Homemade Japanese yakitori skewers with sesame – the recipe

Yakitori means grilled chicken and is nibbled off a skewer in Japan. Here we reveal how to conjure up the bites with teriyaki sauce on your home plate.

Chicken in an intensively spicy-sweet marinade grilled over an open fire: the classic street food from Japan can now be found in many sushi bars. The meat skewers can also be prepared quite easily at home. Here comes an easy recipe for delicious Japanese yakitori skewers!

The teriyaki sauce made from soy sauce, mirin and sake and a large amount of sugar ensure that the meat is glossy and stays tender when grilled. The more the sauce boils down, the more intense its flavor will be. It is best if you prepare the teriyaki sauce the day before so that it can infuse well.

Spring onions can be used to garnish, they add some freshness to the dish, and toasted sesame seeds give a nutty taste. If you like it a bit spicy, sprinkle a few chili flakes over the meat.

Yakitori Recipe

Ingredients for 2 servings

3 cloves of garlic
5 cm ginger
2 tbsp sesame oil (dark)
50 g sugar (brown)
150 ml soy sauce
150 ml Mirin (alternatively port wine)
50 ml sake (alternatively dry sherry)
Wooden skewers, 2 pieces
Chicken breast fillets (approx. 160 g each)
2 spring onions
2 tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)
1 tbsp chili flakes

preparation

Peel the garlic and ginger and cut them into large pieces, press the garlic down a little with the back of a knife so that the aroma comes out better. Sweat both in a small saucepan with sesame oil over low heat (about 10 minutes).
Add the sugar, soy sauce, mirin and sake and bring to the boil while stirring until the sugar has melted. Simmer uncovered over low heat for at least 1 hour (preferably longer) until the sauce thickens slightly. Leave to cool completely.
Soak wooden skewers in water (so they don’t burn later). Rinse the chicken breast fillets under running water and dry. Cut the meat into strips and thread them onto the wooden skewers in a wavy pattern (alternatively, cut the meat into cubes). Brush the meat generously with the marinade.
Brush the grill pan with a little oil and heat it up. Fry the meat skewers on all sides until golden brown, occasionally brushing the meat with a little more marinade.
Wash the spring onions, dry them and cut off the top, dark part and the root. Then cut the spring onions diagonally into thin slices.
Just before serving, brush the yakitori skewers with a little more sauce and garnish with spring onions, roasted sesame seeds and – if you like – chili flakes. Serve with the rest of the sauce for dipping.