Japanese Chicken Skewers – Yakitori (Super Easy!)

Japanese Chicken Skewers, AKA Yakitori, and a BIG GLASS OF BEER is the best way to celebrate the weekend! Juicy bites of chicken thigh alternating with bites of fragrant green onion, then coated in a sweet-savory “tare” sauce that’s super super addicting. You can cook them on the grill this weekend, or in a pan to keep things easy. These chicken skewers take 30 minutes to cook and prep, but will be gone in a flash! If you are unsure what to make this weekend, trust me, Japanese Chicken Skewers is the way to go! 

Easy Homemade Negima Yakitori Skewers

Welcome to Day 6 of Cooking Street Foods for 15 Days, today we are making juicy, savory Japanese Scallion Chicken Skewers, or Negima Yakitori ねぎま焼き鳥 that is super easy to make at home! In Japanese, “Yakitori” literally translates to grilled chicken, but it actually refers to grilled chicken skewers specifically. They are the perfect drinking food that you can often find at Japanese gastropubs, or izakaya, like the one I visited with my parents in Shibuya.

If you never had Japanese Chicken Skewers before, you are missing out! The chicken is moist and juicy, while the glaze is packed with umami flavors. The one we are making today is called “Negima Yakitori”, or “Scallion Grilled Chicken” which has alternating chunks of chicken and green onion. It’s cooked in that homemade tare glaze, which is a perfect balance between sweet and savory.

Ingredients For Yakitori

Preparing The Chicken Skewers

Negima Yakitori Is one of the easiest skewers to make, because it uses simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store. The main ingredients are boneless, skin-on chicken thighs and green onion. Just skewer on alternating ingredients, and you’ll hace a classic Negima Yakitori ready to go.

The classic way to cook Yakitori is grilled over charcoal fire. But, when you’re at home, there are many ways to make them in your own kitchen: grilled, oven-baked, pan-fry them, air-fried, etc. Because it is winter, I decided to pan-fry them instead. If you choose to bake them or grill them, and you’re use bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 1 hour before using them to prevent them from burning. 

Home Made Sweet-Savory Yakitori Sauce

Here is the secret to the perfect Japanese Chicken Skewers, THE HOMEMADE SAUCE. All you need is five simple ingredients, Soy Sauce, Mirin, Sake, Sugar, and Green Onion. Bring the ingredients to a simmer and let the sauce reduce in half. Your house will be smelling AMAZING while you are making the glaze. If you have extra sauce, you can also make other skewers such as salmon or shiitake mushrooms!  You can skip the Sake and Mirin and add replace with dashi stock or water and one extra tbsp of sugar for those that don’t drink alcohol. 

How To Make Japanese Chicken Skewers

1. In a pot, add Soy Sauce, Sake, Sugar, Mirin, and 4 stalks of the GREEN PART of the green onion. Bring it to a simmer and cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced in half. Remove and set aside 
2. Cut chicken thigh into bite-sized pieces. To assemble the skewers, add the green onion between each part of the chicken thigh. Season with salt and black pepper  
3. Turn the heat to medium-high and drizzle oil in the pan. Once the pan is hot, add in the chicken skewers and pan fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. 
4. Coat the chicken thigh with the glaze that was made earlier. Keep brushing on the glaze and let it cook for another 1-2 minutes on each side. Garnish with sesame seeds, and enjoy! 

If you love Japanese Izakaya Food, Try These Classic Recipes!

You can eat Yakitori with other Japanese drinking sides such as Edamame, Chicken Wings or Yakisoba. Or you can pair these with some rice and vegetable for a healthy dinner!