Description
Juicy grilled chicken skewers glazed with a sweet-salty Japanese tare sauce. A simple yakitori recipe that brings the flavors of Tokyo street food to your home.
Ingredients
For the Yakitori Sauce (Tare):
½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) mirin (sweet rice wine)
¼ cup (60 ml) sake (Japanese rice wine)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
For the Skewers:
1 ½ pounds (700 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 bunch scallions (green onions), cut into 1-inch pieces
10–12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
Instructions
Make the sauce: Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a saucepan. Add garlic and ginger. Boil, then simmer 10–12 minutes until slightly thick. Set aside.
Prepare chicken and scallions: Pat chicken dry. Cut into 1–1.5 inch cubes. Cut scallions into 1-inch segments.
Assemble skewers: Thread chicken and scallions alternately onto skewers.
Grill skewers: Preheat grill or grill pan over medium-high. Oil lightly. Grill 3–4 minutes per side, basting with sauce until glazed and caramelized (10–12 minutes total).
Serve: Arrange on platter, drizzle with extra sauce, and serve hot with rice or sides.
Notes
Use chicken thighs for juicier results.
Do not overcrowd the grill.
Separate basting sauce from dipping sauce to avoid contamination.
For spice, sprinkle shichimi togarashi before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2–3 skewers
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 980 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
Keywords: easy chicken yakitori, Japanese chicken skewers, grilled chicken yakitori