Summary: Yakitori made from chicken thigh cut into equal pieces and skewered alternately with spring onion. The skewers are grilled first over the high-heat zone, then moved over the lower heat. The tare sauce is brushed on only in the final minute so the sugar does not burn. Some of the skewers are seasoned with salt only, so the flavour of the meat stays clean. Total time 70 minutes, makes 6 servings.
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Category: poultry, japanese-cuisine
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Quick overview
- Dish: Yakitori – grilled chicken skewers cooked over heat and brushed with tare sauce or seasoned with salt
- Category: poultry, japanese-cuisine
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Main ingredient: Boneless chicken thigh, 1200 g (skin on) (quality specification)
- Guide: 12 most famous Japanese dishes: traditional recipes from Japanese cuisine
- Total time: 70 minutes (30 min preparation + 40 min cooking)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Servings: 6 (Serving weight: 310 g)
- Key technique: Grilling over direct heat in two temperature zones and brushing with tare sauce only in the final minute
- Preparation types: Grilling and roasting
- Dietary info & allergens: soy (soy sauce), gluten (soy sauce, sake), sesame (toasted sesame)
- Suitable for: An evening with friends around the grill, a summer garden gathering, a celebration for six to eight people, a quick weeknight dinner, a home version of Japanese street food.
- Nutritional values (per 1 serving): 575, Protein: 47.0 g, Fat: 35.0 g, Carbohydrates: 13.0 g
- Storage: 2 days in the fridge, 2 months in the freezer
- Pairing: Japanese pale lager, dry white wine, sencha green tea
- In short: Yakitori made from chicken thigh cut into equal pieces and threaded alternately with spring onion. Total time 70 minutes, serves 6.
WAGUU says: “”Tare sauce is not put on the skewer continuously. The sugar in it burns before the meat does and leaves a black crust on the surface that tastes bitter.””
Key facts
| Preparation time: | 30 |
| Cooking time: | 40 |
| Temperature: | Upper grill zone 220–240 °C, lower zone 150–170 °C, internal meat temperature 74 °C |
| Number of servings: | 6 |
At a glance
Yakitori rests on two things: equally sized pieces of meat and splitting the grill into two temperature zones. Equal pieces heat through at the same moment, so nothing dries out and nothing stays raw. The pieces are threaded onto flat skewers so they can be turned as a whole. The tare sauce is brushed on only at the end, because the sugar in it caramelises and burns within seconds. The other batch of skewers gets only salt – the flavour of the chicken and the grill smoke comes through without sauce.
Ingredients
Base servings: 6 servings • Serving weight: 310 g
| Ingredient | Amount | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| boneless chicken thigh | 1200 g | skin on, fresh, sinew-free |
| spring onion | 8 pcs | thick stems, fresh |
| soy sauce | 120 ml | naturally fermented, for the tare sauce |
| mirin | 80 ml | sweet rice cooking wine |
| sake | 60 ml | dry, for cooking |
| brown sugar | 25 g | fine, light |
| fine sea salt | 12 g | for the salt-seasoned skewers |
| ground black pepper | 3 g | freshly ground |
| toasted sesame | 15 g | white, dry-toasted |
| lemon | 1 pcs | thick zest, juicy |
Why you will love this recipe
- Two flavours from one batch: Half the skewers get tare sauce, half get only salt. One batch of meat and two different flavours on the table.
- Equal-sized pieces: Two to three centimetres per piece, equally sized pieces on one skewer. They heat through at the same moment and nothing dries out.
- Exact ratios for 6 servings: Two hundred grams of meat per serving, six skewers per person and a sauce that is brushed on only at the end. Everything recalculates according to the number of diners.
Success guaranteed: Chicken thigh tolerates higher heat better than breast meat. It contains more fat and connective tissue, which melts during grilling over direct heat and bastes the meat from within. If the skewer is brushed with tare sauce from the start, the sugar in the sauce begins to burn at temperatures above 170 °C, that is, before the meat heats through to the centre. The result is a black crust and a raw centre. Splitting the grill into two zones solves both: in the upper zone the surface of the meat sets and takes on colour, in the lower zone the meat heats through to the centre. Salt on the surface draws water from the first millimetres of the meat, but because the skewer is turned, the water does not have time to be pushed deeper and the surface stays juicy. The skin on the thigh contains collagen, which turns into gelatine during longer heat and gives the meat body.
Recipe overview
Preparation: 30 min min | Cooking: 40 min min | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 6 | Type: Main course | Origin: Japanese
Detailed method
Overall progress: 6 % done
Phase 1: Preparing the meat and skewers – 20 min
Equipment: fridge, sharp knife, wooden skewers
1. Soak the wooden skewers in cold water and leave them to absorb. Pat the chicken thighs dry with kitchen paper and cut them into pieces of equal weight, without removing the skin. Cut out the sinews, as they would toughen during grilling.
2. Cut the spring onion into equally long pieces. Place the pieces of meat and spring onion side by side on a tray and put them in the fridge.
QC: The pieces of meat are of equal weight and feel equally thick. The skin stays on every piece. The skewers are soaked with water and do not break when bent.
Before you move to the next step:
Do not wash the chicken under running water. Wipe the water off the surface with kitchen paper; wet meat first steams on the grill and the skin does not crisp.
Phase 2: Tare sauce – 10 min
Equipment: small saucepan, hob
1. In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake and brown sugar. Put the saucepan over a gentle heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.
2. Let the sauce bubble briefly, then take it off the heat and leave it to cool. Pour some of the sauce into a bowl for brushing, keep the rest for serving.
QC: The sauce is smooth, glossy and slightly thick, holding a thin film on the spoon. The aroma is sweet with a pronounced note of soy sauce and no sugar is burnt on the bottom.
Before you move to the next step:
Do not cook the sauce for long over high heat. The sugar starts to catch at the bottom and the flavour turns bitter. It is enough for the sugar to dissolve and the sauce to bubble briefly.
Phase 3: Threading the skewers – 12 min
Equipment: none
1. Thread the pieces of meat onto the skewer so they touch each other but are not compressed. Insert pieces of spring onion between the pieces of meat and alternate pieces with and without skin.
2. Keep pieces of equal weight on one skewer. Place the finished skewers on a tray, leave a gap between them and leave some of them without sauce.
VKB: The pieces on the skewer hold together and do not rotate when you lift the skewer by its end. There are no gaps or overlaps between the pieces. The skewer is filled along its entire length except for the handle.
Before you move to the next step:
Do not push the meat onto the skewer with force. Compressed pieces loosen with heat and spin on the skewer. Pierce them through the centre, not the edge.
Phase 4: Setting up the grill and grilling – 20 min
Equipment: charcoal grill or grill pan, tongs, kitchen thermometer
1. Spread the coals so that one half of the grill is densely covered and the other only sparsely. Let them heat until covered with grey ash, then clean the grate with a brush.
2. Place the skewers first over the dense part of the grill and let them sear on all sides. Then move them over the sparse part and continue grilling until the meat is heated through to the centre. Turn the skewers with tongs by the end, not by the meat.
VKB: The surface of the meat is golden brown with signs of caramelised skin, but not black. A thermometer inserted into the thickest piece reads 74 °C. The juices run clear when pierced.
Before you move to the next step:
Do not leave the skewers over the dense coals the whole time. The skin will burn and the meat inside will remain raw. Move them over the sparse part as soon as the surface takes on colour.
Phase 5: Glazing with sauce and finishing – 5 min
Equipment: grilling brush, tongs
1. In the last minute of grilling, brush half of the skewers with tare sauce and leave them over the heat a little longer. The sauce should shine but must not blacken. Skewers meant for salt seasoning should be salted only after they come off the grill.
2. Transfer the finished skewers to a tray and let them rest briefly so the juices return to the fibres. Then sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and grated lemon zest.
VKB: The sauce on the skewers is glossy and dark amber, without black spots. The salt on the other skewers clings to the surface and the meat underneath remains moist. The sesame seeds shine on the meat.
Before you move to the next step:
Do not brush the sauce onto a skewer twice or in a thick layer. A second layer will not have time to set and will burn. Always glide the brush lightly over the surface of the meat.
Phase 6: Serving – 3 min
Equipment: warmed tray
1. Stand the skewers on a plate alongside each other so they do not touch. For the glazed skewers, place a small bowl of tare sauce; for the salt skewers, a small bowl of salt and lemon.
2. Serve immediately while the skin is crisp. With yakitori, serve steamed rice and pickled vegetables in separate bowls.
VKB: The skin on the skewers is crisp and cracks when pressed with a finger; the meat underneath is juicy. There are no traces of juice on the plate and the sauce in the bowl is smooth and glossy.
Required equipment
| Utensil | Ideal size | Alternative | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| charcoal grill | 45 cm diameter, with lid | grill pan on the hob or electric contact grill | a gas grill with a single heat zone will not allow you to move the skewers to a lower temperature |
| wooden skewers | 25 cm long, flat | metal skewers that do not need soaking | dry wood will burn and the meat will slide off the skewer |
| kitchen tongs | long narrow jaws | two forks with long handles | short tongs bring your hand close to the heat |
| kitchen thermometer | probe, up to 300 °C | check the colour of the juices and the firmness of the meat to the touch | without measuring, doneness is estimated only by the surface colour |
| grilling brush | silicone, with a long handle | a bunch of herbs tied to a skewer | a short brush brings your hand close to the heat and the sauce is applied unevenly |
Shopping list
Nutritional profile
Values per 1 portion (without side dish). Calculated from average nutritional values of ingredients.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 portion | Per 6 portions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 774 kJ / 185 kcal | 2406 kJ / 575 kcal | 14435 kJ / 3450 kcal |
| Fat | 11.3 g | 35.0 g | 210.0 g |
| of which saturates | 3.2 g | 9.8 g | 58.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 4.2 g | 13.0 g | 78.0 g |
| of which sugars | 2.0 g | 6.2 g | 37.2 g |
| Protein | 15.2 g | 47.0 g | 282.0 g |
| Salt | 1.0 g | 3.1 g | 18.6 g |
Reference intake of an average adult (8400 kJ / 2000 kcal).
WAGUU Professional level
- Professional standard: Tested recipe with precise ratios and visual checkpoints.
- Tip 1: Tested recipe with precise ratios and visual checkpoints.
- Tip 2: Cut the meat into pieces of equal weight, not just equal size. A piece with skin heats differently from one without, so alternate them evenly on a single skewer.
- Tip 3: Soak the skewers in cold water before threading. The wood absorbs water and will burn later on the grill, so the skewer holds its shape throughout grilling.
- Tip 4: Brush the tare sauce only at the end and let it drip off the skewer. A thick layer of sauce on hot meat will burn within seconds.
Scientific background
Chicken thigh contains more fat and connective tissue than breast meat, so it tolerates higher temperatures. During grilling, the connective tissue turns into gelatine and the meat stays moist. If you brush the skewer with tare sauce from the start, the sugar in the sauce begins to burn at temperatures above 170 °C, which is before the meat is heated through to the centre. Splitting the grill into two zones solves both: in the hot zone the surface sears, in the cooler zone the meat heats through. Salt on the surface draws water from the first millimetres of meat, but because the skewer is turned, the water does not have time to be pushed deeper.
Fine Dining – Professional techniques
- Plate composition: Stand the skewers on a plate alongside each other, with the ends over the edge of the plate. Place a small bowl of salt and a small bowl of tare sauce next to them.
- Texture contrasts: Alternate pieces of meat with a piece of spring onion. The crisp onion provides contrast against the soft meat and sweet sauce.
- Temperature contrast: Serve half of the skewers immediately after they come off the grill, when the skin is crispiest. Let the other half rest for a minute and serve them as a second course.
- Aromatic additions: Grate a pinch of lemon zest over the finished skewers and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. The aroma is released by the heat of the meat and cuts through the smoky undertone.
Sensory radar
- Appearance: The skin on the skewers is golden brown and crisp, the meat light pink with white streaks of fat. The pieces of spring onion are browned at the edges. The sauce on the skewers is glossy, the sesame seeds cling to the surface of the meat.
- Aroma: Smoky aroma from the grill and sweet aroma of tare sauce, followed by a fresh note of spring onion and toasted sesame.
- Taste: Salty and sweet taste of the sauce, followed by the pronounced flavour of chicken meat and a smoky undertone. The onion refreshes the palate.
- Texture: Skin crisp, meat soft and juicy, falling apart into fibres when bitten. The onion offers a brief resistance.
Pairing
- Japanese pale lager: The carbonation and mild bitterness cut through the fat from the chicken skin. Serve chilled at 6–8 °C.
- Dry white wine:Grüner Veltliner or a high-acid Riesling. The wine’s acidity cuts through the sweet tare sauce.
- Sencha green tea: Warm, not boiling. The tea’s bitterness balances the saltiness and smoky notes from the grill.
Different preparation styles
- Negima:: Alternate pieces of chicken thigh with spring onion and brush with tare sauce. The sweet onion caramelises on the grill and the flavours meld with the sauce.
- Tsukune:: Instead of pieces, shape minced chicken into oval balls and grill them the same way. Serve brushed with tare sauce and sprinkled with egg yolk.
Allergens and dietary information
Contains: soya (soy sauce), gluten (soy sauce, sake), sesame (toasted sesame) • Gluten: yes, in soy sauce and sake • Not suitable for: people with coeliac disease, soya or sesame allergy
Suitable for
An evening with friends around the grill, a summer garden gathering, a celebration for six to eight people, a quick midweek dinner, a home version of Japanese street food.
Substitution guide
- Sake:: dry white wine or water with a drop of rice vinegar. The flavour will be a little sharper, but the balance of sweet and salty stays the same.
FAQ
Why cut the meat into equal weights?
Pieces of the same weight heat through at the same time. If pieces on one skewer are different sizes, the small one dries out and the large one stays raw inside.
When to brush the skewers with tare sauce?
Only in the last minute of grilling. The sugar in the sauce starts to burn above 170°C, before the meat is heated through, leaving a black bitter crust on the surface.
What can I use instead of sake?
Dry white wine or water with a teaspoon of rice vinegar. The flavour will be a little sharper, but the balance of sweet and salty stays the same.
Can I make yakitori in a pan?
Yes, in a cast-iron griddle pan. Heat it over a high heat, sear the skewers on all sides, then lower the heat. You won’t get the smoky flavour, though.
How do I know the meat is cooked?
A thermometer inserted into the thickest piece reads 74°C and the juices run clear when pierced. The surface is golden brown, not black.
How many skewers per serving?
Allow six skewers per person when yakitori is the main course, and three skewers when served as a starter with rice and soup.
WAGUU Petr’s tip: Cooking for 6 or more?
6–8 people: Skewer ahead and keep them in the fridge on a tray. Grill in two batches and keep cooked skewers in the oven at 80°C on a rack. • 10+ people: Choose salt-seasoned skewers, they’re quicker to prepare and easier to handle in larger quantities. Serve the sauce in bowls at the table.
Sides and serving
Serving: Serve on a warmed platter with a bowl of tare sauce, a bowl of salt and lemon wedges. Yakitori is served with steamed rice, pickles and a light soup.
Storage and reheating
Fridge: 2 days • Freezer: 2 months • Reheating: Fridge: 2 days • Freezer: 2 months • Reheating: Warm the skewers in the oven at 180°C for 6 minutes or on a griddle pan. In the microwave the skin goes soft.
Author: WAGUU Petr & Team • Published: 7 Oct 2026 • Updated: 10 Oct 2026
More recipes from the article
Guide: 12 most famous Japanese dishes: traditional recipes from Japanese cuisine
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Tonkatsu – breaded fried pork cutlet served with finely shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce
Takoyaki – round fried batter balls filled with octopus, typical of Osaka
Katsudon – bowl of rice with breaded pork cutlet tonkatsu, egg and onion in a seasoned broth
Gyudon – bowl of rice topped with thin slices of beef and onion simmered in a sweet-savoury sauce
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Most common mistakes
- Sauce on the skewer from the start – the sugar in the sauce burns before the meat is heated through and the surface turns bitter. Brush only in the last minute of grilling.
- Dry wooden skewers – the skewer burns on the heat and the meat slides off. Soak them in cold water for at least half an hour before threading.
- Different-sized pieces on one skewer – the small piece dries out, the large one stays raw. Cut the meat into pieces of equal weight and thread them in a single order.
- Meat pierced with a fork – juices run onto the coals and the meat stays dry. Turn the skewer with tongs by the end of the skewer, not by the meat.