Japanese Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Yakitori
Savor the smoky, charred perfection of tender grilled chicken skewers basted in a rich, sweet-and-savory tare glaze.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Good to know
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill.
- 2
Make the tare (glaze) by simmering soy sauce, mirin, sake, and brown sugar in a small saucepan for 10-15 minutes until it reduces to a syrupy consistency. Let it cool.
- 3
Tightly thread alternating pieces of chicken and scallions onto the skewers, packing them densely so they cook evenly and retain moisture.
- 4
Heat a charcoal grill, broiler, or grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the skewers on the grate.
- 5
Grill for 3 minutes per side until the chicken turns white and begins to firm up.
- 6
Brush generously with the tare glaze, grill for 1 minute until caramelized, then flip, brush the other side, and grill for 1 more minute until glossy and slightly charred.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
71/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving480
Calories
43 g
Protein
26 g
Carbs
17 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Yakitori, skewered grilled chicken, is the heart of Japan's izakaya and street-food culture, cooked over charcoal and brushed with a sweet-savory tare. The whole bird is used across its many cuts, but the home version usually centers on thigh and scallion.
Listahan note
This version builds a proper reduced tare and packs the skewers tightly, the two things that give yakitori its glaze and even cooking off a home grill or broiler.
Technique cues
- Reduce the tare to a syrupy consistency before glazing; a thin sauce slides off instead of lacquering the chicken.
- Thread the chicken and scallion tightly together so the pieces shield each other and stay juicy.
- Cook the chicken through first, then glaze and char briefly; brushing tare on raw chicken just burns the sugar.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Soak the skewers and reduce the tare ahead of time so assembly and grilling go fast.
- Make-ahead
- The tare keeps for weeks refrigerated and improves with use; skewer the chicken a few hours ahead and chill.
- Leftover move
- Slide leftover yakitori off the skewers over rice with extra tare for a quick donburi.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Brush the grill while warm; soak the tare pan right away so the sugar does not harden.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Chicken thighs
The protein
Purpose: Thigh stays juicy over high heat where breast would dry out.
Handling: Cut into even 1-inch pieces so they cook at the same rate.
Adaptation: Chicken breast works if watched closely; mushrooms make a vegetarian skewer.
Scallions
Aromatic partner
Purpose: Charred scallion between the chicken is the classic negima pairing, sweet and smoky.
Handling: Cut into 1-inch lengths and alternate with the chicken.
Adaptation: Leek whites or small onion wedges grill similarly.
Soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar
The tare glaze
Purpose: Reduced together they make the glossy sweet-savory lacquer that defines yakitori.
Handling: Simmer 10 to 15 minutes until syrupy, then cool before brushing.
Adaptation: Use tamari for gluten-free; honey can replace brown sugar.
Bamboo skewers
The vehicle
Purpose: They hold the pieces together for even grilling and easy eating.
Handling: Soak in water at least 30 minutes so they do not burn through.
Adaptation: Metal skewers need no soaking and are reusable.
Technique notes
- Reduce the tare until it is syrupy and reserve some clean sauce for brushing so you never dip a used brush back into the pot.
- Glaze only in the last minute or two; sugar burns fast over direct heat.
- Pack the skewers densely; loosely threaded chicken dries out and spins on the skewer.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Make the tare with tamari and confirm the sake and mirin are gluten-free.
- Vegetarian direction
- Skewer mushrooms, tofu, and scallion and glaze with the same tare made without animal additions.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Use low-sodium soy and lean on the mirin and sugar for the glaze.
Serve alongside
- Steamed rice
- Edamame
- Quick cucumber sunomono
- Miso soup
- Cold lager
- Chilled sake
- Barley tea
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate cooked skewers up to 3 days; store the tare separately.
- Reheat in a hot oven or grill pan and re-glaze to refresh the shine.
- Freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months; re-glaze after reheating.
Equipment
- Charcoal grill, broiler, or grill pan
- Bamboo or metal skewers
- Small saucepan for tare
- Basting brush
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