Chef Tom fires up the Napoleon Phantom 500 for Japanese Chicken Meatballs, grilled over charcoal then coated in a sweet, salty, umami and spicy Japanese barbecue sauce!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Grated white onion and sliced green onion each do a different job. Grating the white parts blends them seamlessly into the meatball mixture, while the sliced green tops add a fresh bite as garnish — one ingredient, two textures.
- A chill before shaping firms up the mixture. Resting the processed chicken for 20-30 minutes makes it easier to form into consistent 1.5 oz balls that hold together on the skewer instead of falling apart.
- Lime juice gets squeezed on while the meatballs are still on the grill. Adding it mid-cook rather than after brightens the smoky char with fresh acidity right as it's developing.
- Butter lettuce turns this into a build-your-own wrap. Serving the sauced meatballs in lettuce cups with rice, wasabi peas, and green onions lets everyone customize their own bite.
Japanese Chicken Meatballs
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Poultry
Cuisine
Japanese
Servings
5
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Calories
835
Chef Tom fires up the Napoleon Phantom 500 for Japanese Chicken Meatballs, grilled over charcoal then coated in a sweet, salty, umami and spicy Japanese barbecue sauce!
Ingredients
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1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced
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1 spring onion, white parts grated, green parts sliced
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1 large clove garlic, chopped
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1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
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1 zest of 1 lime
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1 tbsp Bachan’s Yuzu Japanese BBQ Sauce
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1/2 cup panko
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1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Everything Bagel
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1 tbsp Colonial Chile Oil
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Juice of 1 lime
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6 tbsp Bachan’s Yuzu
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6 tbsp Smoken Ghost Ketchup
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1 tbsp W Fireshire Sauce
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Japanese rice - sushi rice, nori, kosher salt, Colonial Chile Oil
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Butter lettuce
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Crushed Wasabi peas
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Green onions
Chicken Meatballs: Yields ~13 (1.5 oz) meatballs
Japanese BBQ Sauce
Serve with
Directions
Combine the meatball ingredients in the Vitamix food processor. Process until primary bond is formed (meat is tacky and holds together). Chill for 20-30 minutes.
Install the Napoleon Cast Iron Charcoal Basket inside the Napoleon Prestige Phantom 500 Gas Grill. Fill with lump charcoal. Light the burners directly underneath. When the charcoal is burning red, turn off the burners
Form the chicken mixture into 1.5 oz balls. Thread onto skewers. Grill over charcoal to an internal temperature of 155ºF. Squeeze lime juice over meatballs while grilling.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pot. Heat over the side burner.
Remove meatballs from the grill and place in a large mixing bowl. Dress with the warm sauce, just enough to coat the meatballs. Toss to coat.
Serve in butter lettuce leaves with rice, more sauce green onions and crushed wasabi peas.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why grate the white parts of the spring onion instead of dicing them?
Grating breaks the onion down small enough to blend seamlessly into the meatball mixture, while the sliced green tops are saved separately for a fresher, crunchier garnish.
Why chill the chicken mixture before shaping it into balls?
A 20-30 minute rest firms up the mixture, making it much easier to form consistent 1.5 oz balls that hold together on the skewer during grilling.
Why squeeze lime juice on the meatballs while they're still grilling?
Adding it mid-cook brightens the smoky flavor with fresh acidity right as the char develops, rather than only adding brightness after the fact.
What internal temperature should the chicken meatballs actually reach?
This recipe lists 155°F, but USDA's minimum safe internal temperature for ground poultry is 165°F. Cook to at least 165°F to make sure the meatballs are fully safe before serving.
Why serve the meatballs in butter lettuce cups?
This turns the dish into a build-your-own wrap — everyone can customize their own bite with rice, sauce, green onions, and wasabi peas to taste.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 — the meatball mixture, sauce, and rice can all be made in a standard kitchen; the charcoal char from the grill is the one flavor element you'd be missing indoors.
Recipe Highlights
Two-way spring onion use: Grating the whites into the mixture and reserving the sliced greens as garnish gets two distinct textures from one ingredient.
Chilling before shaping: A short rest firms the mixture for cleaner, more consistent meatballs that hold together on the skewer.
Mid-grill lime juice: Squeezing it on while the meatballs cook adds brightness right alongside the developing char.
Lettuce-cup serving style: Presenting everything build-your-own lets each person customize their wrap to taste.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 6 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 835
- Fat
- 34 grams
- Cholesterol
- 119 milligrams
- Sodium
- 3840 milligrams
- Carbs
- 73 grams
- Protein
- 59 grams
