Description
Chicken Yakitori is a classic Japanese street food featuring bite-sized chicken grilled on skewers and glazed with a savory-sweet tare sauce. With rich umami flavors and simple ingredients, it’s perfect as an appetizer, snack, or full meal, offering a delicious introduction to Japanese grilling.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
- Optional: green onions, shiitake mushrooms, bell peppers
- Tare Sauce:
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Garnishes:
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Chopped scallions
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Optionally marinate in soy sauce and sake for 30 minutes.
- Thread chicken (and optional vegetables) onto soaked bamboo skewers.
- Preheat grill, broiler, or grill pan over medium-high heat.
- Grill skewers 3–4 minutes per side.
- Brush with tare sauce during the final minutes to caramelize.
- Avoid overcooking to keep chicken juicy.
- Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds or scallions.
- Pair with rice, miso soup, or pickled vegetables.
Notes
- Soak bamboo skewers to prevent burning.
- Use thighs for juicier results, but breasts work too.
- Add chili flakes or ginger to the marinade for variation.
- Can be cooked indoors using a broiler or grill pan.
- Make-ahead tip: freeze assembled skewers before cooking.
- Reheat leftovers in skillet or oven to maintain texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 80mg