Chinese Chicken Meatballs in Ginger-Soy Sauce Recipe
Soft chicken meatballs in a sticky, glossy ginger-soy sauce are a home classic in many Chinese families. They’re a bit like Swedish meatballs, but instead of cream you get ginger, garlic and soy sauce. Perfect with rice, and kids usually eat them faster than you can count how many are left.
These meatballs combine the comfort of a familiar, home-style dish with the bright flavors of ginger, garlic and soy sauce. The sticky glaze makes them especially appealing to kids and adults alike, and they’re easy to pair with simple sides like rice and cucumber salad.
Chef's tips
For the best texture, don’t skip the step of thoroughly mixing the meat mixture until it becomes sticky – this helps the meatballs hold together and stay juicy. Try not to overcrowd the pan so they brown evenly. If you like a thicker glaze, let the sauce bubble for an extra minute before adding the meatballs back in.
How to serve
Serve in a large shallow bowl with plenty of sauce, alongside steamed jasmine rice or rice noodles and a crisp cucumber salad with rice vinegar. They also work well in a lunchbox with leftover rice and some steamed vegetables.
Ingredients
- ground chicken - 500 g
- egg - 1 piece
- breadcrumbs or panko panko gives a lighter texture - 3 tablespoons
- chives finely chopped - 15 g
- fresh ginger about 1 tablespoon finely grated, divided between the filling and the sauce - 15 g
- garlic 2 cloves for the filling, 1 clove for the sauce - 3 cloves
- soy sauce 3 tablespoons for the sauce, 2 tablespoons for the filling - 5 tablespoons
- sugar for the sauce - 1.5 tablespoons
- vinegar or apple cider vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- water for the sauce - 150 ml
- potato starch or cornstarch 1 teaspoon for the filling, 1 teaspoon for the sauce - 2 teaspoons
- oil for frying - 3 tablespoons
- ground white pepper or black pepper - 0.25 teaspoons
Preparation
- Peel the garlic. Finely chop two cloves for the filling and one clove separately for the sauce. Peel the ginger and grate it finely; set aside about 1 teaspoon for the sauce and add the rest to the filling.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, chopped chives, most of the grated ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of starch and the pepper.
- Knead the mixture with your hand or a spoon for 3–4 minutes, until the mass becomes sticky and uniform. If it is very loose, add 1 more tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
- Wet your hands with water and form small meatballs about the size of a walnut. Place them on a plate.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer.
- Fry the meatballs for 8–10 minutes, gently turning every few minutes, until golden on all sides and cooked through. If needed, fry in two batches, adding the remaining oil.
- While the meatballs are frying, in a small bowl mix 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, the sugar, vinegar, water, 1 teaspoon of starch, the reserved ginger and 1 chopped clove of garlic. Stir until the starch dissolves.
- Transfer the fried meatballs to a plate. In the same pan over low heat, pour in the prepared sauce.
- Cook the sauce for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until it thickens and becomes slightly sticky.
- Return the meatballs to the pan and gently turn them in the sauce so they are well coated. Heat for another 1–2 minutes.
- Serve the hot meatballs drizzled with the sauce, ideally with rice and a simple cucumber salad.
Storage
Klopsiki w sosie przechowuj w lodówce do 3 dni. Podgrzewaj na małym ogniu z odrobiną wody, aby sos się nie przypalił. Możesz też zamrozić klopsiki (najlepiej bez sosu) do 2 miesięcy i rozmrażać w lodówce przez noc.
