Try this Chicken Meatballs recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 egg
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. rice vinegar
- 9 oz (255 g) ground chicken
- 5 oz. (142 g) medium firm tofu (about 1/3 of 14-oz. pack
- 1 1/2 sweet bell peppers (3 oz 87 g) – i used 3 colors
- 1 green onion/scallion
- 1 inch ginger (about 1 tsp. grated ginger)
- oil for cooking
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. mirin
- 1/2 tsp. potato/corn starch
- Carbohydrate 0.8052368125 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.4554598125 g
- Fiber 0.0104031250834465 g
- Protein 0.0755546875 g
- Saturated Fat 0.033704167246875 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -22 meatball (15g)
- Sodium 39.134975 mg
- Sugar 0.794833687416553 g
- Trans Fat 0.00574861096937494 g
- Calories 7 calories
Step-by-step
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
- Wrap the tofu with paper towel and let it drain for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, remove sweet bell pepper seeds under running water and dry completely.
- Mince the sweet bell peppers, chop the green onion finely, and grate the ginger.
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, sweet bell peppers, and green onion. Break the drained tofu into small pieces.
- Add the egg and mix all together.
- Add the grated ginger, salt, and black pepper and combine well.
- Using two tablespoons or a cookie scoop, make a small ball.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick 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.
Ground chicken requires careful handling to prevent toughness, and incorporating medium firm tofu alters the protein matrix to retain moisture during high-heat cooking. Wrapping the tofu in absorbent paper towels for 15 minutes extracts excess water that would otherwise make the raw mixture too slack to hold a round shape. A non-stick frying pan distributes heat evenly across the meatball bases, allowing a deep golden crust to form without scorching the delicate poultry proteins. When browning occurs too rapidly, reducing the burner setting to medium-low prevents the exterior from burning before the center reaches a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing these cooked spheres is practical if stored in airtight containers for up to two months, though sauces containing starch should ideally be applied fresh rather than frozen directly on the meat. Thawing frozen batches overnight in the refrigerator preserves the structural integrity of the tofu. Reheating works best in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with two tablespoons of water added to generate steam, restoring the tender texture without drying out the lean meat.
