One pot Asian chicken meatballs with a delicious sweet and spicy sauce. Serve them with fried rice or noodles for a takeaway style family dinner.
Jump to:
These Asian chicken meatballs stand out for their delightful blend of savoury, sweet, and umami flavours. The highlight of this meatball recipe is the delicious sauce that brings the whole dish together.
Chicken Meatballs were on my mind for a long time. But it took me a few recipe trials to get them right with precise melt in mouth softness, light texture, and flavoursome taste.
You will be surprised to know that these Asian chicken meatballs are not baked, air fried, or shallow fried. Instead, this is a one pan dish, where the meatballs and sauce are cooked in the same pan on a stovetop. No prior baking required!
USPs of my Chicken Meatballs Recipe
- the meatballs are very soft and light in texture
- there is no flour in the meatballs or sauce
- it is a one pan main course dish
- meal prep friendly
Ingredients For Meatballs
- Ground Chicken is a white, lean meat. Easy to cook and has a delicate texture.
- Choose panko breadcrumbs for their light and airy texture, ensuring a tender meatballs.
- Egg acts as a binding agent to hold the meatballs together.
- Minced garlic and ginger infuse depth of flavour into the meatballs.
- Finely chopped green onions and Thai Basil add freshness.
- Salt, chilli flakes or powder, and pepper to season the meatballs.
- Rice Vinegar helps in tenderising the meat.
How To Make Chicken Meatballs
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, chopped herbs, minced garlic, ginger, vinegar, egg, and seasoning. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
2) Using clean hands, shape the mixture into evenly sized meatballs, about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter, and place them on a large greased plate for tray, leaving space between each meatball.
3) Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, neatly arrange the meatballs. Cook them from both sides till they turn light golden from outside. Gently turn the meatballs or shake the pan while cooking them.
Alternatively, bake the Asian chicken meatballs in the preheated oven at 180 degrees celcius for 15 -20 minutes or until they are cooked through and golden brown on the outside. Baking time may vary depending on the oven and the size of the meatballs. So check meatballs after 20 minutes.
Ingredients For Sauce
This Asian style sauce is very easy to make and requires minimal prep work. From chicken meatballs to shrimps or tofu, you can add any protein of your choice in this sweet and savoury sauce.
- Minced Garlic or substitute it with garlic and onion powder
- Light Soy Sauce gives a savoury umami richness to the glaze.
- Sesame Oil for its distinctive nutty aroma and flavour.
- Hoisin Sauce gives a hint of sweetness to the glaze.
- Sesame seeds and chopped green onions for garnish
- Chilli Powder for that kick of spiciness.
- Chicken Stock or cube instead of plain water gives a delicious restaurant style depth of flavour to the Asian sauce.
- Corn Starch to get that luscious shine and consistency of the sauce.
How To Make Glazing Sauce
Prepare the glaze by combining all the ingredients in a large bowl. If you are adding stock cube then dissolve it in 1 Cup of water and add it to the sauce mix. Whisk nicely to combine all the ingredients including starch.
Final Assembly
- Once the meatballs are cooked, pour the prepared sauce mix into the pan.
- Keep stirring it while maintaining a high heat. Add broccoli florets.
- Soon you will notice because of starch the sauce will start thickening.
- Reduce the heat to lowest setting. Cover the pan with a lid. Simmer chicken meatballs in sauce for 5 minutes.
- Garnish the meatballs with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
Serving Suggestion
Whether served as an appetizer at gatherings on a skewer or as a comforting main course dish for the family, these tender and flavourful chicken meatballs are always a crowd favourite. I am sure once you try these Asian style meatballs, they will become your favourite too!
A few side dishes that work like a charm with these sweet, spicy, and saucy meatballs are – any type of fried rice (mushroom, chicken, pineapple), aromatic Jasmine rice, or stir fried noodles.
For a healthy, low carb meal serve meatballs with quinoa, brown rice, or cauliflower rice accompanied by healthy stir fried vegetables.
Drench them in a bold bolognese sauce and serve with spaghetti or simmer them in a creamy mushroom sauce. Either, ways they are truly delicious.
My Tried and True Tips
- Always use the ground chicken and not minced chicken for making meatballs.
- Do not add flour in the ground chicken. The meatballs will become tough and doughy.
- Ensure all the meatballs are of the small, and of bite-size. Uneven and too big meatballs often remain uncooked from the inside.
- If the meatball mixture is very wet/sticky, keep it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or apply sesame oil in your hands for easier handling.
- Prepare the mixture and shape the chicken meatballs a few hours or a day before. Keep them in the fridge (not freezer). Just before dinner time, fry them or pop them in the oven (they need only 20 – 25 minutes).
- These chicken meatballs can be stored in the fridge for a week. Re-heat them in a microwave and then simmer in the sauce of your choice.
More Chicken Recipes
- Chilli Chicken
- Chicken Pad Thai
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Indian Chicken Curry
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta
- Pineapple Chicken Curry
- Thai Red Chicken Curry
follow us on Youtube and Instagram for video recipes.
Asian Chicken Meatballs
- stockpot or saucepan
Ingredients
Ingredients For Chicken Meatballs
- 500 gram ground chicken
- ¼ Cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon chopped Basil
- 2 sprigs spring onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon cooking salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil or vegetable oil
Ingredients For Glazing Sauce
- 1 Cup chicken stock or water
- ¼ Cup Hoisin Sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder or the Gochujang chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon corn flour (corn starch)
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 2 sprigs spring onion, finely chopped
- 1 Cup broccoli florets (optional)
Instructions
Prepare Asian Style Sauce:
- Prepare the glaze by combining all the ingredients in a large bowl. If you are adding stock cube then dissolve it in 1 Cup of water and add it to the sauce mix. Whisk nicely to combine all the ingredients including starch. Keep it aside.
Prepare Chicken Meatballs:
- Combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated or come together like a dough.
- Grease your hands with oil. Scoop a small portion of the mixture and shape it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture – should make 10 – 15 depending on the size. Place them on a large greased plate for tray, leaving space between each meatball. Keep them in the fridge for 15 – 20 minutes or until ready to cook.
- Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, neatly arrange the meatballs. Cook them from both sides till they turn light golden from outside. Gently turn the meatballs or shake the pan while cooking them.
- Pick one meatball, and check it for doneness. Usually chicken meatballs take 10 – 15 minutes to get cooked perfectly.
Final Assembly
- Soon you will notice because of starch the sauce will start thickening. Reduce the heat to lowest setting. Cover the pan with a lid. Simmer chicken meatballs in sauce for 5 minutes.
- Serve Asian Chicken Meatballs with fried rice/noodles.
Recipe Notes:
- Instead of hoisin sauce you can use Kung Pao Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, or any other Asian Gravy Sauce.
- These Asian Chicken Meatballs are medium spicy with a hint of sweetness. Hence adjust the spices according to your preference.
- Adding broccoli is optional. I like the taste and crunch of it in this meatball dish.
- Always use the ground chicken and not minced chicken for making meatballs.
- If the meatball mixture is very sticky, add one or two tablespoons more of breadcrumbs and/or refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes and grease your hands nicely with oil for easy handling.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the meatballs. Do not flip them again and again while cooking in a pan.
- You can air fry, shallow fry or deep-fry chicken meatballs. Like how I did in chicken cheese balls.
Juhi says
Love it!
Ankit Karki says
Tried it..Thanks. Keep coming up with more such recepies
Hina Gujral says
Glad you like it. Thanks!
rahul says
wow..its amazing hina. keep up the good work..
Jasmeet Gujral says
Awsme recipe
Neeta gujral says
Delicious
satpal says
nice recipe like it
Neeta says
Delicious loved it
Navodita says
Easy to cook recipe.
Please do share some more delicious recipes.
Hina Gujral says
thank you so much.
Stuti says
Hi Nina, I am going to try this recipe soon ! I would want to know what’s the difference between ground and minced chicken ?
Hina Gujral says
Minced Chicken is granular in texture like a keema. Whereas ground chicken has a paste-like texture and it’s easy to bind. Mince chicken will not bind. If you have a good food processor you can ground boneless chicken in it.