Best 8 Yakitori Skewered Japanese Chicken Recipes

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Yakitori, a delightful Japanese dish, is a delectable combination of grilled chicken skewers marinated in a special sauce. These skewers are a vibrant part of Japanese cuisine and are often enjoyed at festivals, street stalls, and restaurants. The smoky aroma and succulent taste of yakitori have earned it a place in the hearts of food lovers worldwide. If you're looking to recreate this iconic dish in your own kitchen, this comprehensive guide will provide you with step-by-step instructions and mouth-watering recipes to help you achieve yakitori perfection. From selecting the best cuts of chicken to mastering the art of skewering and grilling, this article will equip you with the knowledge and techniques to create authentic and irresistible yakitori skewers.

Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!

YAKITORI (JAPANESE CHICKEN SKEWERS)



Yakitori (Japanese Chicken Skewers) image

Yakitori is very popular in Japan: there are whole restaurants devoted to serving up variations of skewered grilled chicken. Now you can make it at home with an easy, flavorful recipe by Michael Ruhlman! Served with steamed rice, it's perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner.

Provided by Michael Ruhlman

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

3 cloves garlic
1-inch piece ginger
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 bunch scallions
4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1 tablespoon miso

Steps:

  • Marinade: Smash and peel garlic cloves, then place in a small saucepan. Slice unpeeled ginger into coins (about 5 slices); add to the saucepan, followed by the mirin, soy sauce, and honey. Over medium-high heat, bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent honey from burning; allow to simmer for about 1 minute. Set aside to cool by placing into a large skillet filled with cold water.
  • Trim root ends from scallions; then cut the white and light green parts into 1-inch pieces. (Reserve green stalks for garnish.) Set aside. Slice each chicken thigh into 4 equal pieces. If using skewers, thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, alternating with pieces of scallion.
  • Place skewers on a rimmed baking sheet and pour marinade to coat chicken and scallions. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (and up to 3-4 hours), flipping the skewers in the marinade every 5-7 minutes. (Note: Chicken can be marinated the day before and stored, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.) While chicken marinates, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Heat grill pan over high heat, 5-10 minutes (time will vary, depending on pan). Reserving the marinade, place chicken skewers on the hot grill and cook for 2-3 minutes; place a heavy plate or skillet on the chicken and press down to create grill marks. Flip skewers and repeat, 2-3 more minutes. Place the chicken, still in the grill pan, in the oven and bake, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, finish the sauce.
  • Pour the marinade back into a saucepan and add the miso. Bring to a boil (which will kill off any bacteria from the raw chicken) and reduce slightly, 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove grill pan from oven and transfer skewers to a plate. When the sauce has reduced, brush it over the chicken. Slice reserved scallion greens and sprinkle over the skewers before serving.

YAKITORI (JAPANESE SKEWERED CHICKEN)



Yakitori (Japanese Skewered Chicken) image

Yakitori is Japanese skewered chicken, cooked on a charcoal grill with either sweet soy sauce or just salt. You DO NOT marinate the chicken before cooking through. Yakitori is great for entertaining a big crowd as it is a kind of finger food. It is quite easy to make. (Watch the Video)In this recipe, I am sharing the two most common yakitori - negima (chicken and shallots/scallions yakitori) and momo (plain chicken thigh yakitori) with sweet soy sauce. I also included onion rings on skewers and bacon & asparagus on skewers.The recipe also includes different methods of grilling yakitori - on a yakitori grill/BBQ and using the oven grill/broiler.Cook time can vary a lot depending on how many skewers you can grill at once.

Provided by Yumiko

Categories     Main

Time 2h15m

Number Of Ingredients 13

15 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes ((Note 1))
750g / 1.7lb skinless chicken thigh fillets (, cut into 2.5cm / 1" cubes (Note 2))
15 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes ((Note 1))
450g / 1lb skinless chicken thigh fillets (, cut into 2.5cm / 1" cubes (note 2))
30 green onion pieces ((3cm / 1⅛" long, white and green firm parts only))
8 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes ((Note 1))
4 small onions (, cut horizontally into 1.3-1.5cm / ½-⅝" thick (note 3))
10 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes ((Note 1))
10 thick asparagus spears (, end trimmed (about 15cm / 6" long and 1.3-1.5cm / ½-⅝" in diameter, note 4))
40 thin streaky English bacon pieces ((7cm / 2¾" long, about 360g / 0.8lb, note 5))
185ml / 6.3fl oz soy sauce
185ml / 6.3fl oz mirin
2½ tbsp sugar

Steps:

  • Add Sauce ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium or medium low and simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the quantity by about a third. (Note 6).

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 65 g, Calories 100 kcal, Carbohydrate 5.1 g, Protein 12.6 g, Fat 3.1 g, SaturatedFat 0.8 g, Cholesterol 37 mg, Sodium 471 mg, Sugar 3 g, UnsaturatedFat 2.3 g

YAKITORI (SKEWERED JAPANESE CHICKEN)



Yakitori (Skewered Japanese Chicken) image

This is a common grilled/skewered chicken in Japan, but also officially is considered any type of skewered food in general. This is the recipe that I found in my "Weber's Charcoal Grilling - The Art of Cooking with Live Fire".

Provided by diner524

Categories     Chicken Thigh & Leg

Time 35m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 lbs chicken thighs, cut into 1 to 1-1/2-inch pieces (boneless or skinless)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Steps:

  • Fill a chimney starter to the rim with charcoal and burn the charcoal until it is lightly covered with ash. Spread the charcoal in a tightly packed, single layer across one-half of the charcoal grate. Put the cooking grate in place, close the lid, and let the charcoal burn down to high heat (450° to 550°F). Leave all the vents open. If you are using a gas grill, preheat your grill on high until it reaches 500°F.
  • In a medium bowl combine the chicken pieces with the oil, salt, and pepper and mix well. Thread the chicken pieces through their centers on the top half of the skewers. The chicken pieces should touch, but do not cram them together. Refrigerate until ready to grill, or as long as 2 hours.
  • In a small saucepan mix the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the liquid is reduced to ½ to ¾ cup, about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
  • Brush the cooking grates clean. Place a strip of aluminum foil on the cooking grate over the empty section of the charcoal grate or over an unlit burner. Grill the skewers over direct high heat, with the bare wooden section of the skewers placed over the foil. Close the lid and cook until the meat is lightly charred on the surface, 4 to 5 minutes, turning once and swapping their positions as needed for even cooking. Open the lid and begin turning and basting the chicken with the sauce (you may not need all of the sauce) until fully cooked, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Remove from the grill and serve warm.

CHICKEN HEART YAKITORI SKEWERS



Chicken Heart Yakitori Skewers image

Yakitori is Japanese for grilled chicken. A yakitori master can turn one chicken into 19 separate dishes. Heart is one of my faves because of its pleasantly chewy texture and flavor. Traditional grills use binchotan or Japanese charcoal, but you can use any indoor or outdoor grill. Look for Chinese chicken powder. Although it's similar to classic chicken bouillion, it doesn't have the herbs and spices that make it taste like European stock.

Provided by Jet Tila

Time 40m

Yield 15 to 20 skewers

Number Of Ingredients 10

3/4 cup sake
1 1/2 cups high-quality soy sauce, such as Kikkoman Smooth Aromatic
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Chinese chicken powder
3 scallions, trimmed and sliced into large pieces
One 3-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into large pieces
2 pounds chicken hearts, valves removed and hearts cut in half
2 bunches scallions, whites only, cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide pieces
1/2 cup each iodized salt and black pepper, combined in a shaker
Sansho and shichimi pepper, for garnish

Steps:

  • For the tare basting sauce: Heat a medium saucepan over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour the sake into the pan away from you (it may ignite). Burn off some of the alcohol for about 30 seconds. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, chicken powder, scallions and ginger and bring to the boil for about 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn off the heat and evenly divide between 2 tall, heatproof containers like liquid measuring cups. (One will be for quickly marinating and another will be for basting.) Set aside.
  • For the yakitori: Skewer the heart halves on each of 20 skewers, alternating every 2 pieces of heart with a scallion piece.
  • Put the skewers in one of tare basting sauces while you heat the grill.
  • Load a konro grill with hot coals and heat until the coals burn white. Position the grate on top. Alternately, preheat a charcoal grill.
  • Remove the skewers from the basting sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the skewers on one side until light brown and slightly crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn over and repeat until the scallions are soft and the hearts are medium, 3 to 5 minutes. Dunk the skewers into the unused tare basting sauce just until the hearts are fully dipped. Drain and place back on the grill for 1 minute on each side. The sauce will caramelize, and the hearts will crisp on the edges.
  • Remove from the heat, then sprinkle on some sansho and shichimi and serve hot.

YAKITORI (GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS)



Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers) image

Yakitori is Japanese skewered and grilled chicken that can use approximately 30 different chicken parts, from momo, or chicken thigh, to nankotsu, or chicken cartilage. This recipe calls for marinating chicken thighs, gizzards and livers in a savory-sweet sauce of ginger, sake, mirin, soy sauce, garlic and a touch of brown sugar, grilling or broiling, then scattering with chopped scallions. Serve it alongside something fresh and green, like a cucumber salad, and a pile of rice.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     quick, appetizer

Time 15m

Yield 6 appetizer servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 pound chicken livers, gizzards or boneless thigh meat
1/2 cup dark soy sauce or tamari
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Steps:

  • Cut chicken into one-inch pieces and place in a shallow dish.
  • In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce or tamari, mirin, sake or sherry, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. Bring to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes, until thickened. Reserve 2 tablespoons sauce for serving. Pour remaining sauce over chicken, cover, and chill for at least one hour (and up to 4 hours).
  • If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for one hour. Preheat grill or broiler. Thread chicken pieces onto skewers, and grill or broil, turning halfway, for about 3 minutes for livers, 10 minutes for gizzards and 6 minutes for thighs. Serve drizzled with reserved sauce and garnished with scallions.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 136, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 4 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 18 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 1228 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams

YAKITORI CHICKEN



Yakitori chicken image

Enjoy this deliciously sticky chicken made with a sauce of soy, mirin, sake and sugar as part of an easy Japanese banquet. Serve on bamboo skewers

Provided by Elena Silcock

Categories     Dinner, Main course, Supper

Time 40m

Number Of Ingredients 7

100ml soy sauce
100ml mirin
50ml sake
2 tbsp caster sugar
500g boneless and skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 3cm chunks
4 spring onions , each cut into three
4 flat teppo gushi bamboo skewers (available from amazon.co.uk)

Steps:

  • Soak the skewers in a bowl of water while you prepare everything else, to prevent them from burning. Tip the soy, mirin, sake and sugar into a small saucepan, and cook over a medium heat for about 15 mins until the sauce is glossy.
  • Remove the skewers from the water and thread each one with a piece of chicken, followed by a piece of spring onion. Repeat twice more so the skewer is well stacked. Fill all four skewers.
  • Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat - you want to cook the chicken fairly gently so it soaks up the sauce. Put the skewers in the pan, then brush with the sauce. Cook for 10 mins, turning regularly and brushing in all the sauce. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 265 calories, Fat 3 grams fat, SaturatedFat 1 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 27 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 22 grams sugar, Protein 27 grams protein, Sodium 3.7 milligram of sodium

CHICKEN YAKITORI



Chicken Yakitori image

Yakitori literally means "grilled chicken," so you don't need to call it chicken yakitori. But you can also add seasonal vegetables to these Japanese skewers.

Provided by Sonoko Sakai

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 15

½ cup sake
6 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. mirin
2½ Tbsp. cane sugar
1 cup (480 ml) soy sauce or usukuchi shoyu (light-colored soy sauce)
2 lb. skin-on, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
4 Tokyo negi onions, white parts only, or scallions, white and light green parts cut crosswise into 2" slices
½ cup olive oil or untoasted sesame oil
8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed
2 dozen shishito peppers, stems trimmed
12 fava beans (in the shell)
12 quail eggs, boiled for 2-3 minutes, shocked in cold water, and peeled
Shichimi togarashi
Sansho pepper
Yuzu kosho
Sea salt

Steps:

  • Soak bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes (or use metal skewers).
  • While the skewers soak, make the shoyu tare. Combine the sake, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce heat, then stir in 1 cup soy sauce. Heat until just simmering, about 3 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. The shoyu tare can be stored in a nonreactive glass or metal container in a cool, dry place or the refrigerator for about 3 months.
  • Skewer 2 or 3 pieces of chicken and 2 or 3 pieces of onion, alternating, on each skewer. Start with the larger pieces of meat so they end up at the tip, which will cook more quickly. Make sure there are no gaps between the meat and onions, as bamboo skewers will burn in the gaps. Skewer the vegetables and eggs on their own skewers, about 3 or 4 pieces per skewer, depending on the size of the vegetables.
  • Heat a bichotan (or charcoal fire) grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high, or preheat the broiler. Lightly baste the chicken with the oil. Grill the chicken and onions for 3-4 minutes, turning the skewers several times, until the chicken and onions begin to char. Remove the chicken from the heat and baste with the shoyu tare.
  • Return the chicken to the heat and cook for 2 more minutes, turning the skewers several times. Remove from heat and baste again. Repeat one more time, until the chicken is cooked through and slightly charred, about 8-10 minutes total. Lay the skewered vegetables and quail eggs on the grill and brush them with oil. Grill the vegetables and eggs, turning them over several times, until the vegetables are soft and charred, 5-8 minutes (the vegetables have different cooking times, so monitor each type for desired doneness). Brush them with the shoyu tare or season them at the table.
  • Serve the chicken, eggs, and vegetables with shichimi togarashi, sansho pepper, yuzu kosho, and salt.

YAKITORI ( JAPANESE GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS)



Yakitori ( Japanese Grilled Chicken Skewers) image

Make and share this Yakitori ( Japanese Grilled Chicken Skewers) recipe from Food.com.

Provided by Pneuma

Categories     Chicken Breast

Time 30m

Yield 25 skewers, 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 kg chicken breast, cubed chicken thighs or wings can also be used
4 green onions, cut into 1 inch sizes
6 fluid ounces soy sauce
3 fluid ounces chicken stock
3 fluid ounces sake
2 ounces sugar
2 fluid ounces mirin

Steps:

  • Bring yakitori sauce to a boil for 5 min then set aside.
  • thread the chicken alternately with the green onions onto the skewers.
  • grill chicken in a preheated griller, turning every now and then and basting at the same time to keep it moist. drippings can be returned to baste the chicken until it is cooked.
  • baste the yakitori again and serve with left over sauce.

Tips:

  • Choose high-quality chicken: Yakitori is all about the chicken, so it's important to use the best quality meat you can find. Look for organic, free-range chicken that has been raised without antibiotics or hormones.
  • Marinate the chicken: Marinating the chicken in a flavorful mixture of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and ginger will help to tenderize the meat and give it a delicious flavor.
  • Use wooden skewers: Wooden skewers are the traditional choice for yakitori, and they help to prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill. Soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before using to prevent them from burning.
  • Cook the chicken over a hot grill: Yakitori is best cooked over a hot grill. This will help to sear the meat and prevent it from drying out.
  • Baste the chicken with the marinade: As the chicken cooks, baste it with the marinade to keep it moist and flavorful.
  • Serve the chicken with a dipping sauce: Yakitori is traditionally served with a dipping sauce, such as teriyaki sauce or ponzu sauce.

Conclusion:

Yakitori is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It's perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal or for a special occasion dinner party. With a little planning and effort, you can make yakitori that is just as good as anything you'd find in a restaurant. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting way to cook chicken, give yakitori a try. You won't be disappointed.

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