Servings
Font
Back
4.6 from 237 votes

Chicken Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce

So juicy, tender, and easy to make, this delicious Chicken Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce is a perfect weeknight meal for busy home cooks!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 20 meatballs
Calories: 53 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground chicken (or use ground beef, pork, or turkey; each type of meat yields a different texture, and we like ground chicken and pork)
  • ½ onion (4 oz, 113 g)
  • 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
  • 3 Tbsp panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 1 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp sake
  • ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • water (for steaming)
Sweet and Sour Sauce (makes 1 cup)
  • 6 Tbsp ketchup
  • 4 Tbsp mirin (I use Takara Mirin)
  • 4 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp sake (I use Sho Chiku Bai Classic Junmai Sake)
  • 1 tsp potato starch or cornstarch (for thickening)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Sauce
  1. In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine 6 Tbsp ketchup, 4 Tbsp mirin, 4 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp sake, and 1 tsp potato starch or cornstarch and whisk well.
To Make the Meatballs
  1. Mince ½ onion into fine pieces.
  2. In a bowl, combine 1 lb ground chicken, the minced onion, 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), 3 Tbsp panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), 1 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch, 1 Tbsp sake, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Knead the mixture well with your hand until the mixture is pale in color and very sticky.
  3. Apply a small amount of cooking oil to your hands and make a ping-pong ball size shape with the mixture. If you have a cookie scooper, it helps to make equal-size balls.
  4. Once you make a ball, place it on a tray or plate lined with a sheet of parchment paper. Once you finish shaping, cover the tray/plate with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes so the melted fat on the meatballs will solidify.
  5. Put ½ inch (roughly 1 cm) water in a large frying pan and bring it to boil. Carefully place the meatballs in the water.
  6. Cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and let the water evaporate while you continue cooking the meatballs on medium high heat, turning the meatballs once in a while.
  7. As the water evaporates, the meatballs will turn brown. If the frying pan gets a burnt spot, wipe off with a paper towel.
  8. Add the sweet and sour sauce and coat the meatballs well with the sauce. Turn off the heat and serve.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1meatball Calories 53kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 3g (1%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 2g (3%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 29mg (10%) Sodium 126mg (5%) Potassium 142mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 21IU (0%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 7mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20meatballs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 53

% Daily Value*

Serving 1meatball
Calories 53kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 3g 1%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 29mg 10%
Sodium 126mg 5%
Potassium 142mg 3%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 21IU 0%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.