Chicken yakitori

Chicken yakitori are incredibly easy Japanese chicken skewers that take no time to make with deliciously tasty results. Perfect to add to your summer grilling menu (or any time).

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In summer in particular, there's nothing quite like skewers cooked on the grill. Though to be honest, they are great for snacking on any time of year. And that's exactly what happens with these chicken skewers in Japan.

They are a popular snack in an izakaya, a kind of bar that serves snacks and beers, and you'll also find specialized yakitori restaurants that will have a range of types.

Yakitori variations

The main variation is the cut of chicken. Most stick with one type per skewer, so you can get ones just with chicken breast, others with thigh and various other cuts like heart, liver or wings. Then the other main difference is whether they are simply seasoned with salt or with a soy-based sauce. 

The sauce, when used, is called "tare" and is typically simply soy, mirin and/or sake and sugar. You can also add some ginger and garlic if you like as well, though I have kept it simple here. 

In general, all of the skewers are made just with chicken then the seasoning. The only exception is this one that includes pieces of spring onion in between the pieces of chicken thigh (negima yakitori). To me, it's probably the tastiest, which may be partly why it's the most popular in Japanese restaurants outside the country.

You cut the chunks of meat and lengths of spring onion into the same length. Then you use a flat skewer to make sure they lie flat when you cook them. This way, everything gets equal contact with the grill.

It's important to note the meat is NOT marinated. You simply use the sauce to baste the skewers as they cook.

You could argue this means they pick up a little less flavor, but it also means the saltiness in the mixture doesn't start breaking down the texture of the meat either. So, they stay really juicy which is a decent trade off.

Cooking and serving tips

Make sure you separate out just part of the sauce to baste with so you don't cross-contaminate the sauce. That way, any leftover can be used for dipping the skewers when they are done. If you cross-contaminate, you will need to re-boil the sauce before using.

These work particularly well on the grill for flavor, but I'd suggest you cook them on foil or other grate that you oil to save them sticking. If you can't grill outside, you can cook them under the broiler/overhead grill. If so, baste both sides during cooking since the heat comes from above.

These skewers are traditionally a tapas-like appetizer, and they are certainly great to snack on and perfect finger food. But you could add various other dishes to make them more of a meal or serve with some rice and vegetables, for example.

Chicken yakitori are so easy to make and have a delicious mix of juicy chicken and flavorful, salty (with a hint of sweet) glaze/sauce. So much flavor with so little effort - every reason to have them again soon.

Try these other skewers for the grill:

• Sosaties (South African lamb skewers with curry and apricot)
• Tandoori shrimp (prawns)
• Anticuchos de carne (Peruvian beef skewers with a chili marinade)
• Plus get more summer recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

I drew on a few recipes for this, including Just One Cookbook and Recipe Tin Japan. 

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