Description
Backyard barbecue champions adore Japanese chicken yakitori skewers for their simple, smoky flavor that brings friends together around the grill. Marinaded chicken pieces threaded onto wooden skewers and charred to golden perfection make your summer gathering instantly delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
Sauce and Seasonings:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Garnish:
- 1 green onion
Instructions
- Whisk ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons mirin, 2 tablespoons sake, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper into a smooth marinade in a medium bowl.
- Drop chicken pieces into the marinade, ensuring each morsel gets completely coated. Seal the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to develop deeper flavors.
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning during grilling.
- Heat your grill or grill pan to 400°F on medium-high setting.
- Thread marinated chicken pieces onto prepared skewers, spacing them evenly to ensure consistent cooking.
- Place skewers on the hot grill, cooking for 5-7 minutes on the first side until golden brown grill marks appear.
- Flip skewers carefully and grill another 5-7 minutes until internal chicken temperature reaches 165°F.
- Transfer grilled skewers to a clean plate and let them rest for 3 minutes to redistribute juices.
- Sprinkle 1 chopped green onion over the skewers as a fresh, zesty garnish before serving.
Notes
- Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill.
- Don’t overcrowd the skewers, as this can lead to uneven cooking and prevent those delicious caramelized grill marks.
- If cooking indoors, a cast-iron grill pan works perfectly and will give similar char and flavor to outdoor grilling.
- For a low-carb version, swap brown sugar with a sugar-free sweetener like monk fruit or stevia to keep the marinade’s depth of flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 229 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 845 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg