Go Back
Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs with Teriyaki Glaze

These juicy chicken meatballs smothered in a rich teriyaki glaze are fast, flavorful, and perfect for any night of the week. Packed with umami and made with simple pantry ingredients, they deliver restaurant-quality taste in under 30 minutes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: ASIAN
Calories: 270
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Teriyaki Sauce
  • 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) helps thicken the sauce
  • 65 ml soy sauce use low-sodium if preferred
  • 65 ml cooking sake or dry sherry or Chinese cooking wine
  • 65 ml mirin sweet rice wine
  • 1 tbsp white sugar brown sugar can be substituted
  • 180 ml water forms base of the sauce
Chicken Meatballs
  • 500 g ground chicken can also use ground turkey
  • 1 small egg approx. 50g
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs Japanese-style
  • 1 clove garlic finely minced
  • 1.5 tsp cooking sake
  • 0.5 tsp salt
For Cooking and Garnish
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil
  • green onions thinly sliced, optional garnish
  • sesame seeds optional garnish

Method
 

  1. In a small bowl, whisk cornflour with 1 tbsp of water until smooth. Stir in soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. Reserve 2 tsp of this mix for the meatballs. Add remaining water to the sauce and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, mix ground chicken, egg, panko, garlic, salt, cooking sake, and the reserved sauce. Form into balls using damp hands if needed.
  3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add meatballs and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. They don’t need to be fully cooked yet.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir the teriyaki sauce and pour into the skillet. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, spooning sauce over meatballs until thick and glossy.
  5. Remove from heat. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions if desired. Serve hot over rice or noodles.

Notes

Dampen hands to prevent sticking when shaping meatballs. Form ahead and refrigerate for convenience. Swap sugar for honey or add ginger for variation. Use tamari and gluten-free breadcrumbs to make gluten-free. Double the sauce if desired for extra glaze.