Yakitori is Japanese skewered and grilled chicken that can use approximately 30 different chicken parts.
Yakitori Chicken With Ginger, Garlic and Soy Sauce
This recipe calls for marinating chicken thighs, gizzards and livers in a savory-sweet sauce of ginger, sake, mirin, soy sauce, garlic and a touch of brown sugar, grilling or broiling, then scattering with chopped scallions. Yakitori is a popular street food in Japan, and this recipe brings that authentic flavor right to your kitchen. Serve it alongside something fresh and green, like a cucumber salad, and a pile of rice.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken livers, gizzards or boneless thigh meat
- ½ cup dark soy sauce or tamari
- ¼ cup mirin
- 2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Directions
- Cut chicken into one-inch pieces and place in a shallow dish.
- In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce or tamari, mirin, sake or sherry, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. Bring to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes, until thickened. Reserve 2 tablespoons sauce for serving. Pour remaining sauce over chicken, cover, and chill for at least one hour (and up to 4 hours).
- If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for one hour. Preheat grill or broiler. Thread chicken pieces onto skewers, and grill or broil, turning halfway, for about 3 minutes for livers, 10 minutes for gizzards and 6 minutes for thighs. Serve drizzled with reserved sauce and garnished with scallions.
- For ingredient substitutions, refer to this Ingredient Substitution Guide.