Yakitori Chicken Skewers
Summer recipes are so amazing! Most of them are great for picnics, camping, potlucks and so on. When it comes to barbecuing, I have a long list of incredible dishes. I think of steaks 🥩, burgers & hot dogs, rotisseries, vegetables, desserts, etc.
Another type of grilled food 🔥 David and I enjoy a lot are shish kebabs! It can be Shish Tawook, Greek Ouzo Pork Kebabs, Shawarma, Turkish Kebabs, Creole Shrimp & Andouille Skewers, and many more including this one… Yakitori Chicken Skewers!
These are popular street foods that can be found all across Japan. They’re super easy to make and a great addition to your grilling folder! Marinated in a sauce and then barbecued, this is another tasty way to enjoy chicken 🐓!
Although easy peasy, the savory-sweet sauce is what takes the most time, about 10 to 13 minutes ⏰ which is nothing. Made with different Japanese ingredients it’s cooked down until slightly thicker, cooled to room temperature and then poured over the chicken breasts that have been cubed… that’s all!
Mirin and sake 🍶 are ingredients used in the making of the sauce. Although similar, they have their differences. Both are rice wines however mirin is sweeter and thicker in texture and made for cooking while sake has a higher alcohol content and mostly made for drinking.
On the other hand, there’s another kind of sake called “cooking sake” or ryorishu. Let’s not confuse it with the ones that are sold at the liquor store. Ryorishu has added salt 🧂 and is strictly used for cooking, not drinking. It’s poorly made therefore the taste is horrid but gives a nice umami flavor!
The one I use in this Yakitori Chicken Skewers recipe is the one you buy at the liquor store. If you find some “cooking sake” aka ryorishu without the added salt at your Asian supermarket, it’s drinkable but it’s nothing fantastic 😕!
With a nice tasty Asian flare, these Yakitori Chicken Skewers are a different way to enjoy this protein. Served over a bed of rice 🍚 and garnished with chopped green onions, this is a recipe you really want to try this summer! It’s not traditional but you can always add some cherry tomatoes, bell pepper and onion pieces to your skewers…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
Check out these other great BBQ & grilling recipes… 😀
– Grilled Jalapeño Poppers
– Elotes • Grilled Mexican Street Corn
– Pacific Coast Salmon on the BBQ
– Fire Roasted Salsa
– Caribbean Jerk Rotisserie Chicken
– Mushroom Swiss Burgers
– Canadian Smoky Pork Ribs
and for even more barbecue recipes 🔥, click on this link… Recipe Category • BBQ & Grilling
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Yakitori Chicken Skewers
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Ingredients
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup mirin
- 2 tbsp. sake
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. ponzu sauce
- 1 tbsp. ginger, minced
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 2 large (about 1 lb.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp. canola oil, or as needed to coat the BBQ grates tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
- 2 large green onions, chopped
Directions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, ponzu, ginger, and garlic. Stir well and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature, about 45 to 60 minutes.
- In a bowl, add chicken cubes and pour the sauce over, reserving 1/3 cup for basting the skewers later. Stir well, cover and chill for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
- Next day, stir the chicken cubes before skewering them, leaving a little gap between each.
- Bring barbecue temperature between 500ºF to 550ºF and generously coat the grates with canola oil.
- Place skewers on the bbq, close the lid and grill 4 minutes before flipping.
- Baste with the reserved sauce and cook for another 4 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Baste once again before removing the skewers from the heat. Serve them on a bed of rice and garnish with sesame seeds plus chopped green onions.
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