Fried Garlic Chicken Balls

These chicken balls are the kind of appetizer that gets the room quiet for a minute, then comes a rush of hands. Ground chicken seasoned with four crushed garlic cloves, ginger, soy, and a splash of sherry hits all the savory notes you want, while the cornstarch-flour coat fries up into a feather-light, audibly crisp shell.

Egg whites do the binding here instead of whole egg or breadcrumbs. They keep the interior tender and pale rather than dense, and they help the meat hold its shape during the rolling and frying without weighing it down.

The cornstarch-flour coating is the move that separates these from a soft homemade meatball. Cornstarch in a fryer batter creates that glassy, pebbled crust you taste at good Chinese restaurants. Mixed half and half with flour, you get crunch plus structure that holds up after the balls drain.

Keep the oil at 360°F (180°C). Lower and the balls absorb oil and turn greasy; higher and the coating burns before the chicken cooks through. A small thermometer clipped to the pot is the easiest way to stay in range.

Pro Tips

• Wet your hands with a little water when forming the balls so the mixture doesn’t stick.
• Fry in small batches. Crowding drops the oil temperature and ruins the crust.
• Drain on a wire rack, not paper towels, so the bottoms stay crisp.
• Serve with a sweet chili dipping sauce or a quick soy and vinegar dip.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of chopped scallion whites and a pinch of five-spice for fragrant depth.
• Swap sherry for Shaoxing wine for a more authentic Chinese flavor.
• Use ground turkey or pork in place of chicken for richer meat.