Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)

Method

1. Make the tare. Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 8–10 minutes until reduced by half and syrupy. It should coat the back of a spoon. Set aside — it thickens further as it cools.

2. Thread the skewers alternating chicken pieces and scallion pieces. Pack them snugly — the pieces should touch each other. This prevents the edges from drying out and creates a more even cook. Each skewer should have 4–5 pieces of chicken.

3. Season with salt — just a light sprinkle. The tare adds plenty of salt later. The initial seasoning is just to flavor the meat before the glaze goes on.

4. Grill over high heat for 2–3 minutes per side until the chicken is cooked through and has char marks. The scallions should be wilted and slightly blackened. If using a broiler, place skewers 3–4 inches from the element.

5. Brush with tare during the last 2 minutes. Apply a coat, flip, apply another coat, flip once more. The sugar in the tare caramelizes on contact with the heat, creating a glossy, lacquered finish. 2–3 coats is ideal — more than that and the glaze gets too thick.

6. Serve immediately with extra tare for dipping. Yakitori is eaten straight off the skewer — no plate needed. Pair with cold beer and steamed rice.

Equipment

• Grill or broiler Recommended: Weber Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill · Also good: Weber Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill
• Bamboo or metal skewers
• Small saucepan (for tare) Recommended: Cuisinart Chef's Classic 3-Quart Saucepan
• Pastry brush Recommended: OXO Good Grips Silicone Pastry Brush
• Tongs Also good: Wok Spatula

Chef Notes

• The most important thing: The tare must be reduced to a thick, syrupy glaze before brushing on the chicken. Thin tare slides off and burns on the grill. Reduce it by half — it should coat the back of a spoon and drip slowly.
• Chicken thighs, not breast. Thighs have more fat and stay juicy over high heat. Breast dries out on the grill before the tare caramelizes.
• Thread the chicken and scallion pieces alternately — chicken, scallion, chicken, scallion. The scallion chars and sweetens between the meat pieces.
• Grill over high direct heat, close to the coals. Yakitori is street food cooked on small charcoal grills — the chicken should be inches from the heat source. A broiler set to high works if you don't have a grill.
• Brush the tare in the last 2 minutes only. Earlier application burns the sugar. Apply 2–3 coats, turning between each.

Common Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitution	Notes
Chicken thighs	Chicken breast or pork belly	Breast: cut smaller, cook less. Pork belly: incredible on yakitori
Mirin	2 tbsp rice vinegar + 1 tbsp sugar	Approximates mirin's sweet-tangy flavor
Sake	Dry white wine	Similar alcohol content for deglazing
Grill	Broiler (high, 3 inches from element)	Works well — rotate skewers every 2 minutes
Scallions	Shishito peppers	Traditional yakitori variation — char the peppers whole

What You're Practicing

Yakitori teaches you tare — the Japanese technique of building a reduction glaze from soy, mirin, and sugar. This same sauce base (with variations) is used for teriyaki, unagi sauce, and dozens of Japanese grilled dishes. Once you master the reduction, you can glaze any protein. Visit Pan and Daughter Sauces for more on reduction sauces.

You're also practicing skewer grilling — threading, spacing, and cooking small pieces of protein over direct high heat. The same technique applies to satay, kebabs, and anticuchos. The key is uniform piece size for even cooking. Explore more at Techniques.