Chicken Yakitori
This is an easy way to make delicious chicken chicken skewers at home in your broiler. While this is not how yakitori is traditionally made, it is much easier and a crowd pleaser. Our spice blend Kissed by Binchotan was inspired by eating yakitori in Japan where they cook skewers of chicken over binchotan charcoal which is a very special type of charcoal made from white oak. The skewers are kissed by the blazing heat from the binchotan, while the juices drip down and touch the coals engulfing the skewers in intoxicating smokey deliciousness. If you would like to use real binchotan charcoal, check out our friends at https://www.fourstarseafood.com/product-page/binchotan-charcoal-korea-5. If not a broiler will do just fine.
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless chicken thigh, cut into cubes
Marinade
- .5 cup soy sauce
- .25 cup mirin or sake
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp Kissed by Binchotan Japanese Chile Blend
Garnish
- Yuzu kosho (optional)
- Bed of spinach
- Kissed by Binchotan Japanese Blend
Directions
Prepare the marinade
- Mix all of the ingredients together into a small pot and simmer over medium heat until reduced and thickened into a glaze about 5-7 minutes
- Reserve 2-3 Tbsp of the sauce to drizzle on chicken at the end.
- Let marinade cool and add the chicken and let marinade for 1 hour.
Cook the chicken
- Heat a broiler or bbq to high heat.
- Thread the chicken on skewers.
- Cook the chicken thighs 3-5 minutes on each side or until cooked through and caramelized.
- Serve them over a bed of greens and sprinkle with more spices and yuzu kosho if desired.
Recipe Note
- The sugar in the marinade will make the chicken caramelize quickly. Keep an eye on it so it does not burn
- You can use wooden or metal skewers just make sure to soak the wooden in water for one hour before using them
- Yuzu kosho is a Japanese condiment of fermented chiles and citrus peel. If you would like to make it at home the ratio is 4 parts chiles, 1 part citrus peels and 10% total weight in salt. Ferment for at least a week but up to a month.