Scallion Meatballs With Soy-Ginger Glaze

Scallion Meatballs With Soy-Ginger Glaze
Michael Kraus for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
5(2,285)
Comments
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Set these juicy turkey meatballs out on a platter, drizzle with a ginger-spiked sauce of soy, mirin and dark brown sugar and serve with toothpicks alongside wine or cocktails. They'll go quickly. —Julia Moskin

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Ingredients

Yield:About two dozen meatballs

    For the Sauce

    • ½cup dark brown sugar
    • ½cup soy sauce, preferably Japanese or reduced sodium
    • ½cup mirin sweet rice wine, or ½ cup sake with ¼ cup sugar
    • ¼cup chopped peeled ginger
    • 1teaspoon ground coriander
    • 4whole black peppercorns

    For the Meatballs

    • 1pound ground turkey
    • 4large or 6 small scallions, finely chopped
    • 1bunch cilantro, finely chopped about 1 cup
    • 1egg, lightly beaten
    • 2tablespoons sesame oil
    • 2tablespoons soy sauce
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • Vegetable oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)

69 calories; 3 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 380 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make sauce: Bring sugar and ½ cup water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar melts completely. Reduce heat to medium-low and add soy sauce, mirin, ginger, coriander and peppercorns. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.)

  2. Step 2

    Make meatballs: mix turkey, scallions, cilantro, egg, sesame oil, soy sauce and several grindings of pepper in a bowl. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls.

  3. Step 3

    In a skillet over medium-high heat, generously cover bottom of pan with vegetable oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding, place meatballs in pan and cook, turning, until browned all over and cooked inside, about 8 minutes per batch. Arrange on a heated platter, spoon a little sauce over each meatball, and serve with toothpicks. If desired, keep warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to serve. Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired.

Ratings

5 out of 5
2,285 user ratings
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Comments

Made this several times and loved it. Then decided I was lazy and entitled and sick of rolling meatballs, so I doubled the recipe, added 1cup panko and made it into a meatloaf. A glorious, angels-weeping, masterpiece of a meatloaf. This is seriously THE BEST thing I've ever made, and it's my husband's absolute fave - he grunts and roars and clenches his fists in dramatic fashion with every bite. And he normally eats like a 5 yr old - hates everything. Good thing he's pretty.

I've made this several times now, and like the others who have commented, I found the sauce to be much too sweet. I now use sake instead of mirin. I also use only 3 T of sugar instead of a 1/2 cup.

After cooking the meatballs, I set them aside and deglaze the pan with about 1/3 cup of sake and let it bubble for a couple of minutes. Then I add the soy-ginger sauce to the pan. Finally, I toss the meatballs back in, and serve white rice on the side. Great family dinner.

I decided to turn this into a noodle dish. Made the meatballs (added breadcrumbs to give it a little more firmness) and baked them in the oven. Fresh Udon noodles and sauteed veggies finished with fresh sauteed spinach. Top the noodles and veggies with meatballs and drizzle with hoisin sauce. A very happy 2 year old!

Quite good. Made as is. Sauce a wee bit sweet so less sugar next time. Son loved them

Very good. Convection oven worked great. Soba noodles, a selection of lightly steamed vegetables and these make a great meal + meal prep. I cut way back on the sugar and didn't miss it. (note to self, measure out that bunch of cilantro to 1 cup, it is strangely possible to overdo it)

A friend brought this to our place. Standout recipe! They shared the recipe on my request. My only tweak would be to make more sauce, or have the sauce on the side for dunking. Delicious!

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Credits

Adapted from Canal House Cooking, vol. 3, by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer

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