Asian Chicken Meatballs with Quick Pickles
INGREDIENTS
Quick Pickles:
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup julienned carrot
1 cup julienned daikon
Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp sambal oelek
Meatballs:
1 lb ground chicken (50/50 white and dark meat)
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 egg, whisked
3 scallions, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
For the Quick Pickles:
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the carrot and daikon and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
For the Sauce:
Bring the soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, vinegar, and sambal oelek to a simmer in a small saucepan. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
For the Meatballs:
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, panko, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, scallions, and some salt and pepper. Mix well to combine, but don’t overwork. Form the mixture into 12 2-inch balls.
Transfer to an air fryer and cook at 380 degrees for 15 minutes. Baste generously with sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Sauce
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the hot sauce, lemon juice, and garlic powder.
Generously coat the wings in the sauce and return to a 390-degree air fryer for 5 minutes more.
Serve with chunky blue cheese dressing for dipping and devouring.