Japanese Chicken Yakitori (Print Page)
Juicy chicken skewers brushed with soy-mirin glaze, grilled until glossy and caramelized.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
→ Marinade & Glaze (Tare Sauce)
02 - 1/3 cup soy sauce
03 - 1/4 cup mirin
04 - 2 tablespoons sake
05 - 2 tablespoons sugar
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - 1 small piece (3/4 inch) fresh ginger, grated
→ Vegetables
08 - 4–5 spring onions (scallions), cut into 1-inch pieces
→ Extras
09 - Vegetable oil, for brushing
10 - Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
# Directions:
01 - In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.
02 - Thread the chicken thigh pieces and spring onion pieces alternately onto the soaked bamboo skewers, distributing them evenly.
03 - Brush a grill or griddle pan with vegetable oil and preheat over medium-high heat until the surface is hot and lightly smoking.
04 - Arrange the skewers on the hot grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, brushing generously with the tare sauce as they cook, until the chicken is cooked through and develops a glossy, caramelized glaze.
05 - Transfer the skewers to a serving plate and serve hot, with additional tare sauce on the side for dipping if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The tare sauce reduces into a glossy glaze that tastes like you spent all day on it, but the whole thing comes together in thirty minutes flat.
- Chicken thighs stay incredibly juicy on the grill, and the spring onions char into sweet, smoky bites that disappear faster than the meat.
02 -
- Let the tare sauce cool before brushing it on raw chicken or you will start cooking the outside before it ever hits the grill.
- Reserve a small portion of sauce before basting if you want a clean dipping sauce, because the brush going back and forth on raw poultry is a cross contamination trap.
03 -
- Pat the chicken pieces completely dry with paper towels before threading so the glaze adheres instead of sliding off wet surfaces.
- Cook the skewers over slightly lower heat than you think you need because the sugar in the tare burns faster than chicken cooks.