Chicken Yakitori

Bite-size pieces of chicken thigh grill over high heat, lacquered with a sweet-salty tare glaze and threaded with charred spring onion. This is Japanese pub food at its best — smoky, juicy, and gone in minutes.

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

40 mins

Servings

4 servings

Calories

390

Ingredients

• 700g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3cm cubes
• 4 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths
• 120ml soy sauce
• 120ml mirin
• 60ml sake
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
• Shichimi togarashi, to serve (optional)
• Neutral oil, for the grill grates
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger (optional, for the tare)

Instructions

1. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes so they do not burn on the grill.
2. Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and ginger in a small saucepan. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly syrupy, then set aside — this is your tare glaze.
3. Thread the chicken and spring onion pieces alternately onto the skewers, packing them snugly.
4. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high and brush the grates lightly with oil.
5. Grill the skewers for 3 to 4 minutes per side until the chicken is nearly cooked through and lightly charred.
6. Brush generously with tare on all sides and grill for 1 minute more per side, letting the glaze caramelize.
7. Brush once more with tare off the heat for a final glossy coat.
8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and shichimi togarashi, and serve hot.

Pro tips

• Chicken thighs stay juicy over fierce heat; breast meat dries out too quickly for yakitori.
• Brush the tare on late in cooking — its sugars burn if applied too early.
• Binchotan charcoal is traditional, but a hot grill pan works very well at home.
• Save leftover tare in the fridge for up to a week; it is wonderful on grilled vegetables too.

Frequently asked questions