Tsukune, savory Japanese grilled ground chicken meatballs, can easily be made Whole30-friendly and gluten-free at home. Along the way, I’ve simplified the process even further so you can broil them in the oven any time you’re craving these umami-packed bites!
Many moons ago, I fell in love with tsukune at a casual yakitori restaurant after stuffing my face with a myriad of smoky grilled chicken skewers. Our family sampled the whole menu, but the one dish we kept ordering from the kitchen was tsukune—we couldn’t get enough of the juicy meatballs glazed with a thin layer of tare sauce, a tangy and sweet soy sauce-based dipping sauce.
After I discovered my gluten intolerance, the joy was sucked out of dining at yakitori joints because none of the grilled chicken skewers could be dunked in the tasty tare sauce. Cue sad trombone.
Easy Whole30 Tare Sauce
But recently, I was able to turn my frown upside down after realizing that my super versatile All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce can be used in place of tare sauce! It hits the same flavor notes as a traditional tare, but it doesn’t contain soy, gluten, or refined sugar. See, non-believers? I told you All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce can be used to make a bazillion dishes!
Tips for making fab tsukune at home
- Use ground chicken thighs, not super lean breast meat. NO ONE WANTS DRY BALLS IN THEIR MOUTH. (I buy ground chicken thighs at Whole Foods or at a Japanese grocery store. Also, a good butcher can help you grind chicken thighs! You can also cube up boneless, skinless chicken thighs and freeze them for 30 minutes before pulsing them in a food processor.)
- You can store the meatball mixture in the fridge for up to a day in advance before cooking them.
- Mixing finely grated dried shiitake mushroom (I use this microplane) into the batter is a game-changer! I learned this tip from my chef sister (the co-creator of my Magic Mushroom Powder) and believe me: she knows umami.
- Fry up a tiny patty of the tsukune mixture to taste for seasoning. This small step will be worth it if you want delicious meatballs.
- Baste the meatballs three times with All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce during the cooking process to ensure the meatballs are well-coated with a sheen of this fantastic sauce.
- Don’t bother putting the meatballs on skewers—it’s a pain to do so, and you’ll end up taking the meatballs off the skewers to eat them anyway!
What do you serve as a side dish?
I sound like a broken record, but you can serve any vegetable side dish with tsukune. Need recommendations? You can make Instant Pot Vegetable Soup, Asian Cauliflower Fried Rice, or Smashed Cucumber and Carrot Salad. Or just toss a salad, people.
How do you store leftovers?
I store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I always freeze cooked meatballs and thaw them before I reheat them in the oven or air fryer.
Let’s make tsukune!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1½ pounds ground chicken thigh
- 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 scallions, minced
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 dried shiitake mushroom
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or high temperature cooking fat of choice
- ⅓ cup All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Equipment:
- Find all of my home kitchen gear here on this page.
Method:
Combine the ground chicken, salt, sesame oil, scallions, and shallot in a large bowl.
Use a microplane to grate the dried shiitake onto the meatball mixture.
Knead the mixture very thoroughly with your hands. The final texture should be sticky and tacky.
Fry up a tiny patty and taste it for seasoning. Adjust with additional salt if needed.
Cover the bowl and chill the meatball mixture in the fridge for at least an hour and up to a day. Chilling the mixture will make it easier to roll out your meatballs, but if you don’t have time, just make them right away.
When you’re ready to cook the meatballs, turn on the broiler and arrange the oven rack so that it’s 6 inches from the heating element.
While the oven heats up, brush a rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan with avocado oil. Scoop out 24 meatballs with a #40 disher (~1½ tablespoons)…
…and roll them into uniform size balls with your hands. (If you add avocado oil to your hands, the meatballs won’t stick!)
Arrange the chicken meatballs evenly on the greased baking sheet.
Broil the meatballs for 2 minutes, and then brush them with All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce. Rotate the tray 180 degrees.
Repeat the above step twice more so that the meatballs are cooked for a grand total of 8 minutes (not including basting time) and the meatballs are basted with the sauce three times.
The meatballs are finished cooking when the tops are browned and cooked through. Make sure they don’t burn or get overcooked.
Top with toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Tsukune (Whole30 Japanese Chicken Meatballs)
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds ground chicken thighs
- 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt use only ¾ teaspoon salt if using a fine grain salt
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 scallions minced
- 1 medium shallot minced
- 1 dried shiitake mushroom
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or high temperature cooking fat of choice
- ⅓ cup All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Combine the ground chicken, salt, sesame oil, scallions, and shallot in a large bowl. Use a microplane to grate the dried shiitake onto the meatball mixture.
- Knead the mixture very thoroughly with your hands. The final texture should be sticky and tacky.
- Fry up a tiny patty and taste it for seasoning. Adjust with additional salt if needed.
- Cover the bowl and chill the meatball mixture in the fridge for at least an hour and up to a day. Chilling the mixture will make it easier to roll out your meatballs, but if you don’t have time, just make them right away.
- When you’re ready to cook the meatballs, turn on the broiler and arrange the oven rack so that it’s 6 inches from the heating element. While the oven heats up, brush a rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan with avocado oil.
- Scoop out 24 meatballs with a #40 disher (~1½ tablespoons) and roll them into uniform size balls with your hands. (If you add avocado oil to your hands, the meatballs won’t stick!) Arrange the chicken meatballs evenly on the greased baking sheet.
- Broil the meatballs for 2 minutes, and then brush them with All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce. Rotate the tray 180 degrees.
- Repeat the above step twice more so that the meatballs are cooked for a grand total of 8 minutes (not including basting time) and the meatballs are basted with the sauce three times.
- The meatballs are finished cooking when the tops are browned and cooked through. Make sure they don’t burn or get overcooked. (The final internal temperature should be 165°F.)
- Top with toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately!
Video
Notes
- Depending on how hot your broiler is, the meatballs may take longer or shorter to cook. Just keep an eye on them and stab them with a meat thermometer to double check that they are done.
- You can cook the meatballs in an air fryer at 400°F following the directions in step 7 onward.
Tammy A says
Could magic mushroom powder be used in place of the dried shiitake mushroom?
Jess Burke says
I don’t have the kind of butcher where I can get ground chicken thighs. Is there anything I can do to make my dry old ground chicken work?
Lmg says
Use ground pork. The meatballs hold together better and taste better in my opinion.
Holly says
Michelle, it looks like your sheet pan is stainless steel instead of aluminum…if that’s true where did you get it? I’ve bought several items from your amazon store but don’t see that one. Thanks in advance.
Todd Goin says
Ever thought about making this as a “loaf” (think meatloaf) instead of balls?
amy says
Made this last night and the family loved the meatballs! Even my hard to please kids. 🙂 Thank you for great, healthy recipes that are delicious!
Eva says
I was recently diagnosed with a seafood/fish sensitivity; believe it or not the thing I’m most lamenting the loss of is fish sauce 😭…any suggestions for substitutes?
Alexa says
Delicious! Made this tonight and even my coconut aminos-skeptical fiancé was a fan. Definitely adding this to the rotation.
Sarah Mraz says
I made these tonight and they were amazing! I just bought boneless, skinless chicken thighs and ground them up in my food processor.
PJaye says
I just made this last night. It was so amazing. I will be making it again tonight because my husband loved it as much as I did.
Carren Panico says
Why do you recommend kosher salt? Does it give a different taste?
Lyndsy says
Made these this morning. Added chili sauce and it kicked it up a notch! Love them!
Eva Love says
I’m allergic to mushrooms. What would you recommend that I substitute instead?
Elaine Fukumoto says
How about pan frying the meatballs?
Shellihh says
I don’t have dried mushrooms but have some baby bellas. Any suggestions on substituting or removing?
Shellihh says
I don’t have dried shiitakes but do have baby bellas. Any suggestions on substitutions. Or removing?
Carolyn says
I have made this so many times. Another great recipe from Michelle!!
Rachel says
I can’t find dried shiitake mushrooms anywhere! Would it work to sub dried porcini?
Michelle Tam says
Fresh shiitakes will work! I think dried porcini is kind of overpowering for this dish.
Christene says
Just made this for meal prep dinner this week, so looking forward to how yummy these are going to be. Thankyou for all you do and all your recipe testing!
KATHLEEN J HAYES says
Is the nutrition listed without the stir fry sauce? (I think it must be…)
Michelle Tam says
No, the nutrition facts includes it.
Amy says
Hi Michelle! This recipe look so tasty- I’m planning to make it for Christmas Eve. I’m wondering if I can use something in place of the toasted sesame oil? Thanks so much!
Michelle Tam says
You can leave it out!
Amy says
Another question- could I make these in the crockpot?
Thanks!
Michelle Tam says
I haven’t tried it in a crock pot!
Hopeful Girl says
Made these last night and while mine were not as pretty, they were YUMMY! I new favorite for sure and something that will be in our meal planning rotation. My husband is allergic to mushrooms so I left out the shiitake and they were still fantastic. I served them over a big salad that had cucumbers, butter lettuce, red cabbage, carrots and pepitas with a honey lime vinaigrette. So good. Thank you for a great recipe!