How to Make Authentic Indonesian Chicken Meatballs at Home

Chicken balls, meatballs, beef balls, fish balls—we love them all in our household!

In Indonesian cuisine, Bakso is a mainstay that exists in different forms each holding dear to its unique flavor and texture.

While traditional choices such as beef or fish balls are still popular, an increasing number of Indonesians have been embracing vegan-friendly options like mushroom balls.

Today I am thrilled to share with you my bakso ayam recipe that features the chicken as the central ingredient.

Instead of the usual mixes, this recipe showcases how plain and easy it can be to prepare it to use chicken which I find more doable but equally tasty for this favorite Indonesian dish.

Adding Chili Oil to chicken meatball soup enhances its flavor with a spicy, smoky kick, adds aromatic depth, and creates a vibrant visual appeal, making the dish more exciting and flavorful.

The ingredients for making bakso ayam (Indonesian chicken meatballs) at home include ground chicken, grated garlic, salt, sugar, pepper, tapioca starch, white egg and ice-cold water. What do you need to make homemade bakso ayam?

Here’s my go-to list for preparing these tasty chicken meatballs:

Ingredients:

800-gram boneless skinless chicken breast, ground

5 tbsp ice-cold water

6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fried onion, crushed

2 tsp white pepper

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste

1 egg white

1 tsp chicken powder (optional)

1 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp tapioca starch, or potato starch

Bakso Ayam’s Ground Chicken Mixture

To make bakso ayam, the first step is to ground the meat. It will produce tender chicken meatballs, which are a bit bouncy and soft combined with some spices. The most important secret to produce tender and bouncy meatballs is to use extremely cold water. This is how I do it:

Put the minced chicken breast in a large mixing bowl and add five tablespoons of ice-cold water slowly (one tablespoon at a time) over the chicken. Meatballs are kept chewy this way.

2. To a bowl, add the minced garlic, white pepper, salt, sugar, egg white, chicken powder (optional), baking powder, tapioca starch and white egg.

3. Stir all those spices into the ground chicken breast well. Put a plastic wrap on the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes or up to two hours.

4. Prepare a sizable pot and bring a generous amount of water to boil; after which, reduce the heat until small bubbles gently break the surface— an indication that it is simmering lightly. Let your meatballs bounce in the gentle simmer— this way they retain their texture without becoming tough due to overcooking.

5. Use your spoon and scoop tablespoonfuls of the chicken mixture into the simmering water, let the meatballs become buoyant and float to the surface.

6. Then, allow it to simmer for another 30 seconds before taking them out of the water and carefully place them into the bowl of ice-cold water so that it stops cooking and remains plump and juicy.

Freezing Bakso to Extend Its Lifespan

In case you have bakso ayam leftovers or would like to prepare them in advance, freezing is the best way of preserving it for a longer period. Let me show you how I do it:

Place the cooked bakso ayam on a baking sheet and allow it to freeze into solid form. After that, put the meatballs into a ziplock bag or any airtight container so that they will not be subjected to freezer burns.

It is convenient to portion the meatballs by freezing them in single layers and using parchment paper or plastic wrap as separators.

Bakso ayam can be a great addition to quick meals like ramen or other instant noodles apart from soups; just add the frozen meatballs into your hot broth and cook until they are heated.

Embracing the Delights of Bakso Ayam

As we end this exploration into the art of making bakso ayam, let us revel in its adaptability and unpretentiousness.

Be it eaten immediately or preserved for consumption at a later time, these chicken meatballs provide an essence of Indonesian ease and gastronomic legacy.

From soups to noodles, the presence of bakso ayam tantalizes our taste buds with its tenderness and richness; a dish dearly loved by many households, irrespective of geographical boundaries.