Tsukune Hot Pot 鶏つくね鍋

Tsukune Hot Pot, or Tori Dango Nabe, is a Japanese hot pot recipe where ginger-flavored chicken meatballs are simmered in a dashi-based broth along with a healthy mix of tofu, vegetables, and mushrooms. Cooked at the table in a donabe clay pot, it’s a warm and comforting family-style dinner for fall and winter nights. {Vegetarian-adaptable}

As the temperature finally dropped to below 50ºF (10ºC) and the rainy days are to stay for a while, my family and I are excited about having nabemono or hot pot dishes for dinner. Will we ever get tired of hot pot? We don’t think so. There is a wide variety of hot pots to enjoy—each with its unique flavor and character, special ingredients, and dipping sauces.

If you are new to Japanese hot pot, check out my guide to nabemono and popular hot pot recipes. It will be a good introduction to start!

Today’s hot pot is all about delicious fluffy chicken meatballs that are cooked with other healthy ingredients. This chicken meatball hot pot is called Tsukune Nabe (つくね鍋) or Tori Dango Nabe (鶏団子鍋) in Japan.

What is Tsukune?

Tsukune (つくね) is Japanese chicken meatballs that are typically skewered and cooked yakitori-style (grilled over charcoal, but also can be fried, baked, or boiled).

Tsukune is made of ground chicken mixed with fresh ginger, eggs, and scallions, formed into balls or oblong shapes, and skewered into bamboo sticks.

Besides grilling, we also enjoy ball-shaped tsukune in hot pot dishes. If you order tsukune at a hot pot restaurant in Japan, you will get a bamboo tsukune maker filled with raw ground chicken mixture.

You would use a bamboo scraper (see above) to push out a small portion of the mixture into the simmering broth. The circular bamboo tube helps make a nice round meatball.

At home, however, I recommend making meatballs ahead in the kitchen to avoid cross-contamination. Plus, you can make more meatballs, if you like, and keep the precooked meatballs in the freezer for the next hot pot occasion. Or save them for another recipe.

The Best Cookware for Hot Pot

Hot pot dishes are often cooked and served in a donabe (土鍋) or Japanese clay pot at the table. I have collected different types of beautiful donabe over the years, but ever since I was introduced to the Hario Donabe Ceramic Cooking Pot with Glass Lid several years ago, I’ve been exclusively using it.

I love this pot because:

• The clear glass lid makes it so easy to see the ingredients inside. We can see if the broth is simmering or whether the ingredients are being cooked properly.
• The earthenware pot is thick and very sturdy. The rounded corners make it less likely to get chipped while handling.
• The size of the pot (large) is perfect for 4 servings.
• Last but not least, it’s such a beautiful design! Not too modern, not too traditional, just the right balance for my liking!

Can I Use an Electric Hot Pot?

While I prefer using a donabe to make Tsukune Hot Pot, you can also use an electric hot pot to make this dish. I own the highly reviewed Zojirushi Gourmet d’Expert Electric Skillet, which you can get for $159 at Amazon. I use it as both a hot pot and a skillet and it’s great for serving a big group. That’s why it earned my top pick in my roundup of electric hot pots!

How to Make Tsukune Hot Pot

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the broth:

• Dried kombu
• Seasonings: sake, mirin, soy sauce

For the tsukune:

• Ground chicken
• Green onions/scallions
• Egg
• Ginger
• Seasonings: salt, sake, soy sauce, potato starch (cornstarch)

For the hot pot:

• Napa cabbage
• Shungiku (chrysanthemum greens)
• Daikon radish
• Carrot
• Gobo (burdock root)
• Tokyo negi
• Medium firm tofu
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Shimeji mushrooms

For serving:

• Ponzu sauce
• Green onions
• Optional: yuzu kosho, sansho pepper, yuzu zest

Ingredients Substitute

It’s a hot pot, so add-in ingredients are flexible. You can go as-you-like with the type of vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu. Having said that, I personally wouldn’t add broccoli florets, for example, just because I am not used to eating it in the hot pot. However, if you have a hard time finding typical hot pot ingredients like napa cabbage and shungiku (chrysanthemum greens), you can definitely use what is available to you (use discretion as some veggies would work better than the other).

On the other hand, tsukune is commonly made with ground chicken. I wouldn’t make it with ground beef, but maybe pork is okay. I have never made it as I expect tsukune to be chicken.

Some people like to flavor the soup broth with miso, but I leave it out for a more delicate taste.

For a vegan/vegetarian-friendly version, you can make your vegan meatballs and use them for this recipe. Everything, besides tsukune (chicken meatballs), is vegan in this recipe.

Overview: Cooking Steps

1. Make the cold brew kombu dashi.
2. Prepare the tsukune mixture and keep it in the refrigerator.
3. Cut all the hot pot ingredients.
4. Season the hot pot broth and cook the chicken meatballs in the broth.
5. Cook the rest of hot pot ingredients at the table.

Chicken Meatball Tips

• Add ginger and sake to remove any gamey smell. Ginger kills any unwanted odor from the meat. Don’t add sake too much as you don’t want to add liquid to the mixture.
• Knead the mixture with chopsticks or hands until pale and sticky. To get a fluffy texture, it’s important to vigorously knead the mixture until sticky and pale in color.
• Chill the mixture in the fridge to firm up. To form a nice ball shape, it’s important to chill the mixture in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook. This helps firm up the fat.
• Use a medium size cookie scoop or two spoons to form nice ball-shaped meatballs. I like using this cookie scoop (1.5 Tbsp).
• You can make meatballs ahead! You can store the cooked meatballs in an airtight container and keep it in the freezer for up to a month. It’s very convenient when you already have meatballs in the freezer for the next hot pot or noodle soup, etc.

Hot Pot Cooking Tips

• Remember the cooking order. Start cooking from the ingredients that can yield flavors to the broth such as chicken meatballs and gobo. Then, add tough ingredients that require cooking for a long time, including daikon, carrots, and thick white parts of napa cabbage. At this time, you can also add medium-firm tofu to absorb more flavors. Lastly, add soft and leafy vegetables that cook fast.
• Keep the hot pot simmering, not boiling. Don’t over boil and keep an eye on the broth amount. If the broth is reduced a lot, add water. Don’t worry about diluting at this stage as the broth flavor is strong after cooking for a while.
• Do not overcook your ingredients. Most of the ingredients are cut into bite-size pieces and thin slices, so they cook very quickly. Always keep an eye on the vegetables and meat you add to the soup.
• Divide all the cooked food into everyone’s bowls. While you’re eating the first round, you can cook the next round of food, covered, in the pot. This way, you can cook the ingredients after and avoid opening and closing the lid.
• Turn off the heat and take a break. If the speed of cooking is overwhelming, simply turn off the heat when the food is cooked through. A clay pot is good for retaining heat.

I hope you enjoy this hot pot recipe!

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Tsukune Hot Pot (Tori Dango Nabe)

4.54 from 15 votes

Tsukune Hot Pot, or Tori Dango Nabe, is a Japanese hot pot recipe where ginger-flavored chicken meatballs are simmered in a dashi-based broth along with a healthy mix of tofu, vegetables, and mushrooms. Cooked at the table in a donabe clay pot, it’s a warm and comforting family-style dinner for fall and winter nights.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Servings: 4

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the Broth

• ▢ 6 cups water
• ▢ 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (12 g; 5 x 5 inches, 13 x 13 cm per piece)
• ▢ 3 Tbsp sake
• ▢ 2 Tbsp mirin
• ▢ 2 Tbsp soy sauce

For the Tsukune (Yields 23 1½-Inch Meatballs)

• ▢ 1 Tbsp ginger (grated, with juice; from a 3-inch, 7.5-cm knob)
• ▢ 3 green onions/scallions (reserve some for the dipping sauce)
• ▢ 1 lb ground chicken
• ▢ 1 tsp soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tsp sake
• ▢ ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
• ▢ 3 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch

For the Hot Pot

• ▢ ½ head napa cabbage (small; 0.6–1.1 lb, 250–500 g; use ¼ head if your napa cabbage is large)
• ▢ 1 bunch shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) (8 oz, 227 g)
• ▢ 1 daikon radish (1 lb, 454 g)
• ▢ 1 carrot (5 oz, 142 g)
• ▢ 1 gobo (burdock root) (8 oz, 227 g)
• ▢ 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) (3 oz, 85 g)
• ▢ 1 package medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) (14 oz, 397 g)
• ▢ 1 package shimeji mushrooms (3.5 oz, 100 g)
• ▢ 8 shiitake mushrooms (3 oz, 85 g)

For Serving

• ▢ ponzu (for the dipping sauce)
• ▢ shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (optional)
• ▢ Japanese sansho pepper (optional)
• ▢ yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste) (optional)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

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Instructions

 

To Make the Kombu Dashi

• Gather all the broth ingredients.
  
• Add 6 cups water and 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) to a large shallow pot (I used a Hario Donabe Ceramic Cooking Pot with a glass lid, large size). Set aside to let the kombu hydrate and release its flavor to the water. Meanwhile, prepare the tsukune (chicken meatballs) mixture and hot pot ingredients.
  

To Make the Tsukune Mixture

• Gather the ingredients for the tsukune (chicken meatballs).
  
• Grate the ginger (I use a ceramic grater). Measure 1 Tbsp ginger, grated and with all the ginger juice.
  
• Cut and discard the root ends and thinly slice 3 green onions/scallions. 
  
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 lb ground chicken, the grated ginger, 1 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sake, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), and 3 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch.
  
• Add the sliced green onions. With a pair of chopsticks, knead the mixture in a circular motion to combine until it looks pale in color. How many times do you have to stir? Roughly 100 times.
  
• After the mixture is well combined, cover the bowl with plastic and place in the refrigerator to firm up. Meanwhile, prepare the hot pot ingredients.
  

To Prepare the Hot Pot Ingredients

• Gather the hot pot ingredients.
  
• Cut ½ head napa cabbage crosswise into pieces 2 inches (5 cm) long, and then cut the tough, thick pieces in half or thirds lengthwise.
  
• Cut 1 bunch shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) crosswise into pieces 2 inches (5 cm) long.
  
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the outer skin of 1 daikon radish. Then, use the peeler to slice the daikon into superthin strips or ribbons.
  
• Using the vegetable peeler, remove the outer skin of 1 carrot. Then, use the peeler to slice the carrot into superthin strips.
  
• Using the vegetable peeler, remove the outer skin of 1 gobo (burdock root). Then, use the peeler, slice the gobo into superthin strips. Soak the strips in water for 5 minutes and drain well.
  
• Cut 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) diagonally into ½-inch (1.3-cm) pieces.
  
• Cut the block of 1 package medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) into thirds widthwise and then cut each piece into ¾-inch (2-cm) slices.
  
• Cut off and discard the root ends of 1 package shimeji mushrooms and the stems of 8 shiitake mushrooms.
  
• Optionally, you can cut a flower pattern on the shiitake mushroom caps: First, cut a sliver off the top of the mushroom cap by making 2 incisions in the shape of a “V“. Bevel these cuts toward each other by inserting the knife diagonally. Make a second cutout in the same manner to form an “X“ with the first cutout. You can keep this X pattern or add one or two more cutouts. Watch my shiitake hanagiri video that demonstrates this Japanese cutting technique.
  
• Assemble all the cut ingredients on a platter or multiple plates. Set on the dining table.

To Prepare the Broth

• Set the pot with the water and kombu on the stove and turn the heat to medium low. Slowly bring it to a bare simmer, over about 10 minutes. Don‘t use high heat. It‘s important to gradually heat up the stock so the kombu has plenty of time to release its flavor. Just before the dashi starts simmering, remove the kombu from the pot. If you leave the kombu in the pot, the dashi will become slimy and bitter. Tip: You can repurpose this spent kombu to make Homemade Furikake (rice seasoning) or Kombu Tsukudani (simmered kombu).
  
• Add 3 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, and 2 Tbsp soy sauce to the dashi and mix together. Bring the broth to a boil on medium heat.
  

To Cook the Tsukune

• Once boiling, add the gobo strips and cook, covered, for 3 minutes.
  
• Using a (1½ Tbsp) medium cookie scoop, form a meatball with the tsukune mixture and add it to the simmering broth. Repeat with the rest of the tsukune mixture.
  
• If you don‘t have a cookie scoop, use two spoons greased with oil. With one spoon, scoop a small portion of the mixture that‘s a bit smaller than a golf ball. Then, use the other spoon to scoop up the mixture from the first spoon. Repeat this action once more and you’ll get a meatball with a smooth surface and rounded shape.
  
• Once all the meatballs are in the broth, cover the pot and cook for 7–8 minutes. The meatballs will float on the surface when they are almost cooked through. To be sure, use an instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the meatballs has reached 165ºF (74ºC).
  
• Once the meatballs are cooked through, remove two-thirds of the meatballs to a plate or container, cover, and set on the dining table. Place the lid back on the hot pot.
  

To Cook the Hot Pot at the Table

• Transfer the hot pot to a portable gas stove set on the dining table. Turn the heat to medium low (or to medium, if it takes a long time to simmer) and keep the hot pot simmering. Prepare small individual dipping sauce bowls and medium individual bowls for the cooked hot pot ingredients. Add 2 Tbsp of ponzu and some chopped green onions to each of the dipping sauce bowls.
  
• To the simmering pot, add the tofu, mushrooms, and all the vegetables except for the leafy greens. Close the lid and cook for 8–10 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through. Then, add the leafy greens and cover to cook for 2 minutes.
  

To Serve

• Serve the food to the medium individual bowls. Sprinkle the ponzu sauce with shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice), Japanese sansho pepper, and/or yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste), if desired. Dip the tsukune and other cooked ingredients into the ponzu sauce to enjoy. Continuing adding the reserved tsukune and other vegetables to the broth to replenish the hot pot. Tsukune Hot Pot is delicious served with individual bowls of hot steamed rice.
  

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. Tofu does not freeze well, so remove it before freezing the leftovers.

Nutrition

Calories: 456 kcal · Carbohydrates: 38 g · Protein: 37 g · Fat: 15 g · Saturated Fat: 4 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g · Trans Fat: 0.1 g · Cholesterol: 144 mg · Sodium: 997 mg · Potassium: 1867 mg · Fiber: 10 g · Sugar: 12 g · Vitamin A: 6704 IU · Vitamin C: 62 mg · Calcium: 398 mg · Iron: 5 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: hot pot

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