Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)
Updated May 26, 2022
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound chicken livers, gizzards or boneless thigh meat
- ½cup dark soy sauce or tamari
- ¼cup mirin
- 2tablespoons sake or dry sherry
- 1tablespoon brown sugar
- 2garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- ½teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
136 calories; 4 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 1227 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Cut chicken into one-inch pieces and place in a shallow dish.
- Step 2
In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce or tamari, mirin, sake or sherry, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. Bring to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes, until thickened. Reserve 2 tablespoons sauce for serving. Pour remaining sauce over chicken, cover, and chill for at least one hour (and up to 4 hours).
- Step 3
If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for one hour. Preheat grill or broiler. Thread chicken pieces onto skewers, and grill or broil, turning halfway, for about 3 minutes for livers, 10 minutes for gizzards and 6 minutes for thighs. Serve drizzled with reserved sauce and garnished with scallions.
Private Notes
Comments
To make a one-dish, veggie-full meal without the fuss of grilling, simmer chunks of boneless chicken breast or boneless thighs in the mixture described in the recipe. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Add a cup of chicken broth to the pan and simmer chopped bak choy, plus more ginger and garlic, until crisp-tender. Serve over rice. Add sliced jalapenos if you like more heat.
This is a favorite. I use less mirin, more ginger and add a touch of rice wine vinegar for added sharpness. I've also tried it with a touch of dark sesame oil and sprinkled sesame seeds and cilantro on top. Probably not authentic "Yakitori", but delicious nonetheless .
How can this possibly be prepared in 15 minutes? An hour to marinate, several minutes to thread meat onto skewers, plus 13 minutes of actual cook time for thighs--let's be honest.
I tried this with chicken tenders. Yes it worked, and yes it was good - but I would suggest using a fattier opetion like the chicken thighs. Also, I made this with low sodium tamari - and wish there was a way to reduce the sodium further.
Second time making this recipe. This time, I threw the chicken breasts with the marinade into a sous vide at 140 degrees for two hours. As an aside: does soaking skewers really work for anyone?
so easy and so delicious!!! I followed the recipe exactly, and it was a huge hit!! the one thing I forgot was to soak the skewers, and they burned, so don't forget that step!!