Japanese Chicken Skewers, AKA Yakitori, and a BIG GLASS OF BEER is the best way to celebrate the weekend!
Welcome to Day 6 of Cooking Street Foods for 15 Days, today we are making juicy, savory Japanese Chicken Skewers – Yakitori that is super easy to make at home! The homemade glaze is a perfect balance between sweet and savory and is coated all over juicy chicken skewers. If you are unsure what to make this weekend, trust me, Japanese Chicken Skewers is the way to go!
If you never had Japanese Chicken Skewers before, you are missing out! The chicken is moist and juicy, while the glaze is packed with umami flavors.
There are many ways to enjoy Yakitori; you can grill them, bake them, pan-fry them, whatever is most comfortable for you. Because it is winter, I decided to pan-fry them instead. If you choose to bake them or grill them and use bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 1 hour before using them to prevent them from burning.
Here is the secret to the perfect Japanese Chicken Skewers, THE HOMEMADE SAUCE.
All you need is five simple ingredients, Soy Sauce, Mirin, Sake, Sugar, and Green Onion. Bring the ingredients to a simmer and let the sauce reduce in half. Your house will be smelling AMAZING while you are making the glaze. If you have extra sauce, you can also make other skewers such as salmon or shiitake mushrooms! You can skip the Sake and Mirin and add replace with dashi stock or water and one extra tbsp of sugar for those that don’t drink alcohol.
Nothing beats Yakitori and a big glass of beer on a Friday night. Chicken Skewers are the perfect drinking food that you can often find at Izakaya restaurants. You can eat Yakitori with other Japanese drinking sides such as Edamame, Chicken Wings or Yakisoba. Or you can pair these with some rice and vegetable for a healthy dinner!
If you like Japanese Foods, check out my other recipes:
- Agedashi Tofu (EXTRA Cripsy in 20 Minutes)
- Japanese Creamy Masago Udon
- Yakisoba – Japanese Fried Noodles (20 Minutes)
- CRISPY Chicken Karaage – Japanese Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb of Boneless Chicken Thigh
- ½ cup of Soy Sauce
- ½ cup of Mirin
- ¼ cup of Sake
- 3 tbsp of Sugar
- 5-7 stalks of Green Onion
- Black Pepper
- Salt
- In a pot, add Soy Sauce, Sake, Sugar, Mirin, and 4 stalks of the GREEN PART of the green onion. Bring it to a simmer and cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced in half. Remove and set aside
- Cut chicken thigh into bite-sized pieces. To assemble the skewers, add the green onion between each part of the chicken thigh. Season with salt and black pepper
- Turn the heat to medium-high and drizzle oil in the pan. Once the pan is hot, add in the chicken skewers and pan fry for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Coat the chicken thigh with the glaze that was made earlier. Keep brushing on the glaze and let it cook for another 1-2 minutes on each side. Garnish with sesame seeds, and enjoy!
Preferred Brands For This Yakitori Recipe:
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Japanese Chicken Skewers – Yakitori
Japanese Chicken Skewers and a BIG GLASS OF BEER is the best way to celebrate the weekend! Welcome to Day 6 of Cooking Street Foods for 15 Days, today we are making juicy, savory Japanese Chicken Skewers – Yakitori that is super easy to make at home! The homemade glaze is a perfect balance between sweet and savory and is coated all over juicy chicken skewers. If you are unsure what to make this weekend, trust me, Japanese Chicken Skewers is the way to go!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Active Time15 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Japanese
Yield: 4 People
Materials
Instructions
In a pot, add Soy Sauce, Sake, Sugar, Mirin, and 4 stalks of the GREEN PART of the green onion. Bring it to a simmer and cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced in half. Remove and set aside
Cut chicken thigh into bite-sized pieces. To assemble the skewers, add the green onion between each part of the chicken thigh. Season with salt and black pepper
Turn the heat to medium-high and drizzle oil in the pan. Once the pan is hot, add in the chicken skewers and pan fry for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Coat the chicken thigh with the glaze that was made earlier. Keep brushing on the glaze and let it cook for another 1-2 minutes on each side. Garnish with sesame seeds, and enjoy!
