Yakitori Skewers
Yakitori is Japan's classic charcoal-grilled chicken skewer, brushed repeatedly with a glossy, caramelized soy-mirin-sake glaze (tare) as it cooks. Traditionally featuring both meat and vegetables like scallion, it's a smoky, sticky-sweet izakaya favorite best cooked over live fire.
By YumYum Editorial · Japanese
Prep: 25 min · Cook: 20 min · Total: 45 min · Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 scallions (negi), cut into 1.5-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 8-10 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
- to taste Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice), for serving
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, garlic, and ginger; simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until reduced by about a third and syrupy.
- Strain out the garlic and ginger and let the tare cool slightly.
- Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers, alternating with pieces of scallion.
- Preheat a grill, grill pan, or broiler to high heat.
- Grill the skewers for 3-4 minutes per side, turning occasionally, until the chicken is mostly cooked through.
- Brush generously with the tare glaze, then continue grilling for 1-2 minutes per side, brushing and turning repeatedly, until deeply caramelized and lightly charred at the edges.
- Baste with a final layer of tare just before removing from heat.
- Arrange on a platter, sprinkle with shichimi togarashi and sesame seeds, and serve hot.