How to make chicken meatballs, Tsukune. Simple and tasty!

ground chicken

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey offers a leaner option while ground pork is often less expensive.

mirin

🥗Healthier: rice vinegar + sugar

💰Cheaper: white wine + sugar

Rice vinegar + sugar mimics the sweetness of mirin.

panko breadcrumbs

🥗Healthier: whole wheat breadcrumbs

💰Cheaper: regular breadcrumbs

Whole wheat breadcrumbs add fiber, while regular breadcrumbs are often cheaper.

sake

🥗Healthier: dry white wine

💰Cheaper: rice vinegar

Dry white wine can substitute sake in flavor, while rice vinegar is more accessible.

Grate half an onion (100 g) and squeeze out the water using a clean cloth.

Mince 50 g of Japanese leek, using both the green and white parts.

Add a pinch of salt and 5 g of miso to the minced leek and mix until the mixture becomes sticky.

Add 10 g of sake and 10 g of soy sauce to the mixture and mix well.

Add the grated onion and combine everything until sticky.

Cover the mixture and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Shape the mixture into patties using a spoon and your hands for a beautiful shape.

Heat a flat large pan and add vegetable oil, ensuring it covers the bottom.

Place the patties in the pan and cook until the bottom turns white.

Add 30 g of hot water and cover the pan with a lid to steam for 4 minutes over medium heat.

After 4 minutes, check that the meat has turned from pink to white, then keep heating until the water is gone.

Remove the patties and set aside to make the sauce.

In the same pan, add 30 g of sake, 30 g of mirin, 30 g of soy sauce, and 10 g of brown sugar, and heat until the sugar melts.

Strain the sauce after heating for a few minutes to transfer the flavor.

Return the patties to the pan, facing down to brown them.

Pour the sauce over the patties and coat them well, cooking until the sauce reduces and is almost gone.

Sprinkle salt over the patties and brown them entirely.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens