These Yakitori Inspired Meatballs are layered with sweet and savoury flavours. Make these chicken meatballs for your meal prep this week or as a delicious weeknight dinner.
Yakitori Inspired Meatballs Meal Prep
Chicken yakitori is a super delicious style of Japanese grilled chicken served on skewers. Today I’ve transformed this traditional recipe into chicken meatballs because you can never have enough meatballs in your life! …And because I didn’t feel like busting out the grill so these meatballs were my preferred way to lazily consume all the “yakitori” my heart desired.
Mini note: I had developed this recipe in December of 2018 because I was serious craving some yakitori and couldn’t find anywhere in Toronto for it that didn’t require H to drive me to. Little did I know, not long after, H would surprise me with plans to go to Japan – aka where I can eat all the yakitori I want!
While in Tokyo, one of my favourite yakitori restaurants was actually this tiny (14-ish seater) restaurant in the Meguro area and boy do I miss it! I just looked it up online after stumbling upon it, so I could share the name and turns out it they were featured in Netflix’s Ugly Delicious series! If you have the chance, I’d recommend making a reservation at Masakichi for some delicious chicken skewers.
Want more meatballs? Here’s an easy way to meal prep meatballs 3 ways!
What You Need To Make This Yakitori Meatballs Recipe
This recipe requires sake, a Japanese rice wine. I picked mine up at a local LCBO. Not to worry though, the alcohol cooks off in the sauce.
Ingredients for the Yakitori Sauce
- Soy sauce
- Mirin
- Sake
- Water
- Brown sugar
- Cornstarch slurry
Ingredients for the Meatballs
I used my chicken meatballs recipe that you can find here
- Ground chicken
- Paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parmesan
- Panko
- Olive Oil
- Egg
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
How To Make These Yakitori Meatballs Meal Prep
- In a small saucepan, add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, water, and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and add in a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Let the liquid simmer for 15-20 minutes until it’s thickened.
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Heat the oven to 400F.
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While the oven is heating, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, panko, parmesan cheese, and one egg (optional: drizzle of olive oil) together and then mix it into the ground chicken. Do not over mix.
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Shape the meatballs (I used my little cookie scooper to portion out my meatballs so they’re the same sized to make sure they cook evenly). As your meatballs will get denser as they cook, avoid overpacking/over-rolling your meat.
-
On a sheet pan, place a piece of parchment paper or spray with non-stick, then place your meatballs on the sheet pan without over crowding them. Pop them into the oven for around 25 minutes or until they’re cooked through.
- Once the meatballs are done, coat the meatballs with the yakitori sauce.
- Serve with the side of your choice (I made rice) and set some sauce aside for dipping/to pour on the rice.
Yakitori Meatballs
Ingredients
Yakitori Sauce
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Chicken Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup panko
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 1 drizzle olive oil
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, water, and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and add in a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Let the liquid simmer for 15-20 minutes until it’s thickened.
- Heat the oven to 400F.
- While the oven is heating, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, panko, parmesan cheese, and one egg (optional: drizzle of olive oil) together and then mix it into the ground chicken. Do not over mix.
- Shape the meatballs. As your meatballs will get denser as they cook, avoid overpacking/over-rolling your meat.
- On a sheet pan, place a piece of parchment paper or spray with non-stick, then place your meatballs on the sheet pan without over crowding them. Pop them into the oven for around 25 minutes or until they’re cooked through.
- Once the meatballs are done, coat the meatballs with the yakitori sauce.
- Serve with the side of your choice (I made rice) and set some sauce aside for dipping/to pour on the rice.
RESOURCES AND TIPS FOR MEAL PREPPING
- How To Cook Chicken Breasts Perfectly
- What Is An Instant Pot
- Tips To Help You Meal Prep For The Week Successfully
- Tips for Meal Prepping on a Budget
- 7 Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades
- 5 Freezer Friendly Marinades
- Meal Prep Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mealprepsupport/
MORE DELICIOUS MEATBALL RECIPES
- Hoisin Sriracha Glazed Meatballs
- Vietnamese Bun Cha Inspired Meatballs Meal Prep
- Honey Sriracha Turkey and Mushroom Meatballs
- Salisbury Steak Styled Meatballs Recipe
- Meatball and Couscous Meal Prep
- Thai Peanut Chicken Meatballs
- Tteokbokki Inspired Korean Meatballs
Other places to connect with me
Instagram: @carmyshungry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmyycom
Email: [email protected]
Vlogs/Recipe Videos: Youtube
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