Chicken tsukune is a Japanese meatball skewer recipe that turns ground chicken into juicy glazed bites with sweet savory izakaya-style flavor. The meatball mixture is usually made with ground chicken, green onion, ginger, garlic, egg, panko, miso, soy sauce, sake, or sesame oil so the texture stays tender while the flavor becomes rich and aromatic. After shaping the mixture around skewers or into small meatballs, the tsukune can be pan cooked, grilled, or broiled until lightly browned. A tare glaze made with soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar is brushed or simmered over the meatballs until glossy and sticky. Sesame seeds, shichimi, egg yolk dip, or chopped scallions can finish the dish with extra depth. The final chicken tsukune is juicy, savory, and easy to serve with rice, salad, miso soup, noodles, bento boxes, or other Japanese home-style dishes.
