Japanese Chicken Meatballs
These teriyaki meatballs are juicy, flavorful, and perfect for grilling or serving as an crowd-friendly appetizer. This teriyaki meatballs recipe uses Kinder’s Teriyaki Seasoning for bold, savory flavor, then finishes with a glossy coating of Kinder’s Teriyaki Marinade. A key step here is poaching the meatballs befirst—this helps keep them juicy and offers a great way to prep ahead, making these teriyaki chicken meatballs perfect for weeknight dinners or casual get-togethers.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp Kinder’s Teriyaki Seasoning
For Poaching
4 to 6 Cups chicken broth or stock
For Glazing
Equipment
Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Instructions
This recipe calls for poaching your meatballs first. This helps them retain moisture, keeping them juicy, and it gently firms up the exterior making them much easier to handle when skewering and grilling. It’s also a great way to prep the meatballs in advance and have them ready to throw on the grill for a weeknight dinner or a party with friends.
Meatball Preparation
Rinse minced shallots in a mesh strainer under cold running water, tossing gently to remove excess sharpness. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. (This will help keep your meatballs bind properly and stay delicate.)
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, shallots, scallions, salt, and Teriyaki Seasoning. Mix gently until evenly combined and slightly sticky.
Shape the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place them on a tray.
In a medium pot, bring your broth to a light simmer over medium heat. Carefully lower the meatballs into the broth and poach for about 5 to 7 minutes. As they cook, the meatballs will rise and float to the surface, this tells they have set and are ready to be removed. They should feel lightly firm but not fully cooked through.
Remove the meatballs from the broth and let them cool slightly, then transfer them to the refrigerator to chill completely.
Grilling Method
Once fully chilled, thread three to four meatballs onto each soaked skewer, pressing them gently together.
Preheat your grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grates. Place the skewers directly over the heat and grill, turning occasionally, until nicely browned
During the final few minutes of grilling, brush the meatballs with Kinder’s Teriyaki Marinade, turning and brushing several times to build a glossy, lightly caramelized glaze. Allow the meatballs to cook through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Remove from the grill and let rest briefly before serving.
Serve alongside marinated cucumbers, steamed rice, and steamed veggies.
Broil Method
To finish your meatballs inside, arrange the chilled meatballs in a single layer on a sheet pan or casserole dish.
Set your oven to broil. Once the oven has preheated, broil for several minutes until the tops begin to develop good color. Carefully flip the meatballs and return them to the broiler until the second side browns as well.
Once the meatballs have developed good color on both sides, remove the pan from the oven and brush them generously with Kinder’s Teriyaki Marinade. Return the pan to the broiler and cook for another minute or two until the sauce begins to caramelize and form a glossy glaze.
Remove from the oven, brush once more with Kinder’s Teriyaki Marinade, and serve immediately.
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Japanese Chicken Meatballs
These teriyaki meatballs are juicy, flavorful, and perfect for grilling or serving as an crowd-friendly appetizer. This teriyaki meatballs recipe uses Kinder’s Teriyaki Seasoning for bold, savory flavor, then finishes with a glossy coating of Kinder’s Teriyaki Marinade. A key step here is poaching the meatballs befirst—this helps keep them juicy and offers a great way to prep ahead, making these teriyaki chicken meatballs perfect for weeknight dinners or casual get-togethers.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp Kinder’s Teriyaki Seasoning
For Poaching
4 to 6 Cups chicken broth or stock
For Glazing
Equipment
Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Instructions
This recipe calls for poaching your meatballs first. This helps them retain moisture, keeping them juicy, and it gently firms up the exterior making them much easier to handle when skewering and grilling. It’s also a great way to prep the meatballs in advance and have them ready to throw on the grill for a weeknight dinner or a party with friends.
Meatball Preparation
Rinse minced shallots in a mesh strainer under cold running water, tossing gently to remove excess sharpness. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. (This will help keep your meatballs bind properly and stay delicate.)
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, shallots, scallions, salt, and Teriyaki Seasoning. Mix gently until evenly combined and slightly sticky.
Shape the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place them on a tray.
In a medium pot, bring your broth to a light simmer over medium heat. Carefully lower the meatballs into the broth and poach for about 5 to 7 minutes. As they cook, the meatballs will rise and float to the surface, this tells they have set and are ready to be removed. They should feel lightly firm but not fully cooked through.
Remove the meatballs from the broth and let them cool slightly, then transfer them to the refrigerator to chill completely.
Grilling Method
Once fully chilled, thread three to four meatballs onto each soaked skewer, pressing them gently together.
Preheat your grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grates. Place the skewers directly over the heat and grill, turning occasionally, until nicely browned
During the final few minutes of grilling, brush the meatballs with Kinder’s Teriyaki Marinade, turning and brushing several times to build a glossy, lightly caramelized glaze. Allow the meatballs to cook through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Remove from the grill and let rest briefly before serving.
Serve alongside marinated cucumbers, steamed rice, and steamed veggies.
Broil Method
To finish your meatballs inside, arrange the chilled meatballs in a single layer on a sheet pan or casserole dish.
Set your oven to broil. Once the oven has preheated, broil for several minutes until the tops begin to develop good color. Carefully flip the meatballs and return them to the broiler until the second side browns as well.
Once the meatballs have developed good color on both sides, remove the pan from the oven and brush them generously with Kinder’s Teriyaki Marinade. Return the pan to the broiler and cook for another minute or two until the sauce begins to caramelize and form a glossy glaze.
Remove from the oven, brush once more with Kinder’s Teriyaki Marinade, and serve immediately.