Smoky Street-Style Yakitori Skewers
Bite-sized pieces of chicken thigh are threaded onto bamboo skewers and grilled over high heat, basted repeatedly with a sticky-sweet tare sauce that caramelizes into smoky, lacquered perfection. Inspired by the tiny yakitori stalls that line Tokyo's back alleys, these skewers deliver maximum flavor in every charred, juicy bite.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skin-on chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 8 Japanese green onion (negi) sections, cut into 1-inch lengths
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin
+ 9 more ingredients
Instructions
Make the tare sauce by combining soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the sauce reduces by about one-third and becomes syrupy. Remove the garlic and ginger. Set aside to cool slightly.
Thread chicken pieces onto the soaked bamboo skewers, alternating with pieces of green onion. Pack the pieces snugly together so they stay moist during grilling.
Preheat a grill, grill pan, or broiler to high heat. If using a grill pan, brush it lightly with oil.
For tare-style skewers, brush the chicken lightly with tare sauce before grilling. For shio-style, sprinkle generously with salt.
Grill the skewers for 3-4 minutes per side, turning frequently. Brush with additional tare sauce every time you turn them, building up layers of glaze.
Continue grilling and basting until the chicken is cooked through with a glossy, slightly charred exterior, about 10-12 minutes total.
Transfer to a plate and brush with one final coat of tare. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi and serve immediately with lemon wedges and steamed rice.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI