Easy Japanese Chicken Yakitori! No. Super easy. A favourite Japanese street food that we order every week along with another favourite…Simple Chicken Teriyaki StirFry. Only now…no more ordering out. There’s no need when you can make food just as good at home.
I love Yakitori. I love the simplicity of something so incredibly delicious. I love the caramelised Yakitori Sauce. Authentic Japanese Yakitori with only a slight difference from the traditional.
Asking my local Japanese take out, she gave me some simple tips. A meal that normally costs us $70 now will only cost less than $20.
Breaking only one of the traditional rules of Yakitori, she explained that she uses brown sugar in the sauce instead of normal sugar, with a cheeky smile planted on her face. She just prefers it. That’s it. I’ve seen a few recipes for Yakitori using cornflour to thicken the sauce, but it’s not needed as the sugar caramelises it into a beautiful thick syrup-like sauce.
Cut your chicken in cubes; and brush the sauce over the chicken continuously during grilling (or baste with a baster, or use a metal spoon to keep infusing the Yakitori flavour into the chicken). If you don’t have a grill, use your oven under the grill/broiler. As long as the end result is a charred flavour…you hit Yakitori gold!
Brush with extra (reserved) sauce after grilling….
There’s no such thing as enough sauce…
And serve over steamed rice. Just as good as take-out!
Easy Chicken Yakitori
Weight Watchers: 4pp per skewer!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Sake
- 1/4 cup Mirin
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 clove garlic , smashed with the back of your knife
- 8 large shallots/spring onions (scallions), cut into 2-inch length pieces (whiter ends only. Reserve the darker green parts for final garnish).
- 500 g |17oz skinless and boneless chicken thigh fillets , diced into 1-inch cubes
- 8 wooden skewers
Instructions
- Soak skewers in cold water for 30 minutes.
- While skewers are soaking, combine soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, water and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil; reduce heat down to low, and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until sauce has reduced and thickened (keep your eye on the sauce as it can over flow once thickened). Once thickened, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Remove the garlic clove with a small spoon. Reserve 1/4 of the sauce for final dipping. *See Notes
- Thread chicken cubes and onion pieces alternately onto skewers; brush over with sauce. Preheat grill on high heat until hot. Place skewers on your grill, glazing with sauce again just before turning (after about 3-4 minutes). Glaze the other side with sauce once turned, and again before removing off the heat.
- Serve with rice and reserved dipping sauce. Garnish with the extra shallots/scallions, thinly sliced.
Jocelyne says
Hi I would love to try this but I do not have sake, can i still make this? Thank you!
Karina says
Yes definitely Jocelyn! Or you can use a rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you have those 🙂
Christine says
If your cooking it in the oven, what temperature would you recommend?
Karina says
Hi Christine. I haven’t cooked these in the oven, but I can suggest trying by preheating the oven at 200C or 400F, and baking until done (possibly around 20 minutes). Not sure as I haven’t done this myself, but if you do try it out, please let me know 🙂
Ariun says
Can you post picture of sake that you use?
Karina says
I don’t have any here unfortunately!
[email protected] says
Did you use sweet Soy sauce or a salty one??
Karina says
The normal salty soy sauce 🙂