Charcoal-glazed tare skewers of juicy chicken thigh and spring onion — this is true yakitori, the smoky, sweet-savoury skewer that anchors every Japanese izakaya. With a glossy homemade tare glaze brushed on over the coals, these Yakitori Chicken Thigh Skewers deliver that lacquered, slightly charred finish at home.
It’s one of the 20 recipes inside our Japanese Cookbook, and we’re sharing it in full so you can taste the standard before you buy the book. The hands-on work is quick — reduce a four-ingredient glaze, thread the skewers, and let high heat do the rest.
Why this recipe works
The secret is timing the tare. You reduce soy, mirin, sake and sugar until it turns lightly syrupy, then glaze only after the chicken is nearly cooked and repeat the dip-and-grill twice more — each pass caramelises into a deep lacquer without the sugars scorching over high heat.
Ingredients
Skewers
- 400g boneless chicken thighs, skin on, cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 4 spring onions, white parts cut into 3cm batons
- 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water 30 min
- 1 tbsp neutral oil for brushing
Tare glaze
- 80ml soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 80ml mirin
- 60ml sake
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
Optional garnish
- 1 tsp shichimi togarashi
Serves 2 · Prep 20 min · Cook 12 min · 480 kcal per serving
Instructions
- Reduce tare. Simmer soy, mirin, sake and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat 8 minutes until reduced by a third and lightly syrupy; cool.
- Thread skewers. Alternate 4 chicken cubes with 3 spring onion batons per skewer, packing tight so pieces touch. Brush lightly with oil.
- Grill first pass. Grill over high heat (charcoal or cast-iron pan) 3 minutes per side until skin is golden brown and rendered; keep handles off heat.
- Glaze and finish. Dip skewers in tare, return to grill 1 minute per side, dip again and glaze twice more until lacquered and edges char slightly.
Chef’s tip
Dip only after the chicken is nearly cooked — the sugars in tare burn fast. Reserve some tare before dipping raw-touched skewers.
Get the full Japanese Cookbook
Loved this one? It’s a single recipe from a 20-strong collection of Japanese classics built the same way — clear ingredients, exact timings, no guesswork. Grab the full Japanese Cookbook below.
