These soft and juicy Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs are going to be your family’s favorite! It takes only 30 minutes to prepare.
These Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs are soft and fluffy, and my kids love them! What’s the secret ingredient to making them so fluffy? It’s tofu!
Actually, in Japan, we call this dish Tofu Hambagu (豆腐ハンバーグ) – “hambagu” as in Japanese Hamburger Steak. However, most tofu hambagu are made with tofu AND ground meat (usually chicken, sometimes a combination of beef & pork). To avoid misleading the vegetarian readers, I decided to simply call it chicken meatballs (with tofu, as the secret ingredient).
Why tofu? It’s because tofu makes the meatball texture very fluffy and soft. These teriyaki meatballs are especially great for all ages including toddlers and elders! If you increase the amount of tofu, it gets even fluffier and less calorie! My proportion of the meat and tofu in this recipe is pretty easy to form into meatballs. As you increase the ratio for tofu, it might become slightly difficult to maintain the round shape.
And please note that the meat acts as a binding agent here. As you knead the meat, it gets stickier and helps bind tofu and other ingredients very well.
Today I used colorful sweet bell peppers to add some color to these meatballs. You can add your choice of vegetables but don’t put too much in order to maintain the fluffiness.
Lastly, look at the delicious glaze on the meatballs! The sauce is everyone’s favorite, Teriyaki Sauce. If you cook Japanese food often, you noticed that we often use the same condiments – soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake (I didn’t use it for this recipe). It’s very common to season Japanese food with these condiments (just slightly different ratios).
Similar Recipes
- Chicken Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 17 Teriyaki Recipes You Must Make at Home
- Chicken Meatball Bento
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Chicken Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
For the Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- ½ tsp potato starch or cornstarch
For the Meatballs
- 5 oz medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) (about ⅓ of a 14-oz block)
- 3 oz sweet bell peppers (1½ peppers; I used 3 colors)
- 1 green onion/scallion
- 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice; from a 1-inch, 2.5-cm knob)
- 14 oz ground chicken
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce: 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp mirin, 2 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), and ½ tsp potato starch or cornstarch. Set aside.
- Wrap 5 oz medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) with a paper towel and let it drain for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, remove the seeds from 3 oz sweet bell peppers under running water and dry completely.
- Mince the sweet bell peppers and chop 1 green onion/scallion finely. Grate the ginger and measure 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice).
- In a large bowl, combine 14 oz ground chicken, the minced sweet bell peppers, and the chopped green onion. Break the drained tofu into small pieces and add to the bowl.
- Add 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) and mix it all together.
- Add the grated ginger, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper and combine well.
- Using two tablespoons or a cookie scoop, make small meatballs.
- Heat 1 Tbsp neutral oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and drop the meatballs, keeping some distance between each ball. Cook in batches if necessary.
- When the bottom is nicely browned, flip them over and cover with the lid to cook until inside is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low heat if browning too fast.
- When the meat is cooked through, add the first batch back into the pan (if there are any).
- Pour the sauce over and reduce the sauce until it thickens. Flip the meatballs to coat both sides with the sauce.
To Store
- Keep the leftovers in an airtight container with the sauce, let cool completely, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month.
I always have silken tofu in the fridge. Would this recipe work with it or must I use medium firm? Thanks!
Hi Debbie, Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe!
Yes, you may use the silken tofu. However, it contains more water, so please dehydrate the tofu by pressing it for a long time. Hope you enjoy the dish! 🙂
This recipe looks great. I’m having trouble finding medium firm tofu. Is it ok to sub in other tofu varieties like firm or extra firm?
Hi Katie, Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe.
Firm tofu would work with this recipe, but please make sure to mix it well with other ingredients!
We hope this helps!
I usually make a similar recipebut decided to try this one today. Way better. Thank you!
Hi Linda! Aww.🥰 Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are so happy to hear you enjoyed Nami’s recipe.
Happy cooking!
The tofu gave the meatballs a great, delicate texture. I did double the teriyaki for a saucier dish. These paired very well with your potato salad, will definitely remake. Thank you!
Hi C J! Thank you for taking the time to try Nami’s recipes and for your kind feedback.
We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs and Potato salad! https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-potato-salad/
It sounds like an ideal meal plan!
Happy Cooking!