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Chicken Yakitori Skewers

Chicken Yakitori Skewers

This Japanese classic features tender chicken pieces grilled and basted with a sweet and savory teriyaki glaze. Perfect for appetizers or main courses, these skewers bring a delightful blend of smoky, umami flavors that will impress your guests and become a staple at your barbecues.

Yakitori and teriyaki sauce both have a base of soy sauce and sugar, however teriyaki sauce is made with ginger and garlic, giving it a slightly firerier flavour.

Yakitori sauce is only used for grilled chicken in Japan. Teriyaki sauce is used for a wider variety of grilled meats, vegetables and tofu, and is used as a marinade as well as a cooking sauce. 

Recipe Credit:  Nick Rourke

Cooking surfaces

BBQ Temperature

200°C

Ingredients

    • 1 kg chicken thighs, deboned and skinned, and cut into 3 strips each
    • 2 tsp Maldon salt
    • pinch of ground black pepper
    • 3 spring onions, chopped into 5 cm segments

    For the Teriyaki sauce

    • 1 cup Japanese soy sauce (Shoyu Sauce)
    • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
    • 1 cup Mirin
    • 1/2 cup Sake (cooking sake is fine)

      Method

      1. Chop your chicken thighs into 3 strips and put into a large bowl with 2 tsp salt and some ground black pepper.
      2. Thread 2 to 3 pieces of chicken on skewer by weaving through the skewer a couple of times, (enough meat so when squeezed together about 2 to 3 cms) then thread a piece of spring onion onto the skewer.
      3. Continue alternating every few pieces of chicken with spring onion, until chicken and spring onions have all been used up on threaded skewers.

      For the Teriyaki sauce

      1.  Mix all the ingredients in a small saucepan.
      2. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.  This takes about 20 minutes.
      3. Remove from the heat.  You can set it aside to cool or use immediately when you cook the skewers.

      To cook the skewers

      1. Set up your Egg for a direct cook with the stainless steel grid at 200°C.
      2. Place your chicken skewers directly on to the grid.  Cook and turn frequently, until chicken is well browned and spring onions are tender.
      3. Season with salt and pepper 2 to 3 times during the cook.
      4. Cook them until the chicken reaches 74°C about 10 minutes. Being thigh, it can handle being cooked past 74°C.
      5. Brush the chicken and spring onions with the teriyaki sauce and cook for 30 seconds.  Turn brush second side with teriyaki sauce and cook for 3o seconds longer.
      6. Remove chicken from the grill and allow to rest for 1 to 2 minutes.  Brush with additional glaze and serve immediately.
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