Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs with Orange Sauce for One

After my annual flu jab at the Centro de Salud I walked up to the bar for a coffee. I have some rather nice-looking oranges at Casa Adora, and while I sipped I thought about what to do with them. Marta's store had fresh chicken thighs, so on the walk back I settled it: I would mince the thighs with my KitchenAid attachment and make teriyaki chicken meatballs with an orange sauce.

These teriyaki chicken meatballs are pan-fried, then tossed in a glossy sauce of soy, orange juice, honey and ginger. The recipe is for one: six meatballs and a small pan of sauce.

Mincing Your Own Chicken Thighs

I bought a kilo of thighs at Marta's and portioned them into 250 g lots. Two lots went straight into the freezer as they were. The other two I minced with the mincer attachment on my KitchenAid: one 250 g lot for tonight's meatballs, and one into the freezer for another day.

Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs Recipe – Ingredients

Makes 6 meatballs, for one

The Meatballs

• 250 g minced skinless, boneless chicken thigh
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• ½ tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• ½ tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• A pinch of sea salt
• Black pepper
• A tiny pinch of chilli flakes
• A little oil, for frying

The Orange Teriyaki Sauce

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• ½ tsp grated fresh ginger
• ½ tsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 1 tsp cold water

To Finish

• Toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Mix the meatballs. Put the minced chicken in a bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, milk, garlic, ginger, spring onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper and chilli. Mix well with your hands.
2. Shape. Roll into 6 meatballs.
3. Pan-fry. Fry in a little oil over a medium heat until browned all over, about 6–7 minutes in total. Check with a probe thermometer: they're cooked when the centre reaches 74°C.
4. Make the sauce. In a small pan, combine the soy sauce, orange juice, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Bring to a gentle bubble over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes.
5. Thicken. Stir in the cornflour slurry and simmer for 30–60 seconds until glossy and lightly thickened. Taste and adjust: more orange for brightness, more honey for sweetness, or a splash of soy for salt.
6. Toss. Once the meatballs are at temperature, add half the sauce to the pan and turn them until coated. Add the rest and simmer for 30–60 seconds, until the sauce clings.
7. Finish and serve. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. I had mine with egg fried rice and peas.

More Chicken Meatballs

If you like chicken meatballs, browse all my chicken meatballs recipes, organised by sauce, or try my sesame and ginger chicken meatballs with spinach and rice, my spicy coconut lemongrass chicken meatballs, my chicken, carrot, apple and chickpea albóndigas in tomato broth, my Mediterranean spiced chicken meatballs with mash, my chicken meatballs in cream sauce or my chicken meatballs Kiev.

If these teriyaki chicken meatballs found their way into your kitchen, you can buy me a coffee ☕ — it helps keep the site going.

Footnote

This teriyaki chicken meatballs recipe is part of my Chicken Recipes collection.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper chicken, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef