Yakitori Chicken Skewers

[Update March 2021] I have made this recipe a few times now. The skewers are “fancy” when you have people around for dinner but for just a nice quick evening dinner, it is a bit overkill. So I have now simplified and I start by pan-frying the chicken cut in small cubes, then I broil them in the oven on a tray to give them the BBQ burn style. I serve with lots of spring onions and just plain rice. This can be done in 20-30 minutes and it is delicious. The more sauce the better. Sometimes I keep the skins on the tights, which make some nice crispy bit. (does not work for the skewers version)

[Initial post 2nd Dec 2018]: I want to make this one. Called Negima Yakitori.

I have been wondering of Yakitori sauce was a different sauce from soy sauce or plum of fish sauce etc….turns-out it is simple to make with the basic ingredients of Japanese cooking.

Posting on my blog just to remember to try…

Ingredients :

100ml Soy Sauce
100ml Mirin
50ml Sake + 50ml Water (or 100ml Sake if you want more humpffff !)
You can also do 1/3 Soy, 1/3 Mirin, 1/3 Sake
2 tbsp sugar
500g Chicken Tights (boneless and skinless)
Spring onions
Bamboo skewers to hold the chicken during cooking

How to make :

Put Soy, Mirin, Sugar, Water and Sake in saucepan and let cook in medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until sauce is thick and glossy. (It will reduce)
Cut the chicken into 3cm cubes and put on the bamboo skewers spaced with a piece of Spring Onion.
Soak the skewers in water before using them to avoid burning them in the oven. (helps with moist chicken as well)
There are 2 methods: either broiler or saucepan
- Warm a frying pan to medium heat.
- Set the chicken skewers in the pan and baste with the sauce.
- Cook by turning the skewers and basting more and more until fully cooked.
Or with the broiler
- Set the broiler on high
- Put the skewers on aluminium foil over a cooking tray
- turn a couple of times and baste as you cook
keep some of the sauce for a final coating before serving