Yakitori Chicken Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

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Yakitori chicken skewers are juicy and perfectly charred, topped with a sweet and smoky glaze. Inspired by Japanese street food, they’ll be the best thing you grill this summer!

Skewers are one of my favorite things to make because they’re so easy and the whole family loves them! Teriyaki beef skewers, Thai chicken skewers, and grilled Asian garlic steak skewers are more tasty recipes to keep the family satisfied all summer long.

Yakitori Chicken Recipe - The Recipe Critic (1)

What is Chicken Yakitori?

Yakitori is a Japanese street food, yaki meaning ’grilled’ and tori meaning ”bird.” These juicy chicken skewers are tender, saucy, and perfect for enjoying on the go! Today’s recipe is inspired by those delicious street food flavors that you can easily recreate at home! Yakitori chicken is coated in a tasty homemade sauce, made with ingredients like soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and rice wine for a flavor that is everything from sweet to savory to tangy!

Not only are these chicken skewers insanely good, but they only take a few minutes to grill up! 4-6 minutes on each side is just enough time for all of the delicious flavors of the yakitori sauce to sear into the chicken pieces. It’s a quick and easy dish you can serve as both a snack and a meal. Pair your yakitori with white rice for a simple dinner the whole family will love! My kids can’t get enough and always ask for seconds. I’m sure your family will love it too!

What You’ll Need

Yakitori chicken uses a lot of simple ingredients, but you will need to make the sauce from scratch for the best flavor possible. Find the full recipe for yakitori sauce here! Measurements for all of the other ingredients can be found in the recipe card below.

  • Yakitori Sauce: The sauce for chicken yakitori is similar to teriyaki, but adds in sake and mirin rice wine for tangier flavor.
  • Chicken Thighs: I used chicken thighs here because they’re so juicy and tender! You can also swap these out for chicken breasts or gizzards. No matter what you use, just make sure it’s cut into 1-inch pieces so they cook evenly on the grill.
  • Skewers: Metal or bamboo skewers both work.
  • Green Onions: Add for garnish! Green onions add a hint of savory flavor that complements these skewers perfectly.

How to Make Yakitori Chicken

These skewers are so simple to make! It’s the perfect quick and easy meal for busy summer weekdays. Find more easy and delicious grilling recipes here!

  1. Make Sauce, Toss With Chicken: Prepare yakitori sauce. Add the pieces of chicken to a medium-sized bowl. Add half of the sauce and toss chicken to coat.
  2. Prep Skewers: Thread each skewer with chicken.
  3. Grill: Turn the grill to medium high. Add the skewers onto the grill. Cook the skewers for 4-6 minutes. Then flip and baste with sauce. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked throughout and no longer pink.
  4. Baste: Baste with sauce. Remove from the grill and serve over white rice and garnish with green onions if desired.
Yakitori Chicken Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2)

Tips for Grilling Chicken

Here are a few simple tips to keep in mind as you grill so that your skewers turn out perfectly soft and tender!

  • Soak Skewers: If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water before threading with chicken and adding them to the grill. This will prevent them from catching fire.
  • Cook Low and Slow: I like to cook my skewers on medium to medium-high heat. If your grill is too hot, this may cook your yakitori unevenly or burn it.
  • Check Temperature: Using a thermometer is a quick and easy way to check if your grilled chicken is done. You’ll know it’s done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. This is also a great way to know when to take it off the grill so it doesn’t overcook. If your internal temperatures are anything over 165 degrees, your chicken may turn out dry.
  • Let Rest: I always like to let my chicken rest for a few minutes after I pull it off the grill. This way, it absorbs all of those tasty juices necessary for the most tender texture possible!
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Storing Leftover Yakitori

Your yakitori chicken is best served fresh, but you can store it for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. When reheating, make sure internal temperatures reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit before consuming.

Yakitori Chicken Recipe - The Recipe Critic (4)

More Amazing Skewer Recipes

Skewers make dinnertime easy! Plus, they’re delicious. You have tasty grilled vegetables and tender meat all in one place! These are a few more recipes to try this grilling season. They work as both an appetizer and a meal! Your friends and family are going to love them. They’re just too good to resist.

Dinner

Grilled Tuscan Pork Skewers

20 mins

Dinner

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Veggie Skewers

Dinner

Herbed Lemon Garlic Chicken Skewers

55 mins

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Yakitori Chicken

3.50 from 2 votes

By: Alyssa Rivers

Yakitori chicken skewers are juicy and perfectly charred, topped with a sweet and smoky glaze. Inspired by Japanese street food, they'll be the best thing you grill this summer!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe for yakitori sauce
  • 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 4-6 metal or bamboo skewers
  • green onions for garnish

Instructions

  • Prepare yakitori sauce. Add the chicken in a medium sized bowl. Add half of the sauce and toss chicken to coat.

  • Thread each skewer with chicken.

  • Turn the grill to medium high. Add the skewers onto the grill. Cook the skewers for 4-6 minutes. Then flip and baste with sauce. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked throughout and no longer pink.

  • Baste with sauce. Remove from the grill and serve over white rice and garnish with green onions if desired.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 561kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 41gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 222mgSodium: 2932mgPotassium: 627mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 177IUCalcium: 36mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Japanese

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

Read More About Me

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Yakitori Chicken Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is yakitori sauce made of? ›

What is yakitori sauce made of? Yakitori sauce is a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sake and caster sugar. This sauce is then used as a marinade, traditionally for chicken.

What makes yakitori so good? ›

One fundamental of yakitori cuisine is the grill. While electric grills are available, charcoal is what gives yakitori its traditional, delicious smoky flavor. A traditional Japanese charcoal made from oak called "binchotan" is considered the best for yakitori.

How do you cut chicken breast for yakitori? ›

Cut the pieces of breast so that you end up with 25 even bite-size rectangular pieces. Starting with the thinnest pieces of meat, pinch the meat so that the shiny side faces up and skewer directly through the middle of the meat.

What goes with chicken yakitori? ›

Chicken yakitori is an easy Japanese dish to make at home. Serve with white rice and sake for an easy but special meal!

What is yakitori seasoning? ›

Spices (SESAME Seed (12%), Dried Red Chilli Pepper (8%), Garlic Granules, Dried Onion, Poppy Seeds, Ground Ginger, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper), Sea Salt, Dried Orange Peel (11%), Brown Sugar, Dried Red Bell Peppers, Dried Soy Sauce (Maltodextrin, Salt, SOYA Beans, WHEAT) Product details.

What is the best yakitori dish? ›

Negima (Grilled Chicken Skewers With Green Onion)

Negima is a staple on many yakitori restaurant and izakaya menus. Alternate chunks of juicy chicken with young leeks or scallions, grill, and baste with sweet-salty tare.

How healthy is yakitori? ›

Yakitori Has Health Benefits

Unsurprisingly, this simple Japanese dish is high in protein and healthy for us! It's part of why people are after sushi and yakitori catering, for the fantastic health benefits. Yakitori is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and can help energize you.

What is the most popular yakitori? ›

Negima (ねぎま) is one of the most popular types of yakitori and consists of pieces of chicken (usually thigh meat) skewered with pieces of leek in between.

How many yakitori skewers per person? ›

Yakitori can be ordered in plates containing enough for a specified number of people, or by individual skewers. A plate for a single person will have three to six skewers.

What is the main artery in yakitori? ›

For yakitori master Atsushi Kono, every part of the chicken is worth honoring, from its main artery known as hatsumoto, to its neck skin and belly skin, to yes, especially the knee bone.

What is the name of the chicken breast yakitori? ›

Sasami ささみ

Small pieces of breast meat, usually topped with wasabi to refresh your palate. Since it's the least fatty part of the chicken, sasami is usually served medium rare to prevent it from tasting dry and tough.

What is yakitori chicken in English? ›

Yakitori (Japanese: 焼き鳥) (literally 'grilled bird') is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves attaching the meat to a skewer, typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials, after which it is grilled over a charcoal fire.

What do you drink with yakitori? ›

Yakitori sake pairing

As mentioned above, yakitori comes in two different flavors, so the sake selection will vary depending on which flavor to prioritize when it comes to precision pairing. However, to choose a sake that can go well with both contrasting flavors, rich and dry junmai daiginjo might be a great bet.

What is another name for yakitori? ›

Both yakitori and kushiyaki are used interchangeably in Japanese society to refer to skewered meat collectively; however, when referring to a specific item, yakitori will not be used unless the primary meat is chicken.

What does yakitori sauce taste like? ›

Yakitori sauce has a soy sauce base and then is flavored with brown sugar, garlic, cooking rice wine, and sake! The flavor is amazing. It's everything you could want from a glaze for grilled meats! Sweet, smoky, and savory with a hint of tang.

What is the difference between yakitori tare and teriyaki sauce? ›

Both can be used interchangeably in home cooking. The main difference is that yakitori sauce is only used for grilled chicken in Japan. Teriyaki sauce is used for a wider variety of grilled meats, vegetables and tofu, and is used as a marinade as well as a cooking sauce.

What is the difference between yakitori and yakisoba? ›

Yakitori refers to pieces of chicken meat on skewers of wood. This can be enjoyed with only salt Yakitori Shio (salt) or Syoyuu (soy sauce/teriyaki sauce). Yakisoba is noodles stir fried with some vegetables and garnished with laver.

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