Yakitori Tsukune (Chicken Meatballs)

Tori tsukune (鶏つくね）

What kind of dish is Tori Tsukune??

Tsukune (meatballs) are made from ground chicken and chopped aromatic vegetables formed into dumplings, then glazed in a sweet and spicy sauce made from soy sauce and sugar and grilled.

This is one of the most popular dishes at Japanese yakitori restaurants.

At yakitori restaurants, tsukune (meatballs) are skewered, brushed with sauce, and slowly grilled over charcoal.

Grilling it over charcoal gives it a distinctive aroma.

However, at home it is made in a frying pan or oven.

The trick to making this delicious dish at home is to cook it over high heat until the sauce thickens, becomes fragrant, and turns a deep caramel color.

By utilizing the Maillard reaction that occurs when sugar and soy sauce are heated, we create a sauce that is as delicious as any you’d find in a restaurant.

Standard ingredients mixed into the tsukune (meatballs) are green onions, Japanese white leek, shiso leaves, and ginger.

And since tsukune (meatballs) are popularly eaten by dipping them in egg yolk, izakayas often serve tsukune (meatballs) with egg yolk on the side.

However, in recent years, it has become popular to add toppings such as cheese, mentaiko, and miso.

Tsukune decorated in this way look very photogenic, making them a great dish for parties.

NUTRITION FACTS : Yakitori Tsukune (Chicken Meatballs)

• 621 Calories Protein 71.7 g Total Fat 19.0 g Total carbohydrates 34.0 g Sodium 5.9 g

INGREDIENTS : Yakitori Tsukune (Chicken Meatballs) 2～3SERVINGS

1. Minced Chicken (320g)
   • Ginger (5g)
   • Green Onion (20g)
   • Potato Starch (7g)
   • Soy Sauce (3g)
   • Sake (5g)
2. ★Soy Sauce (36g)
3. ★Sake (20g)
4. ★Mirin (30g)
5. ★Sugar (9g)

How to make Yakitori Tsukune (Chicken Meatballs)

1. Chop the ginger and green onion.
2. Knead the minced chicken, ginger, green onion, potato starch, soy sauce, and sake together.
3. Roll the meat dough into 50g balls.
4. Arrange the tsukune on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
5. Gently press down on the tops of the tsukune.
6. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of a preheated oven to 250°C and bake for 15 minutes.
7. Heat the soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar in a frying pan.
8. Remove the tsukune from the oven and add to the frying pan.
9. Cook until the sauce thickens and turns a deep caramel color.