Yakitori (Japanese Skewered Chicken)
Yakitori is Japanese skewered chicken, cooked on a grill with a sweet soy and mirin glaze. This recipe combines juicy chicken thigh pieces with crunchy vegetables and smoky bacon-wrapped asparagus, grilled to perfection for delicious finger food.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 15 pieces Bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes
- 750 g Skinless chicken thigh fillets cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 30 pieces Green onion sliced about 3cm long (firm white and green parts only)
- 4 small Onions cut horizontally into 1.3 to 1.5cm thick slices
- 10 spears Asparagus thick, trimmed to about 15cm length and 1.3cm diameter
- 40 pieces English bacon thin streaky, around 7cm long
- 185 ml Soy sauce
- 185 ml Mirin
- 2.5 tablespoon Sugar
Instructions
Instructions
- Add soy sauce, mirin and sugar to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce by a third.
- Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning while grilling.
- Cut chicken thighs into 2.5cm cubes.
- Slice green onions into 3cm pieces using firm white and green parts. Slice small onions horizontally into thick slices (1.3-1.5cm). Trim asparagus spears to about 15cm length.
- Thread chicken and green onion pieces alternately onto soaked skewers for negima skewers.
- Thread about 5 pieces of chicken thigh onto skewers for momo skewers.
- Thread 2 onion slices onto each skewer for onion rings.
- Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, cool in ice water, cut into 3cm pieces. Wrap bacon around pieces (except last 2) and thread onto skewers.
- Heat grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill chicken and onion skewers 3-4 minutes per side, basting with sauce for glaze.
- Grill bacon & asparagus skewers for 3 minutes per side without basting until bacon is golden.
- Alternatively, grill skewers under oven grill/broiler on a rack 5cm from heat source, basting with sauce, turning and cooking until slightly charred and cooked through.
- Remove skewers from grill and serve immediately.
Notes
Soaking the bamboo skewers prevents burning. Cooking times may vary depending on grill and skewer load. Use quick release on pressure cooker carefully to avoid hot steam accidents.