Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken livers, gizzards, or boneless thigh meat (Cut into 1-inch pieces; use one type or a combination.)
• 0.5 cup dark soy sauce or tamari
• 0.25 cup mirin
• 2 tbsp sake or dry sherry
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic (Peeled and smashed.)
• 0.5 tsp fresh ginger (Grated.)
• scallions (Thinly sliced, for garnish.)
• water (For soaking wooden or bamboo skewers, if needed.)

Steps

1. 1

   Cut the chicken into approximately 1-inch pieces and place it in a shallow dish.

2. 2

   In a small saucepan, combine the dark soy sauce or tamari, mirin, sake or dry sherry, brown sugar, smashed garlic, and grated ginger.

3. 3

   Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly.

4. 4

   Measure out and reserve 2 tablespoons of the sauce for serving. Keep it separate from the raw chicken.

5. 5

   Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.

6. 6

   If using wooden or bamboo skewers, place them in water and soak for 1 hour so they are less likely to burn under the grill or broiler.

7. 7

   Preheat an outdoor grill or broiler. Set the rack or grill for high heat, and prepare the cooking surface so the skewers can be turned easily.

8. 8

   Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto the skewers, leaving a little space between pieces for even cooking. Keep skewers made from different chicken parts separate if using livers, gizzards, and thighs, since their cooking times differ.

9. 9

   Grill or broil the skewers, turning them halfway through cooking. Cook liver skewers for about 3 minutes total, gizzard skewers for about 10 minutes total, or thigh skewers for about 6 minutes total, until browned and cooked through.

10. 10

    Transfer the cooked skewers to a serving platter. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and scatter the thinly sliced scallions over the top.

Notes

The structured recipe lists a 15-minute total time, but the stated 1-hour minimum marinade and 1-hour skewer soak make the practical elapsed time substantially longer. Serve with something fresh and green, such as cucumber salad, and rice. Use separate utensils and a clean dish for cooked chicken after it has contacted the raw marinade.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• Japanese
• East Asian
• grilled
• broiled
• skewers
• high-protein
• dairy-free