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Japanese

Yakitori

Japanese grilled chicken skewers glazed with sweet-savory tare sauce - the izakaya essential.

skewerEasyJapanese
Prep20 minCook15 minTotal35 minServes12Temphot
✓ dairy-free
⚠ Contains: 🌾 Gluten, 🫘 Soy
Recipe
Ingredients
  • 1.5 lbboneless chicken thighs(cut into 1-inch pieces)
  • 6 wholescallions(cut into 1-inch pieces)
  • 1/2 cupsoy sauce
  • 1/2 cupmirin
  • 1/4 cupsake
  • 3 tbspsugar
  • 2 clovesgarlic(smashed)
  • 1 inchfresh ginger(sliced)
  • 1 tspshichimi togarashi(for serving)
Make Ahead

Tare sauce keeps refrigerated for months and improves with age. Marinate chicken up to 4 hours ahead.

Instructions
  1. 1Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes
  2. 2Make tare: simmer soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, garlic, and ginger for 15 minutes until slightly thickened, strain
  3. 3Thread chicken and scallion pieces alternating on skewers
  4. 4Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high
  5. 5Grill skewers 3-4 minutes per side, brushing with tare every minute
  6. 6Continue grilling and basting until chicken is cooked and glazed, about 10-12 minutes total
  7. 7Serve hot with extra tare for dipping and shichimi togarashi for sprinkling
Notes
Pro Tips

Use chicken thighs for juicier results. Brush with tare multiple times during grilling for a lacquered finish.

History & Origin

Yakitori has been a Japanese street food since the Meiji era. The word means grilled chicken, and the best versions are cooked over binchotan charcoal.

Pairs Well With
sakejapanese-whiskybeer
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