3 Creative Ways to Cook Yakitori with a Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, and Air Fryer

Name: Yakitori
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
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

Use the Slow Cooker to Tenderize Yakitori Meat Before Skewering and Grilling

While yakitori is traditionally grilled, you can use the slow cooker to create a tender base for your meat before skewering. Use the "low" setting to cook your chicken thighs or pork in a flavorful marinade, letting them soak up all the goodness. Afterward, skewer and briefly grill or air-fry for that smoky finish.

Speed Up Yakitori Prep with the Instant Pot: Sauté and Pressure Cook for Tender, Flavorful Skewers

Use the Instant Pot’s "saute" function to simmer your yakitori marinade and infuse the flavors. Then, place your skewered meat inside and use the "pressure cook" setting for a fast, tender cooking process that locks in flavor, cutting down on traditional grilling time.

Perfectly Charred Yakitori in Minutes: Use the Air Fryer for Juicy, Grilled-Style Skewers

The air fryer is perfect for cooking yakitori without a grill. After marinating your skewers, set the air fryer to "air crisp" for a few minutes to get that beautifully charred, caramelized surface, mimicking the effect of a grill while keeping the meat juicy inside.

Tips and Suggestions 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.

Classic Yakitori Recipe

                        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.

                    

Cooking Time

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

                    

Traditional Yakitori