Traditional Yakitori Recipe
2022-10-31
By Sakura Chef
Japanese Cuisine
Main Course
Make a delicious Japanese dish with this easy recipe for Yakitori. Using simple ingredients like chicken, soy sauce, and ginger, this dish is perfect for any occasion.
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A popular Japanese dish that consists of skewered, grilled chicken. The dish originated in the Kanto region of Japan, which includes Tokyo and the surrounding areas.
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In the traditional preparation of Yakitori, small pieces of chicken are skewered and grilled over a charcoal fire until cooked through.
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The most commonly used cuts of chicken for Yakitori are the thigh and the breast, which are marinated in soy sauce, sake, and mirin (a sweet rice wine) before being grilled.
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Yakitori is often served with a variety of dipping sauces, such as tare (a sweet and salty sauce) or shio (a simple salt and citrus juice mixture).
Pitfalls on Yakitori
Choosing the right cuts of meat: Yakitori is made with small skewers of different cuts of chicken, including breast, thigh, and liver. Choosing the right cuts of meat is essential to the final taste and texture of the dish.
Balancing flavors: The sauce used in Yakitori is a blend of soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake. Getting the balance of flavors just right can be tricky and requires careful measurement and mixing.
Cooking the chicken evenly: Yakitori is cooked over hot coals, and ensuring that the chicken is cooked evenly without charring or undercooking is challenging. Proper temperature control and attention to cooking time are necessary to get the perfect texture.
Choosing the right skewers: Yakitori typically uses bamboo or metal skewers, and choosing the right size and type of skewer can affect the cooking process and the overall flavor of the dish.
Consistency: Yakitori is often sold in restaurants or food stalls and ensuring consistency in the final product can be challenging. Proper measurement of ingredients, cooking time, and temperature control are necessary to ensure that customers receive a consistent product.
Ingredients
1 lb chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
4-5 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix together soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, garlic, and ginger.
Add chicken pieces to the bowl and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat grill or broiler to medium-high heat.
Skewer chicken and green onions alternately onto skewers.
Grill or broil until chicken is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally.
Brush with remaining marinade while cooking.
Serve hot.
Preparation Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 50 min
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 260
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 11 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sugar: 9 g
Protein: 28 g
Regional Ingredients Variations of Yakitori
Tokyo, they may use tender chicken thigh meat, marinated in a soy sauce, sake, and mirin mixture, and grilled with scallions, creating a dish known as "Negima Yakitori".
Osaka, they may use chicken wings, each skewered individually, and glazed with a sweet and savory sauce made with soy sauce, sake, honey, and mayonnaise, creating a dish known as "Tebasaki Yakitori".
Hokkaido, they may use chunks of Hokkaido-grown potatoes, skewered and grilled with bacon or beef, and basted with a garlic butter sauce, creating a dish known as "Jaga-bacon Yakitori".
Kagoshima, they may use slices of Kurobuta (Berkshire) pork belly, marinated in a sweet soy sauce and grilled until the fat is crispy, creating a dish known as "Kurobuta Yakitori".
Hiroshima, they may use fresh oysters skewered and grilled with green onions and a brush of soy sauce and butter, creating a dish known as "Kaki Yakitori".
Try this easy recipe for Yakitori and enjoy it as a main course! Share your lovely dish on your socials with the following hashtags #yakitori #Japanesefood #chicken #soysauce #ginger #grill #broil #Kanto #hiverecipes