How To Make Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)
The origin of present-style Yakitori dates back to the Edo period and now the dish is loved by people of all ages in various situations. It can be enjoyed as a sake accompaniment, a snack, a main dish, or a side dish. Its skewer style creates a casual atmosphere, allowing us to eat with just one hand, making it a convenient choice for any time.
Yakitori is a term combining "Yaki" (grill) and "Tori" (chicken), indicating its method of cooking. It includes various parts of the chicken. Major variations are chicken thigh, chicken liver, and Tsukune (chicken meatball), while minor ones include chicken cartilage, Hatsu (heart), Bonjiri (tail part), and Sunagimo (gizzard). Each part has its own distinct features, making it a delightful experience to enjoy Yakitori.
Yakitori is a simple dish more often enjoyed at Izakaya restaurants or Yakitori specialty shops than cooked from scratch at home. These places commonly use charcoal to cook Yakitori. If you have a BBQ grill at home, it’s great for cooking Yakitori, but if you don’t, you can also enjoy homemade Yakitori with a pan-frying style, which we will introduce in this recipe. The flavor is so mouth-watering that once you smell its savory aroma, you’ll definitely get hungry.
Usually, Yakitori comes with two flavors: tare and salt. Tare is a sweet soy sauce-based seasoning that pairs well with any Yakitori. On the other hand, you can eat Yakitori with just salt, which is better when you want to savor each chicken part individually.
In this recipe, we are introducing Yakitori made with chicken thigh and scallion, which is one of the popular variations and sometimes referred to as “Negima” in Japanese. Additionally, we are sharing the Tare recipe. We also introduced Tsukune in a previous recipe, so if you are interested in other Yakitori, definitely check it out.
Enjoy Yakitori in your own style and savor the taste of Japan at home.
Overview
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Total servings: 5
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 300 g Chicken Thigh
- 1 Long Green Onion or Leek (only use white part)
- 1 tsp Cooking Oil
- 1.5 Tbsp Soy Sauce (for the tare)
- 1.5 Tbsp Mirin (for the tare)
- 1.5 Tbsp Cooking Sake (for the tare)
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 5 Bamboo Skewers
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