Chicken Yakitori

This Chicken yakitori recipe is an easy Japanese dish to make at home. bite-sized pieces of chicken that are grilled on skewers and coated in a sweet and sticky, garlicky and gingery, the most delicious, savory sauce. Serve with white rice for an easy and special meal! It is great for sharing with a big crowd as finger food. It is so tasty that you will not realize how many skewers you eat!

If you’ve ever walked past a Japanese street food stall, you might have caught the irresistible aroma of grilled chicken glazed with a sweet and savory sauce — that’s yakitori! This beloved dish is a staple in Japanese cuisine, often enjoyed with friends after work or served as a simple yet satisfying homemade meal.

My version of Chicken Yakitori captures that same smoky, caramelized flavor right from your own kitchen. You don’t need a special yakitori grill — just a simple grill pan or skillet will do. It’s juicy, flavorful, and coated with a glossy homemade sauce that tastes like comfort on a stick.

What Is Chicken Yakitori?

“Yakitori” literally means grilled chicken in Japanese. Yakitori (Japanese for “grilled chicken”) is one of the oldest and most popular traditional Japanese dishes. It’s a popular dish where bite-sized pieces of chicken are skewered and grilled over charcoal, then brushed with a sauce called tare. The sauce is a perfect balance of salty soy sauce, sweet sugar, and rich umami flavor.

Authentic yakitori uses every part of the chicken, from thigh and breast to skin, liver, and cartilage. Meanwhile, this recipe focuses on tender, boneless chicken thighs for a juicy and approachable version anyone can make at home. You can smell the glazed chicken skewers a mile away, and the flavor is equally rich and complex.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Yakitori

• Simple but special – Just a few everyday ingredients transform into a restaurant-quality dish.
• Versatile cooking – Can be made using a grill pan, outdoor grill, or even an oven broiler.
• Perfectly balanced flavors – The sweet, savory, and slightly smoky glaze hits every note.
• Family-friendly – Mild and delicious for both kids and adults.
• Meal-prep friendly – You can make the sauce ahead and store it for quick weekday meals.
• Easy to prepare in advance – You can pre-soak the skewers and make the sauce well in advance, so all you have to do is skewer, baste, and cook. 
• Convenient broiler method – It cooks in just 10 minutes! I love the nice char and subtle crispness on the meat from broiling. 

Light your grill, whisk that sauce, and enjoy the taste of Japan — right at home.

Ingredients of Chicken Yakitori

• Chicken Thighs, boneless and skinless. This recipe uses chicken thighs because the dark meat and additional fat keep the chicken moist and tender as it cooks on the grill. I like to use chicken thighs for this recipe because they are more flavorful and are less likely to dry out on the grill. However, you can use chicken breasts if you prefer. Or you can switch things up and try cubes of pork tenderloin, whole shrimp, or sirloin steak.
• Salt and Pepper: Basic seasoning to enhance the savory taste of the pieces of chicken.
• Vegetable Oil: Grill the chicken skewers using a high-smoke-point oil with a neutral taste, such as vegetable oil.
• Sesame Seeds garnish: Totally optional, but I highly recommend you to add these sesame seeds. A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds at the end adds texture, nutty aroma, and a touch of Japanese flair to your yakitori skewers.

Sauce: A sweet and savory combination of soy sauce, water, mirin rice wine, rice wine vinegar, sugar, minced ginger, and garlic. When cooked, cornstarch thickens the sauce.

• Soy Sauce: The heart of the sauce — adds deep umami flavor and savory saltiness. Use Japanese-style soy sauce (like Kikkoman or Yamasa) for authentic results.
• Brown Sugar: Balances the saltiness of the soy sauce and gives the sauce a glossy, caramelized finish. The molasses in brown sugar adds a deeper sweetness compared to white sugar.
• Water
• Garlic minced: Adds a punch of aroma and warmth. While not always traditional in Japanese recipes, many home-style yakitori versions use garlic for extra depth.
• Ginger grated: Fresh ginger brightens the sauce with a mild spicy note and helps balance the richness of the chicken.
• Sesame Oil: A small amount goes a long way — it gives a nutty aroma and authentic Asian touch to the tare sauce.
• Honey: Adds a natural sweetness and helps the glaze stick to the chicken beautifully during grilling. The honey also helps the sauce caramelize and gives it that irresistible sheen.
• Cornstarch + Water: This cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce into a shiny glaze that clings perfectly to the skewers. It’s added at the end of simmering to create that luscious yakitori coating.

How to Make Chicken Yakitori

Prepare the Chicken
Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized cubes, about 1 inch each. Place them in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, and vegetable oil. Toss until evenly coated and let the flavors absorb for a few minutes.

Skewer the Chicken
Thread the chicken pieces onto bamboo skewers soaked in water for at least 15 minutes. Soaking prevents the skewers from burning during cooking. Add about four pieces per skewer for even grilling.

Make the Sauce (Tare)
In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and honey. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until it starts to boil. Once bubbling, add the cornstarch slurry and stir constantly until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Remove from heat and set aside.

Grill the Chicken
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Cook the skewers for about 5 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is nicely browned and cooked through.

Glaze the Skewers
Brush a generous amount of the yakitori sauce over the chicken, then grill again for 2 minutes per side. Repeat this step once more, brushing and grilling until the skewers are beautifully caramelized and shiny.

Serve and Enjoy

Brush the chicken one last time with the remaining sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds, and serve immediately while hot. The glaze should be sticky and glistening — just like authentic Japanese yakitori!

Serve your Chicken Yakitori fresh off the grill with a bowl of steamed Japanese rice and maybe a side of miso soup or edamame. For gatherings, you can plate the skewers on a wooden board and sprinkle extra sesame seeds or chopped spring onions for presentation.

It also makes a great appetizer for parties — just halve the skewers for bite-sized portions that guests can easily grab.

Homemade Chicken Yakitori proves that simple ingredients can deliver restaurant-quality results. The juicy chicken, glossy glaze, and balance of sweet-salty flavors make every bite a little piece of Japanese comfort food. Whether you’re making it for dinner, meal prep, or a weekend barbecue, these skewers are guaranteed to impress.

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