Description

Yakitori is a popular Japanese street food made with bite-sized pieces of chicken grilled on skewers and glazed in a sweet and savory tare sauce. It’s smoky, juicy, and full of umami flavor — perfect for appetizers, snacks, or a fun dinner!

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
6-8 bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
Salt (optional, for seasoning)

For the Tare Sauce (Yakitori Glaze):

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1-inch piece of ginger, sliced

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Instructions

Soak Skewers: If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning.
Make the Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove ginger slices and set aside.
Prep the Chicken: Thread 3–4 pieces of chicken onto each skewer. Optionally sprinkle lightly with salt.
Grill the Skewers: Preheat grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill skewers for 3–4 minutes per side until chicken is cooked through.
Glaze and Finish: During the last few minutes of grilling, brush the chicken generously with the tare sauce. Flip and glaze a couple of times to build up the flavor.

Serve Hot: Remove from grill and serve immediately with extra sauce on the side if desired.

Notes

Chicken thighs are preferred for juiciness, but breasts can also be used.
You can add green onion (negima) between chicken pieces for a more traditional version.

No grill? Use a grill pan or broil in the oven instead.