Name: Chicken yakitori recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 400 gr chicken breast (diced in 2cm pieces); 4 spring onions (sliced in 2cm pieces); 4 tbsp ginger syrup; 100 ml soy sauce; 75 ml sake; 75 ml mirin; 1 tsp brown sugar

This easy and delicious yakitori recipe is the perfect little side dish and will make you come back for more! That special yakitori sauce is the key here to making this the perfect chicken skewer.

Chicken yakitori

To be honest chicken in front of the yakitori is a bit double as the meaning of the word yakitori roasted chicken. Yaki (= roasted) and tori (bird). So if you go to Japanese restaurants and you see a beef yakitori on the menu? That means they either don’t speak Japanese and they certainly do not have a traditional Japanese cuisine. Apparently there are even special yakitori restaurants and for good reason because this is a delicious little snack. Also popular with street vendors.

That said; I’m not Japanese myself so I do not claim that this is a classic chicken yakitori recipe but it is definitely a delicious recipe so that’s all that matters right. It is also perfect for BBQ season but can also easily be made indoors on a grill or in the oven. There are different ways of preparing this delicious recipe. Your chosen cooking method will have a different result but however you prepare it, it will be delicious!

What do you need for the yakitori chicken

We’ve made this with chicken breast but it is also really good with skinless chicken thighs as the extra fat will give it more flavor. Other than that you need a couple of ingredients to make the teriyaki sauce that goes onto the yakitori.

I’ve used soy sauce, sake, mirin, brown sugar and some ginger syrup. In terms of the skewers you can use bamboo skewers or go for metal skewers. On the BBQ I prefer the metal skewers but if you’re making this in a grill pan wooden skewers are fine too.

Making the sauce

For making the yakitori sauce you place a small saucepan on medium heat and you add the sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar and ginger syrup into a pan and you let it simmer slowly for about 5 minutes.

You need a small layer of the sauce in a baking tray when you’re preparing this in the oven. If you’re using a charcoal grill you place the chicken pieces into the marinade. Don’t use all the marinade as you will be needing more for brushing the skewers.

If preparing this on the grill with wooden skewers, it is a good idea to soak skewers in water first for about half an hour but definitely at least for 15 minutes. That way the skewers don’t burn so quickly.

Add the parts of the chicken onto the skewers and alternate with a piece of spring onion. If you have a flat skewer that helps prevent the turning of the chicken around the skewer. I sometimes also use two skewers per stick so that makes it easier to turn.

While they chicken is grilling brush it with the marinade on a regular basis for the best and delicious sticky effect. This is a pretty simple yakitori recipe. I like to add some crunch to the skewers once the chicken is cooked. Fried onions is delicious or sesame seeds will also be delicious to add. Or use shichimi togarashi which is a sprinkle that is also used a lot of poke bowls.

You serve the delicious chicken yakitori with some of the rest of the sauce from the pan.

Also check out this delicious air fryer recipe for crispy chicken wings or even better these chicken nuggets.

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Chicken yakitori recipe

Prep time 5

Cooking time 10

Total time 15

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4 people

Ingredients

Metric – Us customary

Equipment

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8 skewers

Titel

Bring 75 ml sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar and ginger syrup in a small sauce pan to a boil and let it simmer fora bout 5 mins on low heat. Stir regulary. Add one or two tablespoons of the mixture to a bowl and add the chicken pieces. Let it sit for about 5 minutes or so.
Put a piece of chicken and a piece of spring onion on a skewer. Finish the skewer by adding three more pieces of chicken and two more pieces of spring onion to it. Repeat this for the other skewers.
Preheat a grill pan. Put the marinated skewers in the hot grilling pan and turn them every minute. Before turning brush them with some of the marinate sauce from the bowl. Keep turning and brushing until the chicken is cooked and golden brown. (should take 4 to 6 minutes).
Serve with plain rice, noodles or as a snack. Sprinkle some fried onions over the yakitori and serve with the sauce you kept in the sauce pan.

Simone

Nutrition Information per portion:

Disclaimer:

The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.

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