Glazed Japanese Chicken Meatballs on Skewers
Juicy chicken meatballs glazed with a sweet and savory soy-sake sauce, grilled on skewers until perfectly caramelized. These Japanese-inspired skewers are garnished with sesame seeds and scallions for an elegant presentation.
Ingredients
- •¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- •¼ cup dry sake
- •¼ cup sugar
- •2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- •1½ pounds ground chicken
- •1 tablespoon minced shallot
- •1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- •1 teaspoon minced garlic
- •1 teaspoon kosher salt
- •1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- •2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- •2 tablespoons scallion greens
- •2 cups steamed rice
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, sake, sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil over high heat until thickened to a glaze, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season with a fresh splash of vinegar, if you like.
3 min
- 2.
Preheat the grill for at least 10 minutes, preparing to grill over moderately high heat, and soak 8 double-pronged bamboo skewers or 16 single skewers in water.
10 min
- 3.
In a bowl, use your hands to mix together all of the ingredients except for the sesame seeds and scallion greens.
5 min
- 4.
Form the meat mixture into 16 meatballs. Thread the meatballs onto the skewers, leaving just a little space in between and flatten slightly.
10 min
- 5.
Oil the grates well and grill the meatball skewers until light grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and grill for 2 minutes longer, until the outside of the meatballs looks cooked.
6 min
- 6.
Brush the sauce over the meatballs, flip and brush the other side. Flip them and brush them with the sauce constantly for about 1 minute, until glazed and cooked through. If the sauce darkens too quickly, reduce the heat or move the skewers to a cooler part of the grill.
1 min
- 7.
Transfer the skewers to a platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced scallions. Serve over rice, if desired.
2 min
