Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatballs) with Black Pepper Tare

About This Recipe

Tsukune are the chicken meatballs found skewered at yakitori counters across Japan, traditionally grilled over charcoal and brushed repeatedly with a sweet soy glaze called tare until lacquered and sticky. This home version pan-sears the meatballs instead of skewering them, but keeps the essential technique: ground chicken thigh mixed with grated nagaimo (mountain yam) or an egg for bounce, plus minced scallion and ginger for lift, finished with a generous crack of black pepper in the glaze for warmth. The key technique is texture -- tsukune should have a springy, almost bouncy bite (called 'kuriko' by yakitori chefs), which comes from working the mixture with wet hands until slightly sticky, not from overmixing into a paste. The tare glaze is built the same way unagi or yakitori sauce is: soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar reduced until syrupy, then used both to baste while cooking and to spoon over at the end. Served with a raw egg yolk for dipping (a classic yakitori-ya touch) or simply over rice, tsukune are one of the most comforting items on a Japanese grill menu -- a dish home cooks make often because the ingredients are cheap and the payoff is big.

Ingredients

Serves 3

• 500 gground chicken thigh
• 3 tbspgrated nagaimo (mountain yam)(or 1 egg white, for bounce)
• 3 tbspscallions(finely minced)
• 1 tbspgrated ginger
• 2 tbsppanko breadcrumbs
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspblack pepper(freshly cracked, plus more for glaze)
• 1 tbspneutral oil
• 4 tbspsoy sauce
• 4 tbspmirin
• 2 tbspsake
• 2 tbspsugar
• 1egg yolk(for dipping, optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the meatballs

   In a bowl, combine chicken, grated nagaimo, scallions, ginger, panko, salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Mix with wet hands until slightly sticky and cohesive, about 2 minutes -- don't overwork into a paste.

2. 2

   Shape

   Wet your hands and form the mixture into 12 oval meatballs, about 40g each.

3. 3

   Sear

   Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs and sear 3 minutes per side until browned, then cover and cook 5 more minutes until cooked through (74C/165F internal).

4. 4

   Make the tare

   While meatballs cook, combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer 5-6 minutes until reduced by half and syrupy.

5. 5

   Glaze

   Pour the tare over the seared meatballs in the pan. Toss to coat and simmer 2 minutes until glossy and sticky, spooning sauce over repeatedly.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Crack extra black pepper generously over the glazed meatballs. Serve hot with a raw egg yolk for dipping if desired.

Variations

• •

  Skewer the meatballs on soaked bamboo skewers and grill or broil for a more authentic yakitori-style char.

• •

  Add finely chopped shiso leaves to the mixture for a peppery, herbal note.

• •

  Make it spicy by whisking a teaspoon of yuzu kosho into the finished glaze.

Storage

Refrigerate glazed meatballs in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezes well unglazed for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions