A simple recipe for gluten free chicken meatballs made with tofu instead of breadcrumbs, making them super juicy and tender. These tsukune Japanese-style meatballs are filled with plenty of vegetables and coated in a sweet and slightly spicy sauce.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- If you want to eat healthier and are looking for ways to reduce the amount of meat you eat, replace some of it with tofu as we do in this recipe. Tofu is not only healthy, but it makes ground meat patties, burgers, and meatballs extra juicy and tender.
- These gluten free meatballs are breadcrumb-free and dairy-free.
- These are quicker to cook than baked chicken meatballs because they are pan fired.
Cost to Make
Estimated cost = $8.04 or $1.05 a piece or $2.10 for a two piece serving
Ingredients
Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.
Minced chicken (ground chicken)
Tofu - use soft tofu for this recipe. Tofu will make the meatballs light, tender and juicier.
Edamame - is the name for young soybeans. Edamame is low in carbs, high in proteins, and an excellent source of essential amino acids, dietary fiber, and vitamin K and B vitamins.
Depending on your location, you may be able to buy them fresh when in season or frozen from your local Japanese or Korean grocery store.
Soya sauce - Use a gluten-free soya sauce like Tamari, but if gluten is not an issue, you can use light or dark soya sauce.
Mirin - is a sweet Japanese rice wine similar to sake but is lower in alcohol and has more sugar.
Cornflour, you could also use potato starch. Adding corn flour to the ingredients helps to bind everything together.
Fresh ginger - has a light spicy flavor and goes so well with the chicken and the Japanese seasonings. Use freshly grated for the best flavor.
Equipment
We like to use a nonstick frying pan, it stops food from sticking and you also use less oil.
Instructions
Prepare the veg
Step 1 - Cook the edamame by boiling in salted water for 6-8 minutes or until tender, then drain and allow to cool and remove the beans from the pods. Sprinkle the beans with corn flour. Peel and finely chop the carrot.
Drain the tofu
Step 2 - Wrap the tofu in kitchen paper, place it onto a microwave-safe container or plate, and heat it for about 2 minutes. Heating the tofu in the microwave will remove some water from it.
Remove the wet kitchen paper and pat dry it with another piece of dry kitchen paper.
Mixing
Step 3 - Place the ground chicken, tofu, carrots, edamame, and the Tsukune seasoning into a mixing bowl and mix well until everything is well combined.
Because the meatball mixture is quite sticky, use a firm spatula or wooden spoon for mixing.
Step 4 - Divide the mixture into eight equal parts and shape each into an oval shape or ball if you prefer.
Cooking
Step 5 - Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium/high heat and cook until it turns brown, then flip and brown the other side.
When both sides are brown, turn the heat to medium/low, cover the pan with a lid and continue to cook for another 5 - 10 minutes or until fully cooked.
To the pan, sprinkle in the tsukune sauce ingredients, and give the pan a shake to mix the sauce ingredients.
Step 6 - Use thongs to turn the meatballs into the sauce, giving them a nice golden glazed look. Serve hot.
Recipe Tips
- Shape the meatballs - the meatball mixture is very soft and sticky, so use wet hands to shape the meatballs.
Serving Size
This recipe makes eight Japanese-style meatballs, and a serving size is two meatballs.
Calories Per Serve
Each meatball is about 104 calories, and a serving of two meatballs is about 208 calories.
Serving Suggestions
As a snack - These gluten free chicken meatballs are great to eat on their own as a snack. A popular way to serve these pan-fried chicken meatballs in Japan is to put them on skewers after cooking.
As a meal - serve with steamed white rice and a simple vegetable dish like our stir-fried kailan or a dairy-free coleslaw.
Variations
Pork meatballs - swap the ground chicken for lean pork mince, which is quite popular in Japanese cooking.
Turkey meatballs - you could also use ground turkey mince to make turkey meatballs.
Edamame - if you can't get edamame, it can be replaced with an equal amount of cooked frozen green peas or corn kernels.
Storage
Refrigerator: After cooking, cool the meatballs completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Place cooled meatballs on a small baking sheet lined with baking paper and arrange them in a single layer, place the tray in the freezer. Freezer for about 2 - 3 hours, then transfer the meatballs to a freezer bag or container.
Reheating
Allow frozen meatballs to thaw completely before reheating.
For quick reheating, use the microwave oven, and heat one or two meatballs at a time at short burst intervals until nice and hot.
Alternatively, heat them in a frying pan over low heat and frequently turn them until they become hot.
Meal Prepping
You can prepare the meatballs a day or two before, store them in a single layer, wrap them well and keep them in the fridge until needed. And when ready to serve, fry them as outlined in the recipe.
Recipe
Gluten Free Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 150 grams (3.5 ounces) of edamame (green soybeans without the pods), fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 80 grams (2.82 ounces) carrot
- 150 grams (5.29 ounces) of soft tofu
- 300 grams (10.6 ounces) of ground chicken (chicken mince)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Tsukune seasoning
- 1 tablespoon cooking sake
- 1 teaspoon soya sauce
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
Tsukune sauce
- 2 tablespoon cooking sake
- 1 tablespoon mirin also known as sweet sake
- 1 - 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons soya sauce
Instructions
- Cook the edamame by boiling in salted water for 6-8 minutes or until tender, then drain and allow to cool and remove the beans from the pods. Sprinkle the beans with corn flour and mix.Peel and finely chop the carrot.
- Wrap the tofu in kitchen paper, place it onto a microwave-safe container or plate, and heat it for about 2 minutes. Heating the tofu in the microwave will remove some water from it. Remove the wet kitchen paper and pat dry it with another piece of dry kitchen paper.
- Place the ground chicken, tofu carrots, edamame, and the Tsukune seasoning into a mixing bowl and mix well until everything is well combined. Because the meatball mixture is quite sticky, use a firm spatula or wooden spoon for mixing.
- Divide the mixture into eight equal parts and shape each into an oval shape or ball if you prefer. Keep your hands wet to make shaping easier.
- Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium/high heat and cook until it turns brown, then flip and brown the other side. When both sides are brown, turn the heat to medium/low, cover the pan with a lid and continue to cook for another 5 - 10 minutes or until fully cooked.
- To the pan, sprinkle in the tsukune sauce ingredients, and give the pan a shake to mix the sauce ingredients. Use thongs to turn the meatballs into the sauce, giving them a nice golden glazed look. Serve hot.
Erin says
These where yummy!