Yakitori-Style Chicken Skewers Recipe

Yakitori sauce makes chicken stunningly delicious, but what makes up the Yakitori sauce? If you've ever been out for an authentic Japanese meal, it is likely that skewered chicken has been part of the main event, and it is true that the secret really is in the sauce.

After all, grilled chicken is just plain grilled chicken when it comes without the spices. By now, you are dying to know, what's in that sauce?! Well, the traditional yakitori sauce, you'll find called tare, consists of soy sauce, sake, mirin (rice wine), and sugar.

It must balance the sweetness against the salty tones, it may have freshly grated ginger, or not, and it is impressive when served with scallions.

So, what exactly are scallions? They aren't as exotic as you may think. They are actually green onions that can be harvested either from very young bulb-forming onions or from onion varieties that never form bulbs at all.

What's wonderful about them is that they aren't intensely oniony. They tend to be on the milder, rather than the wild, side - and the entire green and white part is edible, save for the roots. Asian cuisine embraces them wholly, and you should too!

With an extra bunch of scallions on hand, we encourage you to explore more dishes of Asian cuisine - how about a steaming bowl of Thai coconut soup? Or some tempting Chinese five-spice meatballs?

Yakitori-Style Chicken Skewers Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep: 20 min Cook: 30 min

Ingredients

• 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 bunch of scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp. raw honey
• ½ cup coconut aminos
• ¼ cup sake or dry white wine
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. potato starch or tapioca starch
• Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Wood or metal skewers

Preparation

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes, and cook for 1-minute, stirring.
3. Pour in the sake (or dry white wine) and vinegar and boil until reduced by half.
4. Pour in the coconut aminos and bring to a light boil; add the honey, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Mix the potato starch with 1 tbsp. of water and slowly add to the sauce while whisking until it thickens; add another tablespoon of starch if you want a thicker sauce.
6. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
7. Thread the scallions and chicken alternatively on the skewers and season to taste.
8. Brush the skewers with the sauce generously, and place them on the grill.
9. Grill for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 2 minutes or so, and brush with the remaining sauce.
10. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes and serve.

📖 Recipe

Yakitori-Style Chicken Skewers Recipe

Yakitori sauce isn't traditionally Paleo-approved, but now it is because we've made it that way - with coconut aminos, sake, and white wine vinegar.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4 people

Calories 451 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 bunch of scallions cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves pressed
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger minced
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp. raw honey
• ½ cup coconut aminos
• ¼ cup sake or dry white wine
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. potato starch or tapioca starch
• Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Wood or metal skewers

Instructions

 

• Heat a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes, and cook for 1-minute, stirring.
  2 garlic cloves, 2 tsp. fresh ginger, ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• Pour in the sake (or dry white wine) and vinegar and boil until reduced by half.
  ¼ cup sake or dry white wine, ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• Pour in the coconut aminos and bring to a light boil; add the honey, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
  ½ cup coconut aminos, 2 tbsp. raw honey
• Mix the potato starch with 1 tbsp. of water and slowly add to the sauce while whisking until it thickens; add another tablespoon of starch if you want a thicker sauce.
  1 tbsp. potato starch or tapioca starch
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
• Thread the scallions and chicken alternatively on the skewers and season to taste.
  2 lb. boneless, 1 bunch of scallions, Wood or metal skewers, Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Brush the skewers with the sauce generously, and place them on the grill.
• Grill for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 2 minutes or so, and brush with the remaining sauce.
• Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 451kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 49gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 150mgSodium: 852mgPotassium: 935mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 226IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 6mg

Keyword chicken, paleo, recipe, skewer, yakitori-style

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