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A plate of grilled chicken yakitori topped with sesame seeds and green onions.
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Yakitori Recipe

This yakitori recipe is bite sized pieces of chicken that are grilled on skewers and coated in a sweet and savory glaze. A unique and unexpected appetizer or main course option that always gets rave reviews from family and friends.
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 333kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the skewers

  • 1 1/4 pounds chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon green onions sliced

For the sauce

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions

For the sauce

  • Place the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, honey, sesame oil and rice vinegar in a small pot over medium high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil.
  • Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce and boil for 1-2 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

For the chicken

  • Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers that have been soaked in cold water. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then brush the vegetable oil over the skewers.
  • Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium heat.
  • Cook the chicken for 4 minutes per side. Brush the sauce over the chicken and cook for an additional 2 minutes per side.
  • Brush more sauce over the chicken, then cook for another minute per side.
  • Brush a final layer of sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve.

Video

Notes

  1. I like to use chicken thighs for this recipe because they are more flavorful and are less likely to dry out on the grill. However, you can use chicken breasts if you prefer. Or you can switch things up and try cubes of pork tenderloin or sirloin steak.
  2. Soak your wood skewers in cold water for 30 minutes so that they don’t burn on the grill.
  3. The sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge. You can even make a double batch of the sauce, and freeze some for later use.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 725mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 126IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg