Teriyaki chicken sushi balls
Level up your lunchbox game with these delightful teriyaki sushi balls! These are the perfect bite sized morsel, and are a great weekend meal-prep option to set yourself up for a great week of lunches; for children and adults alike.
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 2 cups sushi or short grain rice
- ⅓ cup rice wine or white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp caster sugar
- Rice bran oil
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced
- ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
- Japanese mayo, to serve
Method
- Place the rice in a sieve, and run under cold water until the water is clear and not cloudy. Transfer to a saucepan and combine with 1tsp of salt and 2 cups of cold water. Bring the rice to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until the water has absorbed, then remove from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the rice wine and caster sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the rice to a mixing bowl, then pour the vinegar mixture over the rice. Fold the vinegar through the rice, and continue to fold until the rice has cooled. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside.
- To make the teriyaki chicken filling, bring a frying pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Once hot, place the chicken thighs in the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes or until golden in colour and almost cooked through.
- In a small bowl, mix together the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, mirin and brown sugar, then pour over the chicken. Cook while stirring for a final 1-2 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and the chicken is cooked through. Season with pepper, then set aside to cool completely.
- Once the chicken is cool, lightly shred the chicken into smaller pieces, then fold the spring onion through the mixture. Using damp hands, roll the sushi rice into 20 even sized balls and place onto a tray.
- One sushi ball at a time, use damp hands to press the center to create a hole. Spoon some chicken mixture into the center, then roll the rice around to seal the edges. Once sealed, roll in sesame seeds and place on a tray. Repeat with the remaining sushi balls.
- Place the sushi balls into the fridge to chill, then transfer to a container and keep stored in the fridge. Serve the sushi balls drizzled with mayonnaise if desired and enjoy.