Chicken Yakitori Recipe

Soak skewers

Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.

Cut chicken thigh and breast into roughly 1-inch pieces for even cooking. Trim chicken skin into similar sized pieces. If using liver and gizzard, trim and cut into bite-sized pieces; par-cook gizzard in simmering water for 20–30 minutes until tender, then slice.

Clean and trim scallions into 1–1.5 inch lengths. Remove stems from mushrooms. Pat all ingredients dry with paper towel; drying helps achieve good sear and lets tare adhere better.

Combine and reduce

In a small saucepan combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, smashed ginger, and smashed garlic. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to low and simmer, uncovered, 10–12 minutes until slightly thickened and reduced by ~20–25%.

Remove the pan from heat. Discard ginger and garlic. Cool the tare; it will thicken a bit more as it cools. Taste and adjust: add 1 tsp sugar if you prefer sweeter, or 1 tsp soy for more saltiness. Reserve 3–4 tbs of tare in a small bowl for basting while grilling and the remainder for serving.

Thread chicken pieces onto soaked skewers grouping by part: make several thigh-only skewers, breast-only skewers, skin-only skewers, liver/gizzard skewers, and mixed skewers alternating meat and scallion or mushroom as desired. Leave a little space between pieces for even heat circulation.

Lightly brush each skewer with neutral oil and season lightly with salt if using tare (it provides salt). If making shio-style skewers, sprinkle coarse salt evenly on skewers right before grilling.

Preheat

Preheat a grill (charcoal or gas) to medium-high heat (about 400°F / 200°C) or heat a heavy cast-iron grill pan over medium-high until hot. Oil grates or pan lightly.

Place skewers on the grill or pan. Cook the first side 2–3 minutes without moving to develop color, then turn and cook another 2–3 minutes. Thicker pieces (thigh) may take 6–8 minutes total; breast pieces 5–7 minutes. Liver cooks faster — about 3–4 minutes total — cook until just set but still slightly pink center to avoid dryness. Skin needs to render and crisp: cook 3–5 minutes per side, watching for flare-ups from fat.

If using shio (salt) style, cook to desired doneness and finish with a squeeze of lemon; no tare glaze needed.

If using tare (sweet soy glaze) style, begin basting with reserved tare after the first flip (midway through cooking). Brush a thin layer, cook 30–60 seconds more, flip and baste again. Repeat 2–3 times to build up a glossy glaze but avoid burning the sugar — move skewers to slightly cooler part of grill if flare-ups occur.

Once skewers are cooked through (internal temp for chicken pieces should reach 74°C / 165°F) and glazed for tare style, remove from heat and rest 2 minutes.

Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and a pinch of shichimi togarashi over glazed skewers if desired. Serve immediately with lemon wedges for shio-style, and extra tare on the side for dipping.

Plate assortments by part so diners can try different textures: crispy skin, tender thigh, lean breast, and richer liver or gizzard.