Description
Succulent yakitori skewers from Japan blend tender chicken pieces with a glossy, umami-rich tare sauce that elevates grilling traditions. Charcoal-kissed meats and precise seasoning invite diners to savor authentic street-food flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce
- ½ cup (120 ml) mirin
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sake
- 2 tbsps sugar
- 4–6 green onions (scallions), cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-inch piece ginger, sliced
- bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
Instructions
- Glaze Preparation: Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a saucepan, creating a flavor-packed base for the yakitori sauce.
- Sauce Reduction: Bring the mixture to a vigorous boil, then immediately lower heat to a gentle simmer. Allow the liquid to reduce and concentrate, stirring occasionally to prevent burning and develop a rich, glossy texture over 10-15 minutes.
- Refinement: Strain the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve, eliminating garlic and ginger solids while preserving the smooth, intense sauce. Let the glaze cool to room temperature, allowing its flavors to meld and slightly thicken.
- Final Touch: The resulting glaze will transform your grilled proteins with a luxurious coating that captures the quintessential sweet, salty, and umami essence of authentic Japanese yakitori.
Notes
- Manage Heat Carefully: Control simmering temperature to prevent burning or over-reducing the glaze, which can make the sauce bitter and lose its delicate flavor balance.
- Strain for Smoothness: Use a fine-mesh sieve to remove garlic and ginger solids, ensuring a silky, professional-quality sauce with pure, clean flavors.
- Monitor Glaze Consistency: Watch the sauce thicken gradually; it should coat the back of a spoon without being too runny or overly sticky for optimal glazing.
- Rest and Develop Flavor: Let the glaze cool at room temperature to allow natural flavor concentration and achieve a more complex, rounded taste profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 980 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg