Donna Hay recipe: Sticky soy chicken meatballs with sesame noodles

If you’re looking for a fresh and easy dinner that is going to delight your tastebuds and impress your guests, look no further than this sticky soy chicken with sesame noodles recipe.

For the noodles:

1 tablespoon light-flavoured extra virgin olive oil

150g dried soba noodles, cooked

2 zucchini (courgettes), shredded using a julienne peeler

2 tablespoons white or black sesame seeds

Coriander leaves, to serve

For the chicken meatballs:

600g chicken mince

¼ cup white chia seeds

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons finely grated ginger

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 large green chilli, finely chopped

2 spring onions, finely chopped

For the sticky soy sauce:

½ cup (125ml) soy sauce

1 tablespoon white miso paste (shiro)

¾ cup (180ml) mirin (Japanese rice wine)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

¼ cup (90g) honey

1. Preheat oven to 220°C.

2. To make the chicken meatballs, place the chicken, chia seeds, garlic, ginger, hoisin, chilli and onion in a bowl and mix to combine.

3. Roll heaped tablespoons of the mixture into balls, place on a tray lined with baking paper and set aside.

4. Pour the oil onto a large deep-sided baking tray. Bake for 5 minutes or until hot. Add the meatballs to the tray and bake for 5 minutes.

5. To make the sticky soy sauce, whisk together the soy, miso, mirin, sesame oil, vinegar and the honey.

6. Remove the meatballs from the oven and carefully pour the soy mixture over them. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the pan sauce is thickened.

7. To serve, place noodles and zucchini into serving bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Top with meatballs, sticky soy sauce and coriander.

Bursting with quick-fix one-pan dinners, fast freezer-ready dishes and amazingly good, almost-healthy sweets, Everyday Fresh is the recipe book you'll want in your life every day! Recipe extracts from Everyday Fresh by Donna Hay, RRP$50, HarperCollins.

Photography: Con Poulos; Recipes and styling: Donna Hay