About Tsukune
"Tori Tsukune," or chicken meatball skewers, is a dish loved by all ages for its soft, juicy texture and approachable flavor. Its preparation is simple: form ground chicken into balls or shape it into patties directly on skewers, then grill. While it's a popular staple at yakitori restaurants, its history is surprisingly ancient, tracing back to the very beginnings of Japanese food culture.
The name "tsukune" comes from the verb "tsukuneru," which means "to knead" or "to form by hand." This perfectly describes the cooking process of kneading ground meat or fish paste into shapes. Today, tsukune is most commonly made with chicken, but versions using fish paste are also widely-known.
It's believed that cooking methods similar to chicken tsukune already existed over 2,000 years ago, during the hunter-gatherer era. People back then are thought to have used not only the meat of captured animals but also the tendons, sinews, and cartilage, mincing everything together by pounding it with large stone tools, then kneading and grilling it. Traces of such preparation methods have been found as fossils in ancient stone mortars, offering a glimpse into the dietary life of that time.
Later, in documents from the Heian period, dishes similar to modern tsukune were recorded under names like "Toshin-yaki" (wick-grilled) and "Rosoku-yaki" (candle-grilled) where meat mixtures were wrapped around skewers and grilled. These are considered prototypes of today's skewer-cooking culture, and tsukune is thought to have developed within this tradition.
Modern chicken tsukune comes in various forms-not only as round meatballs but also as oblong, flattened patties shaped onto skewers for grilling. It's commonly enjoyed with an egg yolk or a savory sauce, offering a wide range of variations and boasting high popularity both as a home-cooked meal and a restaurant dish.
20 minutes
Yoshiro Takahashi
PROFILE
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 2
Original recipe (1X) yields 2 servings
When scaling the recipe, the ratios of some ingredients may require slight adjustments. Adjust as necessary and season to taste.
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- sliced scallions for garnish (as needed)
- 2 tsp. cooking oil
- A1 /4 stalk Welsh onion (finely chopped)
- A2 tbsp. cooking sake
- A2 tbsp. cornstarch
- A2 tsp. grated fresh ginger root
- A2 tsp. sesame oil
- B4 tbsp. Japanese sweet rice wine (mirin)
- B2 tbsp. soy sauce
- B1 tbsp. sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- 1
Knead ground chicken and salt together with your hands in a bowl until it becomes sticky. Add Welsh onion, cooking saké, cornstarch, ginger root, and sesame oil and continue to knead together. Once well-combined, form into about 10 oval patties.
- 2
In a heated frying pan, add the cooking oil and lay the patties in the pan. Cook both sides on medium heat until well-browned.
- 3
Add Japanese sweet rice wine, soy sauce, and sugar and continue to cook until the sauce thickens. Plate and garnish with sliced scallions.
RecipeID
53
Tips & Notes
・Kneading the chicken and salt together first produces the signature springy texture of tsukune (Japanese meat or fish patties). Further kneading the meat after adding the ginger, onion, and other seasonings results in a delectably juicy tsukune.
・In Japan, it is also common to add chopped chicken cartilage to the patties for a slightly crunchy texture. Ground pork is also sometimes used to make tsukune.
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Born in 1988 in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, I was inspired by my father, a traditional Japanese chef, and learned cooking fundamentals early at my family’s restaurant. After graduating from Senshu University’s Faculty of Law, I worked in sales at Nippon Shokken Co., Ltd., then as a restaurant manager, before completing a professional food coordinator program and starting my career as an independent culinary expert. I hold nine food-related qualifications, including Professional Chef’s License, Sake Sommelier (Kikisake-shi), Certified Sommelier (ANSA), and Vegetable Sommelier, and was the youngest to earn the advanced title of Certified Lecturer in Sake Studies. While rooted in Japanese cuisine that highlights natural flavors, my repertoire spans ethnic, Italian, and organic dishes. In 2015, I joined a project by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and JICA, promoting Japanese cuisine domestically and in countries such as France, Paraguay, Bangladesh, and Serbia. A passionate triathlete, I have achieved top finishes in domestic competitions, won my age group at the 2018 Tomonoura Triathlon, and represented Japan at the Age Group World Championships in Australia (2018) and Switzerland (2019). Known as “the running chef,” I collaborate with sports brands and health media, advocating the integration of food, health, and sports. Since 2020, I have served as Official Athlete Food Coach for the Japan Para Table Tennis National Team, supporting athletes’ nutrition. In 2022, I became a father and now balance parenthood with my culinary and athletic careers.