Chicken Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatballs) (Egg & Milk-Free)
鶏つくね（卵乳なし） · Tori Tsukune
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Tsukune are Japanese chicken meatballs, a favorite at yakitori restaurants where they are grilled on skewers and brushed with a sweet soy glaze. This preschool version skips the skewers and the egg: panko soaked in soy milk keeps the meat tender and holds it together, so the recipe is free of both egg and dairy. Baking the patties in the oven means no oil splatter and even cooking all at once, and the glossy soy-sugar-mirin sauce painted on at the end is what makes kids come back for seconds.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 82.5 gground chicken
- 18 ggreen onion (naga negi)Japanese long onion, thicker and milder than Western scallions. Substitute: Scallions or the white part of a leek.
Seasonings
- 9 gpanko
- 10.5 gsweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu)Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
- 0.2 gsalt
- to tastepepper
- 1.2 gsoy sauce
- 0.8 gsugar
- 1 gmirinMirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- green onion (naga negi) (ねぎ)
- Japanese long onion, thicker and milder than Western scallions. Substitute: Scallions or the white part of a leek.
- sweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu) (調製豆乳)
- Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
- mirin (みりん)
- Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
Directions
- 1
Finely mince the green onion.
- 2
Add the minced green onion, panko, soy milk, salt and pepper to the ground chicken and knead until the mixture becomes sticky.
- 3
Shape the mixture into small hamburger-style patties, arrange them on a baking sheet, and bake in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes.
- 4
Put the soy sauce, sugar and mirin in a small saucepan and bring to a brief boil, then brush this sauce over the baked patties.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 192 kcal | 384 kcal | 192 kcal |
| Protein | 16.5 g | 33 g | 16.5 g |
| Fat | 10.6 g | 21.3 g | 10.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9.3 g | 18.6 g | 9.3 g |
| Fiber | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Calcium | 18 mg | 36 mg | 18 mg |
| Iron | 0.9 mg | 1.8 mg | 0.9 mg |
| Potassium | 280.5 mg | 561 mg | 280.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 192 kcal | 16.5 g | 10.6 g | 9.3 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g | 18 mg | 0.9 mg | 280.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 384 kcal | 33 g | 21.3 g | 18.6 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g | 36 mg | 1.8 mg | 561 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
Ingredients in this recipe
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