Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)

By James Kimble August 12, 2024 5 mins read 139 Views

This yakitori recipe combines tender chunks of chicken and green onions with a flavorful blend of sweet, savory, and aromatic ingredients. These delicious chicken skewers can be cooked on a grill or outdoor griddle and make the perfect main dish or appetizer!

Yakitori is a popular Japanese street food that features grilled meat skewers, made out of chicken, liver, or gizzards, then marinated in a rich blend of dark soy sauce, sherry, mirin, brown sugar, and other fragrant ingredients. This recipe is easy and perfect for casual weekend gatherings or meal prep.

Yakitori ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can also use 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs) cut into 1-inch pieces
6 green onions, thick white and green portions only, cut into 3/4-inch wide pieces
toasted sesame seeds (garnish)
2 tablespoons chopped green onion (green parts only for garnish)
9 wooden or bamboo skewers
For marinade:
1/2 cup dark soy sauce (sub with gluten-free soy sauce or tamari)
1/4 cup dry sherry (sub with sake)
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons chopped green onions (green part only)
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon veg oil
1/2 teaspoon togarashi (Japanese 7 spice mixture), optional

Marinating and Skewering

making-yakitori-marinade — Making the marinade

chicken-pieces-in-yakitori-marinade — Making the marinade

Place marinade ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium-
heat for 3-4 minutes.
Reduce heat to low, and simmer for the remaining 3 minutes until thickened.
Let mixture cool for 15 minutes.
Set aside a few tablespoons of mixture to use as a yakitori sauce during plating.
Place cut-up chicken breasts (or thighs) in a zip-top bag. Pour the remaining marinade mixture over the top.
Toss to coat, seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes in lukewarm water.
To thread: Start with 1 piece of green onion, followed by 3 pieces of chicken, another green onion piece, 3 more pieces of chicken, and cap with a piece of green onion.
Set the chicken skewers on a baking sheet and ready the grill.

How to cook yakitori on your grill or griddle

Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers) — Raw skewers

yakitori cooked on Big Green Egg — Raw skewers

We cooked these chicken yakitori skewers over charcoal using our Big Green Egg XL. However, you can cook them on a pellet grill, gas grill, or flat-top unit, like a Blackstone griddle.
Preheat the grill or the griddle to 375 degrees F, or medium-high heat.
Oil grates or add a little oil to the griddle.
Place chicken skewers on grill or griddle and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Check multiple skewers to ensure doneness.
Once cooked through, remove the yakitori from the grill or griddle.

To plate: place the grilled chicken skewers on a platter, drizzle with reserved yakitori sauce, and top with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions before serving.
Serve with rice, grilled vegetables like asparagus or shishito peppers, and Asian style coleslaw.
Store leftover yakitori in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe alternatives

Vegetarian: For a vegetarian version, you can make yakitori with tofu or mushrooms instead of chicken. Marinate the tofu or mushrooms for 30 minutes and cook skewers 3 minutes per side.
Seafood: Make delicious seafood yakitori with shrimp, cubed salmon, or other types of fish. Marinate for 30-45 minutes and adjust the grilling time according to the type of seafood you choose.
Spicy: To spice up your yakitori, add red pepper flakes, Sriracha, or cayenne pepper to the marinade.
Citrus: To give the yakitori a refreshing and zesty flavor, enhance the marinade with 2 tablespoons of orange juice or 1 tablespoon yuzu.
Sesame: For an extra nutty flavor, consider adding 2 teaspoons of sesame oil to the marinade.

Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)

Yakitori is a popular Japanese street food that features grilled meat skewers marinated in a rich blend of dark soy sauce, sherry, mirin, brown sugar, and fragrant spices. This recipe is easy to make and is perfect for casual weekend gatherings or meal prep.

Course Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword chicken yakitori, grilled yakitori, Japanese chicken skewers

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 10

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 168kcal

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (you can also use 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs) cut into 1″ thick pieces
6 green onions thick white and green portions only, cut into 3/4″ wide pieces
toasted sesame seeds garnish
2 tablespoons chopped green onion green parts only for garnish
9 wooden skewers
For marinade:
1/2 cup dark soy sauce sub with gluten-free soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons chopped green onions green part only
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons water
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon veg oil
1/2 teaspoon togarashi Japanese 7 spice mixture, optional

Instructions

Place marinade ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium-
heat for 3-4 minutes.
Reduce heat to low, and simmer for the remaining 3 minutes until thickened.
Let mixture cool for 15 minutes.
Set aside a few tablespoons of mixture to drizzle over cooked yakitori.
Place cut-up chicken breasts (or thighs) in a zip-top bag. Pour the remaining marinade mixture over the top.
Toss to coat, seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes in lukewarm water.
To thread: Start with 1 piece of green onion, followed by 3 pieces of chicken, another green onion piece, 3 more pieces of chicken, and cap with a piece of green onion.
Preheat the grill or the griddle to 375 degrees F. Oil grates or add a little oil to the griddle.
Place chicken skewers on grill or griddle and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Check multiple skewers to ensure doneness.
Once cooked through, remove the yakitori from the grill or griddle.
To plate: place the grilled chicken skewers on a platter, drizzle with reserved sauce, and top with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions before serving.
Store leftover yakitori in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

Recipe alternatives

Vegetarian: For a vegetarian version, you can make yakitori with tofu or mushrooms instead of chicken. Marinate the tofu or mushrooms for 30 minutes and cook skewers 3 minutes per side.
Seafood: Make delicious seafood yakitori with shrimp, cubed salmon, or other types of fish. Marinate for 30-45 minutes and adjust the grilling time according to the type of seafood you choose.
Spicy: To spice up your yakitori, add red pepper flakes, Sriracha, or cayenne pepper to the marinade.
Citrus: To give the yakitori a refreshing and zesty flavor, enhance the marinade with 2 tablespoons of orange juice or 1 tablespoon yuzu.
Sesame: For an extra nutty flavor, consider adding 2 teaspoons of sesame oil to the marinade.