Yakitori Chicken

To watch this Video-Recipe click HERE!!

Hi everyone! As promised on my last post, today I'm taking you all the way to Japan with a super easy and delicious recipe "Yakitori Chicken", It's sticky, kind of sweet and salty at the same time, you will definitely want to lick your fingers and the plate after eating this delicious goodness! I hope you like it!

Ingredients:

• 6-8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (use a reduced sodium sauce)
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tablespoons Mirin (Japanese rice wine)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian seasoning(I used a sweet ginger and garlic seasoning, you can replace it with 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 minced garlic clove and 1/2 tablespoon of fresh minced ginger. Do not use any salt! The Soy Sauce has plenty of that!)
• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
• 3-4 green onions cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 1/4 cup Sake (Japanese beer) (optional)
• Wooden Skewers

Soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before using them, this will prevent them
from catching on fire.

Yakitori Sauce/Marinade

Mix a 1/3 cup of soy sauce , 1/3 cup of water, 3 tablespoons of Mirin, 1/4 of a cup of sugar, 1 tablespoons of rice vinegar, (also add in 1/4 cup of sake if you have any), mix well for 1 minute or until the sugar has dissolved.  Set aside.

Cut the chicken thighs into bite size chunks, (about 2 inches). Place the chicken in a bowl, and season it with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Asian seasoning, mix to make sure every piece of chicken is well seasoned.  Pour a 1/4 cup of the soy sauce mixture over the chicken and marinate for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator.


Cook the rest of the soy sauce mixture in a saucepan over medium heat, cook until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat, and in a small container, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce mixture. Mix well until the cornstarch is dissolved, and add this mixture back into pan with the soy sauce. Stir and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes or until it thickens. (Reserve a 1/4 cup of this glaze to garnish the Kebabs. Reserve the rest of the sauce to brush over the kebabs while cooking them).

Build the kebabs: Grab a wooden skewer and alternate the chicken and green onions onto it.

To Grill: Glaze the chicken with the soy sauce mixture and grilled for about 5 minutes on each side, brushing them with the soy sauce glaze every two minutes or so. Cook until the chicken is cooked.

To Bake: Bake for about 5 minutes in a 450ºF oven, after 5 minutes or so, remove from the oven, then brush the kebabs with the Soy Sauce Glaze and put them back into the oven for 5 more minutes.

Remove again from the oven, brush them again with the Soy Sauce Glaze on all sides. Set the oven to BROIL and broil the kebabs for 2 or 3 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked. (if you didn't soak the skewers, they will definitely burn if you broil them!!! Be careful)

Serve with white rice, glaze the kebabs with more of the Soy Sauce glaze, and sprinkle an extra pinch of Asian Seasoning on top.

Enjoy!!