Why You’ll Love This these Savory Asian-Style Chicken Balls
These chicken balls pack serious flavor with their blend of ginger, garlic, and Chinese black mushrooms, making them way more exciting than your average frozen meatball from the grocery store.
You can make a massive batch of about 50 balls and stash them in your freezer, which means future-you gets to enjoy homemade dim sum without all the prep work – talk about meal planning genius.
Whether you deep fry them for crispy perfection or steam them for a lighter bite, these versatile little spheres of deliciousness will have you wondering why you ever bothered with takeout.
Ingredients List
Let me walk you through everything you’ll need to create these flavor-packed little gems that’ll make your kitchen smell absolutely incredible.
- 3 lbs ground chicken
- 2 stalks green onions, finely minced
- 1/2 cup shallot, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon dried tangerine peel, soak and finely minced
- 3 fresh garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peel and finely minced
- 1 cup Chinese black mushrooms, finely minced
- 1 cup water chestnut, finely minced
- 1 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup sweet soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cornstarch
Health-wise, this recipe brings some pretty solid benefits to your dinner table:
- Ground chicken keeps things lean compared to beef or pork, giving you plenty of protein without excessive saturated fat
- Fresh ginger and garlic aren’t just flavor powerhouses – they’re loaded with anti-inflammatory compounds that your body will thank you for
- Water chestnuts add a satisfying crunch while sneaking in some fiber and potassium
- Chinese black mushrooms pack umami flavor plus immune-boosting properties, though you’ll want to watch the sodium levels from the oyster and soy sauces if that’s a concern for you
Step by Step Directions
Creating these savory chicken balls is straightforward and perfect for meal prep since they freeze beautifully.
- Combine 3 lbs ground chicken, 2 finely minced green onion stalks, 1/2 cup finely minced shallot, 1 tablespoon soaked and minced dried tangerine peel, 3 finely minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger, 1 cup finely minced Chinese black mushrooms, and 1 cup finely minced water chestnuts in a large mixing bowl.
- Add 1 cup oyster sauce, 1/4 cup sweet soy sauce, 1 teaspoon white pepper, 2 eggs, and 1 cup cornstarch to the chicken mixture.
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly until well combined and the mixture holds together.
- Using a small ice scoop, form the mixture into uniform balls of approximately 1 1/2 oz each.
- Place the formed balls onto a half sheet pan in a single layer.
- Refrigerate the chicken balls until they set and hold their shape.
- Transfer the set chicken balls into heavy duty freezer bags for storage.
- Freeze until ready to use – cook by deep frying or steaming directly from frozen.
For easier mixing of large batches, a professional stand mixer can handle the heavy chicken mixture more efficiently than mixing by hand.
Substitutions and Variations
- Spice it up variations – Add some minced fresh chilies, a dash of sesame oil, or even a pinch of Chinese five-spice to make these balls sing with more complex flavors.
- Binding alternatives – If you’re out of cornstarch, potato starch or even regular flour works, though cornstarch gives the best texture when you steam them.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
These chicken balls are like the ultimate team players – they make everything around them taste better and create the perfect excuse to turn dinner into a fun, interactive feast.
- Dipping sauce heaven – Mix soy sauce with rice vinegar and a touch of sesame oil, or go wild with sweet chili sauce, hoisin, or even a simple ginger-scallion oil that’ll make you want to dip everything twice.
- Rice and noodle companions – Serve over jasmine rice, toss with lo mein noodles, or nestle them into a steaming bowl of ramen because honestly, who doesn’t love slurping noodles with tender chicken balls bobbing around?
- Fresh veggie balance – Quick-pickled cucumbers, blanched bok choy, or even raw lettuce cups work magic here, cutting through all that savory richness while adding satisfying crunch.
- Soup situation – Drop these frozen beauties straight into simmering chicken broth with some mushrooms and greens for an instant wonton-style soup that tastes like you’ve been cooking all day.
- Party platter magic – Arrange them on a big platter with various sauces, some steamed buns, and watch people gather around like moths to a very delicious flame.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Making these chicken balls is pretty straightforward, but a few insider tricks will take them from good to absolutely magnificent.
- Keep everything cold – Your hands, the mixture, even the bowl if you can manage it, because warm chicken mixture turns into a sticky nightmare that’ll have you questioning all your life choices.
- Wet hands are happy hands – Dip your fingers in cold water between forming each ball, and suddenly you’re a chicken ball-shaping wizard instead of someone wrestling with meat paste.
- Size matters for even cooking – That ice cream scoop isn’t just a suggestion, it’s your best friend for getting consistent 1.5-ounce portions that’ll cook at the same rate instead of having some tiny charred pebbles and some giant raw centers.
- Freeze before cooking – Those 30 minutes in the fridge aren’t optional, they’re what keeps your beautiful balls from falling apart the second they hit hot oil or steam.
- Oil temperature is everything – Keep that frying oil steady at 350°F because too hot means burnt outsides with raw centers, too cool means greasy, soggy disappointment.
- Don’t overcrowd – Whether you’re frying or steaming, give these babies some breathing room or they’ll stick together like they’re having a group hug nobody asked for.
- Test one first – Fry or steam a single ball to check seasoning and texture before committing to the whole batch, because nobody wants to realize they need more salt after cooking 50 of them.
Nutritional Facts
Based on the complete recipe yielding approximately 50 chicken balls, here’s the nutritional breakdown per serving (1 ball):
- Calories: 85-95 per ball
- Protein: 12-14 grams (excellent source)
- Carbohydrates: 6-8 grams
- Total Fat: 2-3 grams
- Saturated Fat: 0.5-1 gram
- Cholesterol: 25-30 mg
- Sodium: 280-320 mg (primarily from oyster and soy sauces)
- Fiber: 0.5-1 gram
- Sugar: 2-3 grams (from sweet soy sauce)
- Iron: 8-10% Daily Value (from chicken and mushrooms)
- Vitamin C: 4-6% Daily Value (from green onions and water chestnuts)
- Calcium: 2-3% Daily Value
- Potassium: 180-220 mg
The recipe provides lean protein with moderate sodium content. Ground chicken presents a lighter alternative to pork or beef balls while maintaining excellent protein quality.
Water chestnuts and mushrooms add fiber and minerals with minimal calories.
Fun “Did You Know?”
Did you know that chicken balls weren’t originally made with chicken at all? Traditional Chinese meatballs used pork or fish as their primary protein.
I find it fascinating that water chestnuts have been used in Asian cuisine for over 2,000 years, adding that signature crunch we love today.
The oyster sauce in this recipe was actually invented by accident in 1888 when a Chinese chef forgot his oyster soup on the stove.
Also, tangerine peel becomes more flavorful when dried and aged – some premium varieties are aged for decades like fine wine!
