Yakitori
AI-generated image
Japanese

Yakitori

Japanese grilled chicken skewers glazed with a glossy soy, mirin, and sake tare. Tender chicken thigh and charred scallions make this an ideal casual main dish or dinner-party centerpiece.

45 min 4 servings Medium
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How to prepare

1
Soak the bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Pat the chicken and scallion pieces dry, then thread them alternately onto the skewers, leaving about 2 cm at each end and spacing the pieces snugly without compressing them.
2
In a small saucepan, combine 60 ml soy sauce, 60 ml mirin, 40 ml sake, the sugar, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then cook for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining soy sauce, mirin, and sake.
3
Prepare a two-zone grill with one hot zone at about 220°C and one cooler zone. Clean and lightly oil the grate, then let excess oil burn off briefly.
4
Place the skewers over the hot zone and grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning when the chicken releases easily and the scallions show dark grill marks. Move the skewers to the cooler zone if the edges brown too quickly.
5
Brush the skewers generously with the tare and grill for 45 to 60 seconds per side. Repeat once or twice, turning often, until the glaze is glossy and lightly caramelized and the thickest chicken piece reaches 74°C.
Glossy caramelized yakitori skewers with charred scallions AI-generated image
6
Rest the skewers for 3 minutes so the juices settle. Brush with a final thin layer of tare, sprinkle with shichimi togarashi, and serve hot.

Why this recipe works

Chicken thigh stays juicy over high heat, while alternating it with scallion creates contrasting sweet char and tenderness. The tare is reduced separately so its sugars caramelize on the grill without requiring the chicken to cook in a watery sauce.

Storage and reheating

How to store it

Refrigerate cooled cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store unused tare separately in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How to reheat it

Reheat the chicken on a covered grill or in a 180°C oven until steaming hot throughout, about 8 to 10 minutes. Avoid repeatedly reheating.

Nutrition / serving

502kcal
51.91 gprotein
20.97 gcarbs
20.16 gfat
P
Pantryvale editorial kitchen
Recipe prepared for publication with complete ingredients and ordered cooking steps.
Published 20 Aug 2026 · updated 20 Aug 2026