Yakitori (Japanese Skewered Chicken)
Yakitori is Japanese skewered chicken, cooked on a charcoal grill with either sweet soy sauce or just salt. You DO NOT marinate the chicken before cooking through. Yakitori is great for entertaining a big crowd as it is a kind of finger food. It is quite easy to make. (Watch the Video)In this recipe, I am sharing the two most common yakitori - negima (chicken and shallots/scallions yakitori) and momo (plain chicken thigh yakitori) with sweet soy sauce. I also included onion rings on skewers and bacon & asparagus on skewers.The recipe also includes different methods of grilling yakitori – on a yakitori grill/BBQ and using the oven grill/broiler.Cook time can vary a lot depending on how many skewers you can grill at once.
- Prep time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 48 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 15 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes ((Note 1))
- 750g / 1.7lb skinless chicken thigh fillets (, cut into 2.5cm / 1” cubes (Note 2))
- 15 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes ((Note 1))
- 450g / 1lb skinless chicken thigh fillets (, cut into 2.5cm / 1" cubes (note 2))
- 30 green onion pieces ((3cm / 1⅛" long, white and green firm parts only))
- 8 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes ((Note 1))
- 4 small onions (, cut horizontally into 1.3-1.5cm / ½-⅝" thick (note 3))
- 10 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes ((Note 1))
- 10 thick asparagus spears (, end trimmed (about 15cm / 6" long and 1.3-1.5cm / ½-⅝" in diameter, note 4))
- 40 thin streaky English bacon pieces ((7cm / 2¾” long, about 360g / 0.8lb, note 5))
- 185ml / 6.3fl oz soy sauce
- 185ml / 6.3fl oz mirin
- 2½ tbsp sugar
Instructions
- 1
Add Sauce ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium or medium low and simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the quantity by about a third. (Note 6).
- 2
To make momo (chicken thigh), thread around 5 pieces of chicken onto the skewers.
- 3
To make negima, start with chicken and alternately thread chicken pieces and green onion pieces, ending with chicken. Thread 3 chicken pieces and 2 green onions onto each skewer.
- 4
Thread 2 onion slices, crosswise, onto each skewer.
- 5
In a large pot, bring a sufficient amount of water and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and blanch asparagus spears for 30 seconds.
- 6
Drain asparagus spears and cool them down quickly under cold running water or by putting them in ice water.
- 7
Cut each spear into 3cm long pieces. You will get 5 pieces from each spear, which will make one Bacon & Asparagus skewer.
- 8
Starting from the piece at the bottom end of the spear, wrap each piece in a piece of bacon, except the last two pieces, i.e., the tip and the piece next to the tip, and thread them onto a skewer.
- 9
Place the tip and the piece next to the tip together side by side and wrap them in a piece of bacon, then thread them onto the skewer on top.Repeat for the rest of the asparagus spears (note 7).
- 10
The distance between the hot charcoal and where the skewers are placed should be about 5-6cm / 2-2½” (Note 8).
- 11
In the case of BBQ, oil (not in ingredients) the grill.
- 12
Using a brush, lightly baste both sides of the skewers with sauce and cook for about 4 minutes.
- 13
Turn them over and baste the upside (cooked side) while cooking for about 4 minutes.
- 14
Turn them over again and baste the upside (cooked side) while cooking for 30 seconds or so.
- 15
Turn them over once more to cook for 30 seconds or so. (Note 9)
- 16
Remove from the grill and place it onto a plate. Serve immediately.
- 17
Cook Bacon & Asparagus skewers for 3 minutes on each side without basting with sauce.
- 18
When the bacon becomes golden, it is ready.
- 19
Turn the oven grill on to high.
- 20
Line a large baking tray with aluminium foil (Note 10). Place a wire rack on it and oil the rack (not in ingredients).
- 21
Using a brush, lightly baste both sides of skewers with sauce and place the skewers on the rack. I used 70cm x 26cm / 14½” x 10¼” baking tray and I could fit all the skewers onto ot.
- 22
Place the baking tray under the oven grill. The distance between the skewers and the grill should be about 5cm / 2”.
- 23
Cook for 5-6 minutes, then take the tray out and turn the skewers over.
- 24
Baste the upside (cooked side) of the skewers and place the tray back under the grill.
- 25
Cook for 4-5 minutes, then take the tray out and turn the skewers over again.
- 26
Baste the upside (cooked side) of the skewers and place the tray back under the grill.
- 27
Cook for a minute or until the chicken and shallots/scallions start getting charred a bit.
- 28
If required, turn the skewers once more to char the other side.
- 29
Remove the skewers from the tray and place them onto a plate. Serve immediately.