze is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • Combine ground chicken, egg, green onions, carrot, bread crumbs, miso, 2 tablespoons ginger, potato starch, seaweed, 1 tablespoon tamari, 1 tablespoon sake, soy sauce, white sugar, and paprika in a large bowl; mix well into a thick paste, at least 5 minutes.
  • Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
  • Roll ground chicken mixture into balls the size of your palm. Flatten them slightly into patties. Grill until well-browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue grilling until browned on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
  • Brush glaze over meatballs before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 133.1 calories, Carbohydrate 12.8 g, Cholesterol 44.6 mg, Fat 2.2 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 11.8 g, SaturatedFat 0.5 g, Sodium 901.6 mg, Sugar 7.8 g

JIDORI TSUKUNE (JAPANESE CHICKEN MEATBALLS)



Jidori Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatballs) image

The best tsukune, or Japanese chicken meatballs, are nicely caramelized, well seasoned, and juicy-and served straight off the grill.

Provided by Sylvan Mishima Brackett

Time 1h30m

Yield 10 skewers

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 cup sake
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
½ cup zarame sugar or demerara sugar
1 lb. skin-on, boneless chicken thighs or 1 lb. ground dark-meat chicken and 2 Tbsp. chicken fat
½ small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1¾ tsp. mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1½ tsp. finely grated yuzu or lemon zest
1 cup glutinous sweet rice flour
Shichimi togarashi and lemon wedges (for serving)
Ten 6" bamboo skewers, soaked at least 1 hour, or metal skewers

Steps:

  • Bring 1 cup sake, 1 cup soy sauce, ½ cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine), and ½ cup zarame sugar or demerara sugar to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by about a quarter, 25-30 minutes. Do ahead: Tare can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
  • If using 1 lb. skin-on, boneless chicken thighs, grind in a meat grinder fitted with a 7-mm die. Divide chicken into 2 equal portions and run 1 portion through grinder a second time. Combine both portions in a large bowl. (You can also ask your butcher to grind the chicken for you.)
  • If using 1 lb. ground dark-meat chicken plus 2 Tbsp. chicken fat, mix together in a large bowl.
  • Add ½ small onion, finely chopped, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1¾ tsp. mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine), and 1½ tsp. finely grated yuzu or lemon zest to chicken meat. Using your hands, mix until thoroughly combined.
  • Divide meat into ¼ cup portions. Shape into balls, then form into 3½x1" logs. Arrange tsukune on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
  • Place 1 cup glutinous sweet rice flour on a plate. Working one at a time, dredge tsukune in flour, turning to coat, and transfer as many as will snugly fit to a parchment-lined large steamer basket.
  • Pour water into a large saucepan to come 1" up sides and bring to a boil. Set steamer on top and cover. Steam tsukune until just cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Repeat process with any remaining tsukune if needed.
  • Prepare a grill for high heat. Place tare in a tall, narrow glass (you should be able to submerge tsukune when you dunk it in the tare). Thread each tsukune onto a skewer.
  • Grill tsukune, turning and dipping in tare every 2 minutes, until richly glazed, deeply browned, and charred in spots, about 8 minutes total.
  • Transfer to a platter and sprinkle shichimi togarashi over. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

TSUKUNE MISO NABE (CHICKEN-MEATBALL HOT POT IN MISO BROTH)



Tsukune Miso Nabe (Chicken-Meatball Hot Pot in Miso Broth) image

Naoko Takei Moore makes this comforting hot pot of ginger-spiked meatballs, mushrooms and tofu in a donabe, or Japanese clay pot. She sells them at Toiro, her Japanese cookware shop in Los Angeles, and has written a book on the topic, "Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking" (Ten Speed Press, 2015). The traditional cookware can be used to cook rice, steam foods and even set up to work like a small grill. It's a wonderful, versatile piece of equipment, though if you don't have one, you can use another heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, and still turn out a beautiful meal. Have this hot pot on its own, or with a side of warm rice.

Provided by Tejal Rao

Categories     dinner, poultry, soups and stews, main course

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 pound ground chicken
2 scallion greens, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon white miso
1 tablespoon potato starch
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 quart dashi
2 tablespoons mirin
3 teaspoons white tamari, or soy sauce
1/4 cup white miso
8 ounces mixed mushrooms, such as shimeji, maitake and enoki, sliced or torn roughly into bite-size pieces
14 ounces soft or medium-firm tofu, cut or scooped out into about 8 pieces
4 ounces spinach, pea shoots, rapini or other tender greens, cut into bite-size lengths
1 tablespoon roasted white sesame seeds
Ground yuzu shichimi togarashi, to taste

Steps:

  • Prepare the meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs, and knead with your hands until the mix is smooth and shiny. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to shape and cook.
  • Prepare the hot pot: Place a large donabe, Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and bring the dashi to a simmer. Add the mirin and tamari. Whisk in miso. (You can put the miso in a strainer and hold it directly in the broth as you whisk, so it dissolves smoothly.)
  • With wet hands, shape the chicken mixture into tablespoon-size balls to make about 30 meatballs, then drop them into the simmering broth. Add the mushrooms and tofu. (If using very delicate tofu, wait and add it with the greens.)
  • Bring the broth back up to a simmer, turn the heat down to low, and cover. Simmer gently until all the ingredients are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the greens, and cover for 1 more minute, then serve with sesame and togarashi.

Tips:

  • Choose high-quality ground chicken: Look for ground chicken that is fresh and free from any gristle or bone fragments. You can also grind your own chicken using a food processor or meat grinder.
  • Use a variety of seasonings: Don't be afraid to experiment with different seasonings to create your own unique flavor of tsukune. Some popular seasonings include ginger, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, and mirin.
  • Don't overmix the meatball mixture: Overmixing can make the meatballs tough. Mix the ingredients just until they are combined.
  • Cook the meatballs thoroughly: Tsukune should be cooked all the way through to ensure that they are safe to eat. Cook them over medium heat until they are browned on all sides and cooked through.
  • Serve with your favorite dipping sauce: Tsukune can be served with a variety of dipping sauces, such as teriyaki sauce, ponzu sauce, or sweet and sour sauce.

Conclusion:

Tsukune is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. So next time you are looking for a new and exciting dish to try, give tsukune a try. You won't be disappointed!

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