Recipe

Japanese-Inspired Chicken and Scallion Yakitori

Bite-size chicken thigh pieces and scallions are grilled on skewers with a glossy soy-mirin glaze for a Japanese-inspired street-food plate.

Glazed yakitori chicken skewers on a serving plate
★ — (0)
Print

Ingredients

  • 600 g raw boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 thick scallions (about 120 g), white and light-green parts cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce (45 ml)
  • 1/4 cup mirin (60 ml)
  • 1/4 cup water (60 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar (12 g)
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon neutral oil (5 ml), for the cooking surface

Instructions

  1. Set out 12 short metal skewers suitable for your grill and prepare separate plates for raw and cooked chicken. Cut chicken into uniform pieces and scallions into similar lengths. Keep chicken refrigerated until ready to assemble.
  2. Combine soy sauce, mirin, water, sugar and ginger in a small saucepan. Simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes until lightly syrupy, stirring occasionally. The glaze thickens further as it cools; do not reduce it to a sticky solid.
  3. Pour about one-third of the glaze into a small bowl for cooking and keep the other two-thirds clean for finishing. Use a separate clean spoon or brush for the reserved portion so it never touches raw or partly cooked chicken.
  4. Thread the chicken and scallion pieces alternately onto the 12 skewers, dividing them evenly. Leave a little room between pieces and enough bare handle to turn safely. Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw chicken.
  5. Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high and oil the cooking surface lightly. Cook skewers for about 10 to 14 minutes, turning every few minutes, until nearly cooked through. Reduce heat if the scallions scorch before the chicken cooks.
  6. Brush with the cooking portion of glaze during the last 2 to 3 minutes, turning to set the coating. Continue until the thickest chicken pieces reach 165 F (74 C) on a thermometer. Check several skewers rather than relying only on browning.
  7. Discard any glaze left in the cooking bowl and wash its brush. Transfer cooked skewers to the clean serving plate. Spoon the untouched finishing glaze over them or offer it in small individual dipping bowls.
  8. Serve three skewers per person. Warn diners that metal handles remain hot and offer a fork to slide the pieces off safely. Rice and additional sauces are optional and not included in the estimate.

Small pieces of chicken thigh stay juicy while scallions soften and sweeten alongside them. A reduced soy-mirin glaze provides a shiny, savory-sweet finish. Rather than soaking raw chicken in the sauce, this recipe keeps clean finishing glaze separate and brushes a small cooking portion onto the skewers near the end.

This Japanese-inspired home adaptation uses a grill pan or outdoor grill and makes twelve small skewers. It is a snack-sized serving of three skewers per person; rice or other accompaniments are separate. Metal skewers avoid the need for a wooden-skewer soaking step.

Glaze and mirin

Mirin is a sweet rice seasoning that may contain alcohol; cooking does not guarantee complete alcohol removal. Choose a suitable alcohol-free alternative if needed, checking sweetness and allergens.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked chicken off the skewers in covered containers and use within 3 days. Reheat to 165 F (74 C). Keep any clean leftover sauce separate and never save sauce that contacted raw chicken.

Cooking control

Uniform chicken pieces and moderate heat matter more than dramatic charring. A sugary glaze burns quickly, which is why it is applied near the end rather than throughout cooking.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use chicken breast?

Yes, but it dries more easily. Cut even pieces and stop cooking once they reach 165 F (74 C); the nutrition estimate here uses thighs.

Can I use wooden skewers?

Follow the skewer manufacturer instructions, soak when recommended and shield exposed ends from direct heat. The listed preparation time assumes metal skewers.

Nutrition notes

Nutrition values are approximate editorial estimates per serving, not laboratory measurements or a verified nutritional analysis. Actual values vary with brands, portion size and substitutions. These original recipe drafts have not been kitchen-tested; cooking times are guides.

Conservative estimate counts all prepared glaze, even though some cooking glaze is discarded, plus chicken thighs and cooking oil. Mirin and soy-sauce brands change sugars and sodium. Rice is excluded.

Allergen information: Soy; Wheat (soy sauce; some mirin-style seasonings may contain other allergens). Check all ingredient labels and individual dietary needs.

Illustrative photograph: Yakitori.jpg by Tiia Monto. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photograph included at the supplied resolution without additional visual edits; filename changed for organization. This is not a photograph of a test cook of this recipe. Representative yakitori photographed in France; skewers and accompaniments may differ. The photograph retains its stated license.

Per serving

Nutrition facts

Serving size: 3 small skewers with one-quarter of the available finishing glaze (estimated nutrition)

Calories
280
Total fat
14 g
Saturated fat
3 g
Cholesterol
140 mg
Sodium
530 mg
Total carbohydrate
14 g
Dietary fiber
1 g
Total sugars
10 g
Protein
28 g

More to cook

You may also like

Recipe tags