Name: Chicken Yakitori
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 kg (2 lbs) boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2.5cm x 3.75cm (1x 1 ½ inch) pieces; 8 spring onions, white parts cut into 2/5cm ( 1 inch) pieces and green ends retained for the sauce.; Salt and pepper to taste; 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; Dried chilli flakes (optional and to taste); FOR THE YAKITORI SAUCE (TARE); 125ml (1/2 cup) light soy sauce; 70ml (1/4 cup) water; 70ml (1/4 cup) sake; 125ml (½ cup) mirin rice wine; 2 tsp ginger, finely chopped (minced); 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (minced); 1 tbsp brown sugar; The green ends of the spring onions

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Chicken yakitori is so easy to prepare and this recipe will get your restaurant quality results.

You are going to love this quick and easy grilled chicken recipe. Chicken yakitori is a simple grilled chicken that is often served with a Japanese style salad and Jasmine or sticky rice.

You can prepare this in minutes and it’s a lot of fun to bring out at a barbecue. I’ve done it for guests many times and they always leave thinking I went to a lot more work than I actually did. You might also like to try chicken yakitori as a starter for a larger Japanese meal including Japanese chicken curry, curry ramen, tonkotsu ramen and/or Katsu chicken curry.

What is chicken yakitori?

Chicken yakitori is a popular Japanese dish that consists of skewered pieces of chicken grilled over charcoal or an open flame. The name “yakitori” translates to “grilled chicken” in Japanese.

You will almost surely find yakitori in restaurants, street food stalls, and izakayas (Japanese pubs) throughout Japan. It’s also hugely popular in the west.

A brief history of the dish…

Chicken yakitori has a long history that dates back to Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868). Originating as a popular street food, yakitori quickly gained popularity as a convenient and affordable snack. The name “yakitori” translates to “grilled chicken,” reflecting its simple yet delicious nature.

The dish has always been cooked over fire. Over time, Chicken yakitori gained popularity as a casual and affordable food option, commonly enjoyed by laborers and workers. You will find more refined variations these days in restaurants and pubs.

Though small pieces of chicken thigh were the original choice, nowadays you will find chicken yakitori prepared with breast meat, wings, chicken skin and offal. You will also find other variations of the yakitori sauce as chefs put their own creative mark on the dish.

How long can you keep chicken yakitori in the fridge?

You can store it in a bowl, covered tightly with clingfilm for 3 to 4 days.

Can you freeze chicken yakitori?

Yes. You can even freeze it in a suitably sized container on the skewers. You can freeze it for up to 6 months.

How do you reheat the chicken after refrigeration?

You can do this a few ways. The easiest but not necessarily the best way it to heat it up in your microwave for a couple of minutes until heated through.

Better would be to place it in an oven, pre-heated to 350°F (175°C). If doing this, be sure to take the chicken yakitori out of the fridge a good 15 minutes before heating to allow to come to room temperature. Then just place it on a baking tray and heat for 10 to 12 minutes.

Can you use other veggies besides spring onions?

Yes. Spring onions are the most common and traditional for chicken yakitori. You could add other veggies such as mushrooms, red onion, bell pepper and tomatoes.

You will see in the photos below that I added a few chillies. That isn’t authentic but they sure were good!

Which charcoal?

I use Big K lumpwood charcoal and can highly recommend their products. You just need to ensure you are using a good quality lumpwood charcoal that has not been treated with lighting liquid as that will ruin the flavour.

TOP TIPS

Choose the right chicken: Opt for boneless, skinless chicken thighs as they are juicier and more flavourful than chicken breast. Thigh meat holds up well to grilling and remains tender.
Cut the chicken into uniform pieces: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces that are similar in size. This ensures even cooking and prevents some pieces from being overcooked while others are undercooked.
Preheat the grill: Make sure your grill is preheated to medium-high heat before placing the skewers on it. Rubbing the cooking grate with oil as it heats helps create a nice sear on the chicken and locks in the juices.
Baste with sauce: As you grill the chicken yakitori skewers, baist them with the yakitori sauce often and all over. This adds more flavor and creates a caramelized glaze on the chicken.

Step by step photographs

Get your ingredients together before starting. It’s easier that way.

The yakitori sauce ingredients in a saucepan.

Heat the yakitori sauce ingredients in a small pan and bring to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce until it has halved in volume.

I actually reduced mine a bit too much so I add a drop of water and all was fixed.

Strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Save half in one bowl as a dipping sauce and the rest for basting the chicken.

A note about the sauce…

As the yakitori sauce sits, it will become much thicker and stickier. You might even find that it is too thick to use when basting.

This is not a problem! Just heat it again on your barbecue for a minute or so or warm it in your microwave.

Skewer the chicken and spring onions like this. I also used mild green chillies.

set up your barbecue for direct heat cooking. Medium hot is fine. Be sure to season the cooking grate so that the chicken doesn’t stick.

Cook for about 4 minutes and then turn it until about 70% cooked through. Then start basting and cook the meat through.

It only takes about 12 minutes to chicken yakitori perfection!

Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions. Add salt and pepper to taste and don’t forget that delicious dipping sauce you made!

Chicken skewers served with rice and salad.

Delicious served with sticky rice and salad.

Yield: 6