Make-Ahead Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Tender panko-bound chicken meatballs baked on a sheet pan and coated in a glossy soy-mirin teriyaki sauce. Because the sauce is dairy-free and thickened with cornstarch, it freezes and reheats without splitting or thinning out — pull a bag straight from the freezer and dinner is 12 minutes away over rice.

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground chicken
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. In a big bowl, mix the ground chicken, panko, egg, scallions, ginger, sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce with your hands until just combined — don't overwork it or the meatballs turn springy.
2. With damp hands, roll the mixture into 36 golf-ball-sized meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches) and space them out on the sheet. Bake 16 to 18 minutes, until browned at the edges and 165°F in the center.
3. While they bake, whisk the remaining soy sauce, the mirin, brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the water in a large skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir the cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 cup cold water, pour it in, and cook 1 to 2 minutes, whisking, until the sauce is glossy and coats a spoon.
4. Slide the baked meatballs into the sauce and turn gently to coat, about 2 minutes over low heat. Serve some now over rice with sesame seeds, or move straight to freezing.
5. To freeze: spread the sauced meatballs on the baking sheet and cool completely to room temperature, about 30 minutes (packing them warm makes ice crystals and a watery sauce). Divide into freezer bags or containers in meal-sized portions, spooning the sauce over evenly, press out the air, and freeze flat for up to 3 months.
6. To reheat from frozen: tip a portion into a skillet with 2 tablespoons water, cover, and warm over medium-low for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the meatballs are hot through and the sauce is glossy again. From thawed (overnight in the fridge), 5 to 6 minutes is enough. Microwave option: cover and heat on high 4 to 5 minutes from frozen, stirring halfway.
7. Scatter with sesame seeds and extra sliced scallion and serve over steamed rice.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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