In the spirit of the upcoming Super Bowl, I present to you… Pacific Rim Chicken Meatballs. A new recipe has been a long time coming, and this one is worth the wait.
It seems like forever since I have been in my kitchen or behind my camera. Let’s say that the Holiday season was not so jolly at our house. Sinus infection, stomach flu (Christmas Day), abscessed tooth, root canal. UGH!!
But, it’s a New Year, and I’m back to doing what I love, creating recipes and photos for the blog. While I was recovering from all that ailed me, I was able to do some research. It seems that 2019 will be the year for Pacific Rim food. Researching trends is a part of keeping things fresh in my world.
Pacific Rim cuisine is what happens when East and West, North and South all converge in the culinary world. An exciting mix of flavors and cultures. I’m new to the concept, but if these meatballs are on track, I’m a fan.
If you follow our blog you know we are huge fans of ground chicken. I much prefer it to ground turkey, I love turkey, just not ground. I used ground chicken for these meatballs. Chicken is a popular choice for Asian dishes and with Asian being a primary influence in this cuisine and chicken is a popular choice for Asian dishes, so chicken it was or is?
The meatballs are pretty basic. Ground meat, onion, egg, and panko crumbs for a binder. Cilantro, ginger, garlic, and Sriracha for a touch of heat. Use an ice cream scoop to have uniform meatballs that shape themselves. Ok, so I did give mine a spin in the palm of my hand, but they needed to be photo ready!
After baking for 10 minutes, brush them with a mixture of store-bought teriyaki sauce mixed with honey. Give them a few more minutes in the oven and brush them again with the remaining sauce. Teriyaki and honey give them a slightly sweet and sticky glaze without swimming in a sauce.
Without a sauce, these meatballs needed a dip. Every time I use mayo, I always say mayo if you must! I use Miracle Whip. It’s what I grew up with, so it is what it is. Garlic, ginger, and pickles, I know it sounds like tartar sauce, but it doesn’t taste that way. It’s the ginger and maybe the fact that I used bread and butter pickles — whatever the reason it is the perfect accompaniment for the Pacific Rim Chicken Meatballs.
Photography has changed the way I view food. Everything needs to be pretty and well presented. Those who know me well would say I have always been like that, but I have a greater appreciation from behind the lens.
Stacked on top of a cucumber slice with a dollop of the mayo and garnished with extra cilantro and green onion, they were photo worthy, and if I do say so myself delicious!!!
While these may be a bit fancy for a Super Bowl party —or maybe not. Whatever the occasion is that you desire meatballs try our trendy Pacific Rim Chicken Meatballs.
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Pacific Rim Chicken Meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 meatballs 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Pacific Rim
Ingredients
For the mayo:
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
2 teaspoons bread and butter pickles, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
2/3 cup panko crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Sriracha Sauce (adjust for heat if desired)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup jarred teriyaki glaze
1 tablespoon honey
1 English cucumber, sliced into 1-inch circles
Cilantro and green onions for garnish
Toothpicks for serving
Instructions
To make the mayo: Mix all ingredients together. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place ground chicken, panko, egg, green onions, cilantro, garlic, Sriracha sauce and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop mixture onto parchment lined baking sheet. The amount of meatball will depend on the size of the scoop you use. Mine made 24 meatballs.
In a small bowl, mix together teriyaki glaze and honey.
Bake meatballs for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with teriyaki-honey mixture, and place back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove again and brush with remaining sauce. Return to oven for an additional 5 minutes.
While the meatballs bake, slice the cucumbers. Chop cilantro and green onions for garnish.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
To assemble place a teaspoon of the mayo on top of a cucumber slice and sprinkle with cilantro. Place a meatball on top of mayo and secure with a toothpick. Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve with extra sauce if desired.
Keywords: Pacific Rim, meatballs, ground chicken, teriyaki sauce, green onion, cilantro, ginger, garlic,
