Grilled Chicken Yakitori with Yuzu and Orange Glaze
By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sake
- ¼ cup mirin
- ½ cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons yuzu juice (or lime if you can’t find yuzu)
- 1 4" piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into coins
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 8 green onions cut into 1" pieces, green and white parts separated, divided
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1" cubes
- Vegetable oil for brushing grill
Procedure
To make glaze: To a small saucepan set over high heat, add soy sauce, brown sugar, sake, mirin, orange juice, yuzu, ginger, garlic, green parts of green onion and honey. Bring contents of saucepan to a boil then decrease heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Using a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, strain glaze, discarding solids. Allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer 1/3 sauce to small bowl for final coating.
To build skewers: Working with 1 skewer at a time, alternately thread 4 pieces of chicken with 3 pieces of white parts of green onion, piercing green onion pieces perpendicular to skewer.
To grill skewers: Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, heat a gas grill to medium, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Using a silicone pastry brush, lightly coat grill grates with oil and place skewers onto grill. Cook until grill marks develop, about 2 minutes. Brush with yakitori sauce and turn, cooking until grill marks develop on the second side. Brush with yakitori sauce and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into chicken reads 165°F.
To serve: Transfer skewers to a serving platter and drizzle with reserved yakitori sauce; serve immediately.
Recipe variations:
To build skewers: Working with 1 skewer at a time, alternately thread 4 pieces of chicken with 3 pieces of white parts of green onion, piercing green onion pieces perpendicular to skewer.
To grill skewers: Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, heat a gas grill to medium, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Using a silicone pastry brush, lightly coat grill grates with oil and place skewers onto grill. Cook until grill marks develop, about 2 minutes. Brush with yakitori sauce and turn, cooking until grill marks develop on the second side. Brush with yakitori sauce and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into chicken reads 165°F.
To serve: Transfer skewers to a serving platter and drizzle with reserved yakitori sauce; serve immediately.
Recipe variations:
- Try marinade with other izakaya skewer ingredients like pork belly or zucchini. Or try other cuts of chicken like cubed chicken breast.