I love to make my family’s favorite Asian foods at home, including slow cooker teriyaki chicken, shrimp tempura roll and this hearty chicken yakitori. I add a side of Japanese cucumber salad, yum yum sauce and sushi rice, then dinner is served! Whenever we go to our local Japanese restaurant, I have to order the yakitori. These grilled skewers of meat are so flavorful, and are fun to eat too! I’ve learned how to make this classic recipe at home, and I have to say, my version is just as good as what you’d get at a restaurant. You can serve this dish as a starter before you enjoy a sushi bowl, or it’s hearty enough to stand alone as an entree.
Yakitori Ingredients
To make this dish, you will need chicken thighs, vegetable oil, salt, black pepper, green onions, sesame seeds, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil and cornstarch.
How Do You Make Yakitori?
The first step in this recipe is to make your sauce. Place soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, honey and rice vinegar in a pan. Bring the pan to a simmer, then add cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Cut chicken thighs into bite sized pieces, then place the chicken pieces onto wood skewers. Grill or broil the chicken, basting it multiple times with the sauce. Add a sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onions on top, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Chicken
I like to use chicken thighs for this recipe because they are more flavorful and are less likely to dry out on the grill. However, you can use chicken breasts if you prefer. Or you can switch things up and try cubes of pork tenderloin, whole shrimp, or sirloin steak. The yakitori sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge. You can even make a double batch of the sauce, and freeze some for later use. These skewers can be cooked on an outdoor charcoal grill, inside on a grill pan, or in the oven. I prefer to grill them whenever possible because I find that the sauce caramelizes the best over the high heat of the grill. It’s also possible to use the broiler. Leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Broiled Chicken Skewers
While yakitori are often made on a grill, you can also cook them in the oven if you prefer. Place the chicken skewers on a sheet pan lined with foil and coated with cooking spray. Broil for 4 minutes per side, then baste with sauce and broil for an additional 4 minutes. Baste again, then broil for 2 more minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve.
You’ll be amazed at how delicious this yakitori is – all the great restaurant flavors in the comfort of your own home!
Yakitori Video
