Name: Easy Yakitori With Tare Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup soy sauce ((I used Kikkoman)); 1/2 cup sake; 1/2 cup mirin; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger; 8 to 12 bamboo skewers; 400 to 500 grams chicken thigh fillets ((remove the skin if you like; I didn't)); 8 stalks scallions ((white and light green portions only) cut into two-inch lengths); 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds; finely sliced scallions

Easy Yakitori With Tare Sauce

Connie Veneracion

Cubes of chicken fillet are skewered alternatingly with scallions and grilled while brushing with sauce throughout the cooking.

Easy yakitori (with tare sauce) for home cooking

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Soaking the bamboo skewers 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Japanese

Servings people

Ingredients

For the tare sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce (I used Kikkoman)
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

For the skewers

8 to 12 bamboo skewers
400 to 500 grams chicken thigh fillets (remove the skin if you like; I didn’t)
8 stalks scallions (white and light green portions only) cut into two-inch lengths

To garnish (optional)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
finely sliced scallions

Instructions

Stir all the ingredients for the tare sauce in a small pan. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until reduced by half. It will take about 20 minutes.
While the tare reduces, soak the bamboo skewers in water (so they don’t catch fire on the grill).
Pat the chicken fillets dry with paper towels and cut into bite-size pieces.
Start heating up the grill (I used a stovetop grill; a charcoal grill will give the chicken even better flavor).
Thread the chicken with the bamboo skewers, about three to four pieces per skewer, with a piece of scallion between each piece.
Lay the skewered chicken and scallions on the hot grill. Do not move for a minute to allow the underside to brown. Flip then brown the other side.
Flip the skewered chicken and scallions and start brushing the tops and sides with the tare sauce.
Flip the skewered chicken and scallions every minute or two, brushing the tops and sides with tare with every flip.
Repeat the flipping and brushing three to four times until the chicken pieces are cooked through.
Optionally sprinkle the yakitori with sesame seeds before serving.

Notes

An updated version of a recipe originally published on February 1, 2019.

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