Yakitori
Tokyo's beloved charcoal-grilled chicken-on-skewers — different parts of the chicken (thigh, skin, liver, cartilage, wing) skewered and grilled over binchotan charcoal, basted repeatedly with a sweet-savoury tare (reduction of soy, mirin, sake and sugar) or served simply with salt (shio). Eaten at yakitori-ya stalls and izakayas.
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Prep 20 min · Cook 30 min
Ingredients
Method
Tare: combine soy, mirin, sake and sugar in a small pan. Simmer 10 minutes until slightly syrupy. Cool. Reserve — this keeps refrigerated for weeks and improves with each use.
About 5 min
Thread momo (thigh) chunks on skewers, about 4 pieces per skewer. For negima, alternate chicken with negi pieces. Thread kawa (skin) zigzag on skewers.
About 11 min
Grill over very hot charcoal (or a gas grill on highest), turning every 1–2 minutes. After each turn, brush tare skewers with the tare sauce. Repeat 3–4 times over 8–10 minutes total.
About 11 min
Shio version: grill without tare; just sprinkle with sea salt and serve with lemon.
About 11 min
The tare should caramelise and form a thick, glossy lacquer on each skewer. The edges of the chicken should char slightly.
About 11 min
Serve 3–4 skewers per person. Sprinkle with sansho or togarashi. Eat at the grill, pulling the chicken off the skewer with your teeth. Serve with cold beer or cold sake and a side of edamame.
About 3 min
Nutrition per serving (estimate)
- Calories
- 420
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 1100 mg
Contains: gluten, soy
You might also cook
All Japanese recipes
Recipe by Boon Tools.