This delicious Grilled Yakitori Chicken recipe features juicy chicken brushed with a sweet and savory grilling sauce. It’s the perfect way to mix up the summer grilling routine!

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We’re always hunting for new flavors for chicken around here. We grill chicken quite often during the summer months. Brushing the chicken with barbecue sauce or teriyaki sauce while it’s on the grill is one of our go-to’s. So is this Copycat Chili’s Chicken Fajitas recipe. But even then, we get tired of the same flavors after awhile. That’s what led to this Grilled Yakitori Chicken.

Yakitori is simply the Japanese name for chicken that is marinated in a sweet and salty mixture and then grilled over an open flame. In fact, the direct translation for yakitori is “grilled bird.” Typically, Yakitori Chicken is threaded on skewers. In Japan, yakitori restaurants are common, and the skewered chicken is cooked over a special charcoal called a binchotan.

While you can order binchotan charcoal on Amazon (no surprise there, right??), this recipe can easily be adapted for other styles of cooking. We’ve cooked these yakitori chicken skewers on both a charcoal grill and a gas grill. While the charcoal version certainly has more flavor, the gas version is quicker and easier.

Grilled Yakitori Chicken

For this Grilled Yakitori Chicken recipe, you can use any cut of chicken you prefer. We always keep boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the freezer, so that’s our typical choice. However, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well, too. In Japan, it is also common to find chicken livers, hearts and gizzards grilled in the yakitori style.

Traditionally, yakitori skewers include just the chopped chicken along with green scallions. I added bell peppers and mushrooms to my skewers just to incorporate other flavors. Plus, the grilled mushrooms absorb so much flavor from the grilling sauce!

I also included another unique vegetable on these skewers: pearl onions. I love using onions on skewers, but they often fall off or are difficult to thread onto the sticks. The answer? Pearl onions. Fresh pearl onions can sometimes be found in the produce section, and I find they are a bit larger. Frozen pearl onions also work, but as they are usually smaller, I typically thread 2-3 onions at a time onto the skewers. Like the mushrooms, the grilled pearl onions are packed with flavor from the yakitori sauce.

Marinade for Yakitori

No matter what cut of chicken you use, the marinade is key to making delicious Grilled Yakitori Chicken at home. The ingredients are:

Soy Sauce – Soy sauce adds a rich, savory flavor that complements the grilled chicken. Soy sauce contributes to the umami taste in grilled chicken. Feel free to substitute tamari or coconut aminos to make this marinade gluten-free.
Mirin – Mirin is a type of rice wine that is common in Japanese cooking. It should be readily available in the Asian section at most grocery stores. Mirin brings a sweetness that also contributes to the umami taste. This balance of sweet and salty is the key flavor profile for yakitori chicken. Sake can be substituted but you’ll want to add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar as mirin is much sweeter than sake.
Rice Wine Vinegar – When used in a marinade, vinegar helps tenderize the chicken. In this case, the rice wine vinegar also adds a tangy, sweet flavor. Rice wine vinegar is also commonly available in the Asian section at most grocery stores.
Garlic – While it’s not a traditional ingredient for yakitori chicken, minced garlic adds depth of flavor that is quite fantastic.
Sesame Oil – Like the garlic, sesame oil isn’t a traditional marinade ingredient, but it really adds a lot of flavor. These chicken skewers are often topped with sesame seeds, so the sesame oil still fits the overall flavor profile.

The marinade for this Grilled Yakitori Chicken serves a double purpose. First, it’s used as a marinade. Then it’s boiled and used as a grilling sauce (called tare) that gets brushed on the skewers as they grill. (Make sure to boil the marinade for a full minute as it has been in contact with raw chicken.)

If you are looking for a fun (and easy) way to mix up the flavors of grilled chicken, then give this Grilled Chicken Yakitori recipe a try! We served these skewers over rice, and then the next night we used the leftovers and turned the whole thing into a delicious fried rice.

How to Store Leftovers

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I typically pull the chicken and veggies off of the skewers before storing them. We also stored the cooked rice separately. For reheating, place ingredients in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until heated through. The leftovers also freeze well – just place them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.

I hope you enjoy these skewers as much as we do around here. They are an easy way to mix up the summer grilling routine. Happy Grilling!

Did you make this Grilled Yakitori Chicken recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Grilled Yakitori Chicken

This delicious Grilled Yakitori Chicken recipe features juicy chicken brushed with a sweet and savory grilling sauce. It's the perfect way to mix up the summer grilling routine!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Marinating Time: 2

Total Time: 2 30

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 453kcal

Ingredients

For the Marinade

¾ cup soy sauce
½ cup mirin see note
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar see note
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sesame seed oil

For the Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 red bell peppers
24 pearl onions see note
8 oz. white button mushrooms
bamboo skewers for grilling
cooked white rice for serving
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
¼ cup chopped green onions

Instructions

For the Marinade

Using a small bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients.

For the Chicken

Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
Cut bell peppers into 1-inch pieces.
Using a large ziptop bag, add the chicken, bell peppers and onions. Add marinade, seal bag and turn over several times until ingredients are well coated in marinade.
Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, turning occasionally.
Remove the chicken, bell peppers and onions from the marinade.
Transfer remaining marinade into a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, thread pieces of chicken and vegetables onto skewers.
Preheat grill to medium heat (~350°F).
Brush grates with vegetable oil or spray with nonstick grilling spray. Add skewers and grill for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally. While grilling, brush the skewers with the boiled marinade.
Serve over cooked white rice and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions before serving.

Notes

Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine. It is commonly available in the Asian food section at most grocery stores.

Rice Vinegar is essentially the same product as Rice Wine Vinegar. Sometimes the packaging might look different, but the base ingredients are the same for both.

Pearl onions can sometimes be found in the produce section. They can also be found in the frozen section. Frozen pearl onions tend to be smaller, so I often thread 2-3 onions onto the skewers.