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Tsukune (Chicken Meatballs)
Serves 2 (8 pieces) · About 30 min
Ground chicken mixed with leek, shaped into flat rounds, pan-fried, and coated in a sweet-salty sauce.
① Chop the leek→② Mix the meat mixture→③ Shape the patties→④ Cook them through→⑤ Coat with the sauce
What to buy
Meat
Vegetables
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How to make it
1
Finely chop the leek
- On a cutting board, make 4–5 lengthwise cuts in the leek, then chop it finely from the end
- Aim for pieces about 3 mm in size
How to tell it's doneAll the leek is chopped finely. If there are big pieces left, chop again.
2
Mix the meat mixture
- Put 300 g ground chicken, the leek from step 1, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tbsp potato starch, 1 tbsp sake and a pinch of salt in a bowl
- Knead well with your hands for about 1 minute
How to tell it's doneThe meat turns whitish and feels sticky on your hands.
Be carefulWash your hands with dish soap after touching raw chicken, before touching anything else.
3
Shape the patties
- Divide the mixture into 8 equal parts (it's easier if you draw lines in the bowl with a spatula)
- Wet your hands a little with water, roll each part into a ball, then press into an oval about 1.5 cm thick
- Lay them on a flat plate
How to tell it's doneAll 8 are about the same size and thickness.
Be carefulIf they're too thick, the inside won't cook through easily. Don't make them thicker than 1.5 cm.
4
Cook them through
- In a small dish, mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp sake to make the sauce
- Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and lay the tsukune in the pan
- Cook for about 3 minutes without touching. When browned, flip with a spatula
- Put the lid on and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes
How to tell it's doneBreak the biggest tsukune in half with chopsticks: it's white inside, not pink. The juice that comes out is clear. If it's pink, put the lid on, cook 2 more minutes, and check again.
Be carefulWhen you open the lid, steam and fat can spatter. Keep your face away.
5
Coat with the sauce
- Turn off the heat and soak up the fat in the pan with paper towels (it's hot, so hold the paper with cooking chopsticks)
- Turn back to medium heat and add all the sauce you made in step 4
- Shake the pan and flip the tsukune to coat both sides with the sauce
ReadyThe sauce has thickened, and the tsukune look glossy. Put them on a plate and pour the leftover sauce over them.
Be carefulThe sauce burns easily. Turn off the heat as soon as it thickens.
📚 Learn more about this dish
🥬 Ingredient guide
🔪 Cutting & cooking tips
If it didn't work out
They break while cookingThe mixture wasn't kneaded long enough. Next time knead well for 1 minute until sticky. It's also important not to touch them too much before cooking.
The inside is undercookedThey're too thick, or they didn't cook long enough with the lid on in step 4. Put them back in the pan, put the lid on, cook on low heat 2 minutes at a time, and break one open to check each time.
It is dryThey cooked too long. Go to step 5 as soon as the inside is white.
The sauce burned and tastes bitterThe heat was too high or it cooked too long in step 5. Next time turn off the heat about 2 minutes after adding the sauce.
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