Imported from Instagram
Next-Level Yakitori with Charcoal-Sprayed Tare
Char-grilled chicken thigh and green onion are cooked first without sauce, then repeatedly sprayed with a reduced soy-mirin tare. Spraying the tare directly onto the hot charcoal creates an especially fragrant, smoky aroma and deeply savory flavor.
Cook this recipe, hands-free
Open it in SeeMeCook for step-by-step Cook Mode, built-in timers, and your whole recipe library — free to start.
Ingredients
- 1 piece Chicken thigh (Boneless or bone-in; cut into bite-size pieces for skewering)
- Green onion or Japanese leek (Cut into pieces suitable for skewering; reserve the green tops for the tare if desired)
- 75 ml Kikkoman soy sauce (For the tare)
- 75 ml Kikkoman mirin (For the tare)
- 25 g Sugar (For the tare)
- 25 ml Water (For the tare)
- Chicken bones (Optional; char and simmer in the tare for extra depth. The transcript refers to grilling bones, but no quantity is provided.)
- Fresh ginger (Optional aromatic for the tare; quantity not specified)
- Sansho pepper (Optional aromatic for the tare; quantity not specified)
Steps
- 1
Cut the chicken thigh and green onion or Japanese leek into bite-size pieces. Thread them onto skewers, alternating chicken and onion. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water beforehand to reduce scorching.
- 2
Prepare a charcoal grill and let the coals become hot, glowing, and lightly covered with ash. Set up a cooler area so the skewers can be moved away from direct heat if they brown too quickly.
- 3
If using chicken bones for the tare, place them over the charcoal and grill until well browned and lightly charred. They may alternatively be roasted in a hot oven until browned.
- 4
Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and water in a saucepan, following the source ratio of 3 parts soy sauce to 3 parts mirin, 1 part sugar, and 1 part water.
- 5
Add the green onion tops, ginger, and sansho pepper to the saucepan if using them. Add the charred chicken bones if available.
- 6
Bring the tare to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce it for 20–30 minutes, occasionally skimming scum from the surface, until the sauce is aromatic and slightly concentrated. Do not let it burn.
- 7
Strain the tare to remove the bones and aromatics, then cool it enough to handle safely. Transfer it to a clean food-safe spray bottle. If the sauce is too thick to spray, thin it with a small amount of water.
- 8
Place the chicken-and-onion skewers on the hot grill and cook them shirayaki-style, without sauce at first. Turn regularly so the chicken cooks evenly and the onion develops browned edges.
- 9
Continue grilling until the outside of the chicken is cooked and lightly browned. If desired, briefly move the skewers to indirect heat to finish cooking without scorching the exterior; chicken should reach 165°F / 74°C internally.
- 10
Once the outside is cooked, spray the tare over the skewers. Spray lightly and evenly, turning the skewers as needed. The sauce hitting the charcoal will create a burst of smoke and aroma, so avoid spraying excessively or creating flare-ups.
- 11
Repeat the spraying and turning process about 3–4 times, or until the chicken and onion are glossy, deeply golden brown, and lacquered. Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
The source specifies a 3:3:1:1 tare ratio: soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and water. The green onion tops, ginger, sansho, and charred bones come from the spoken transcript and are optional because the written recipe does not give quantities for them. Use a spray bottle designed for food use and keep it clean; never spray directly into a large open flame.
Nutrition per serving
Every recipe, finally cookable.
Turn your next favorite video into a recipe you can actually follow — ingredients, steps, and times in seconds.
Already have SeeMeCook? Open this recipe →