Japanese Yakitori Skewers (Pan-fry Method)
Japanese skewers, Yakitori (焼き鳥) and Yakiton (焼豚), are popular, inexpensive dishes that’s easily found in Izakaya and the many restaurants across Japan. Usually made to order, cooked over charcoal and served hot off the grill, it is commonly enjoyed together with a glass of beer.
- Yakitori (焼きYaki = grilled, 鳥 tori = chicken)
- Yakiton (焼Yaki = grilled, 豚 ton = pork)
- Yakimono (焼Yaki = grilled, 焼 mono = items)
Japanese skewers usually grilled with Shio (salt & pepper) or Tare (yakitori sauce). My recipe involves pan-frying with tare. If you prefer shio, just marinate your meats with salt and pepper before cooking, then pan-fry without the tare.
Most people do not have grills or ovens at home, hence I’m showing the pan-fry method. Of course, you have charcoal grill then go ahead with it, yakitori tastes best with the smoky fragrance. It’s possible to cook with oven too but it may take longer than pan-frying the skewers.
Meats
I made 4 types of skewers, as these few ingredients are the easy to acquire.
- Sasami = pieces of tenderloin cut of chicken breast.
- Negima = pieces of chicken thigh or chicken breast strewed with leek in between
- Butabara = pieces of thickly sliced pork belly
- Quail eggs
Some other suggestions are:
- Momo = pieces of chicken thigh
- Tebasaki = chicken wings, usually skewered in pairs
- Tsukune = skewers of chicken meatballs or a long chicken skewer made of minced chicken
- Shiitake = shiitake mushrooms
- Ginnan = gingko seeds
- Asparagus
- Cherry tomatoes
Tips
- Soak bamboo skewers in water to prevent burning and it’s also easier to thread ingredients.
- You can stir-fry with the tare sauce if you don’t have skewers or feeling lazy to thread the ingredients on skewers.
Yakitori
Ingredients
Yakitori Sauce
- 100 ml mirin
- 100 ml soy sauce
- 2 tbsps sugar
Skewer
- 15 – 20 bamboo skewers
- 12 quail eggs
- 300 g chicken (breast or thigh) 2 – 2.5cm chunks, remove skin if desired
- 200 g pork Belly 2 – 2.5cm chunks, remove skin
- 1 stalk leek 2 – 2.5cm chunks
- Ginger, salt & pepper for seasoning
- Cooking oil for grilling
Instructions
Yakitori Sauce
- Add mirin, soy sauce and sugar in a pot. Mix well, bring to boil, then turn to low heat and simmer for 5 mins. Allow to cool before storing in a container.
Marinated Quail Eggs
- Boil quail eggs in a pot of water for 4 mins. Drain in a bowl of cold water. Peels eggs and place in a container.
- Add a few spoonful of yakitori sauce, stir to make sure all eggs are coated in sauce. Put aside to marinate for at least 1 hour.
Skewers
- Soak bamboo skewers in water 1 hour before use.
- Cut all ingredients into 2 to 2.5cm even chunks. Marinate pork with ginger to remove any meaty smell. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Thread ingredients on skewer: – 3 to 4 pieces of meat on each skewer– Or alternate meat and leek– 3 quail eggs per skewer (no reheating required)
Grill
- Heat oil in frying pan, place skewers and cook on medium heat for 3 mins. Flip, drizzle 1 tbsp yakitori sauce on each skewer. Cook for 1 min.
- Flip again, cover lid and cook for 2 mins. Remove lid, then cook on high heat for 1 minute until the sauce thickens. Keep turning skewers, ensure that the skewers are thoroughly coated with sauce.
- Repeat steps for the rest of the skewers.
- Serve with rice or enjoy it together with sake or beer.
Video
Notes
- Soak bamboo skewers in water to prevent burning and it’s also easier to thread ingredients.
- You can stir-fry with the tare sauce if you don’t have skewers or feeling lazy to thread the ingredients on skewers.
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