Description
Delicious grilled chicken skewers with a sweet and sticky tare glaze, perfect for quick weeknight meals or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5–6 pieces boneless chicken breast or 6–8 pieces boneless chicken thighs
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 tbsp red wine or mirin
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp distilled vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (for thickening)
- 6–7 wooden skewers (soaked in water for 10–20 minutes)
Instructions
- Soak the wooden skewers in water for 10–20 minutes to prevent burning.
- In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, water, red wine or mirin, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and vinegar until the sugar dissolves.
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken. Cut into 1–2 inch chunks and lightly pound larger pieces to even thickness.
- In a large bowl, mix the minced garlic, minced ginger, and ground black pepper with 1/4 cup of the prepared sauce. Add chicken and toss to coat.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 10 minutes (up to 2 hours for deeper flavor).
- Pour the remaining sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp of the sauce to create a slurry and stir into the boiling sauce.
- Simmer the sauce until it becomes syrupy, then remove from heat.
- Thread the marinated chicken onto the soaked skewers, leaving gaps between pieces.
- Grill or broil over medium-high heat for 8–12 minutes, basting with the thickened sauce until cooked through and caramelized.
- Rest the skewers for 2 minutes before serving.
Notes
Use tamari for a gluten-free version. If mirin isn’t available, dry sherry or red wine can be used.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 skewer
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: yakitori, grilled chicken, skewers, Japanese cuisine, tare glaze