Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs with Zucchini & Brown Rice

Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs

with Zucchini & Brown Rice

30 MIN
2 Servings
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From the Test Kitchen

In this dish, we’re using an easy trick to make incredibly flavorful meatballs. Instead of just finishing the meatballs in a pan of sauce to coat them, you’ll stir sweet, savory hoisin sauce and soy glaze (along with sautéed aromatics) into the meatball mixture itself before shaping it. We’re serving these crispy, impeccably tender meatballs with with nutty brown rice and tender summer squash.

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  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    700 Cals (est.)
fresh
ingredients
Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs with Zucchini & Brown Rice
Title
  • 10 oz Ground Chicken
  • ¾ cup Long Grain Brown Rice
  • 1 lb Zucchini
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 3 Scallions
  • 2 tsps Black & White Sesame Seeds
  • 1 1-Inch Piece Ginger
  • 1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
  • ¼ cup Hoisin Sauce
  • ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup Soy Glaze
time-saving
tips & techniques
How To: Peel Garlic
step-by-step
instructions
Cook Along Triangle Created with Sketch.
Cook the rice:
1 Cook the rice:

In a medium pot, heat the rice, a big pinch of salt and 1½ cups of water to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 18 to 20 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff the cooked rice with a fork.

Prepare the ingredients:
2 Prepare the ingredients:

While the rice cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Quarter the zucchinis lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise into ¼-inch thick pieces. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions. Thinly slice the white bottoms of the scallions; cut the green tops into ½-inch pieces.

Cook the aromatics & form the meatballs:
3 Cook the aromatics & form the meatballs:

While the rice continues to cook, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, ginger and white bottoms of the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer to a large bowl. Wipe out the pan. To the bowl of cooked aromatics, add the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, ¼ of the hoisin sauce, ¼ of the soy glaze and as much of the sambal oelek as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Using your hands, form the mixture into 12 to 14 meatballs.

Brown the meatballs:
4 Brown the meatballs:

In the pan used to cook the aromatics, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium until hot. Add the meatballs. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan.

Cook the zucchini:
5 Cook the zucchini:

Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan of reserved fond; heat on medium-high until hot. Add the zucchinis. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and slightly softened.

Finish & plate your dish:
6 Finish & plate your dish:

Add the browned meatballs, remaining hoisin sauce and soy glaze and ½ cup of water to the pan of zucchinis. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened; season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Divide the cooked rice and finished meatballs and zucchinis between 2 dishes. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

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Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs

Cook the rice:
1 Cook the rice:

In a medium pot, heat the rice, a big pinch of salt and 1½ cups of water to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 18 to 20 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff the cooked rice with a fork.

2 Prepare the ingredients:

While the rice cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Quarter the zucchinis lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise into ¼-inch thick pieces. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions. Thinly slice the white bottoms of the scallions; cut the green tops into ½-inch pieces.

Prepare the ingredients:
How To: Peel Garlic
Cook the aromatics & form the meatballs:
11" PFOA-Free CTX Nonstick Pan
3 Cook the aromatics & form the meatballs:

While the rice continues to cook, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, ginger and white bottoms of the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer to a large bowl. Wipe out the pan. To the bowl of cooked aromatics, add the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, ¼ of the hoisin sauce, ¼ of the soy glaze and as much of the sambal oelek as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Using your hands, form the mixture into 12 to 14 meatballs.

4 Brown the meatballs:

In the pan used to cook the aromatics, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium until hot. Add the meatballs. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan.

Brown the meatballs:
Cook the zucchini:
5 Cook the zucchini:

Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan of reserved fond; heat on medium-high until hot. Add the zucchinis. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and slightly softened.

6 Finish & plate your dish:

Add the browned meatballs, remaining hoisin sauce and soy glaze and ½ cup of water to the pan of zucchinis. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened; season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Divide the cooked rice and finished meatballs and zucchinis between 2 dishes. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Finish & plate your dish:
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