Chicken Yakitori (Air Fryer or Oven)
This easy chicken yakitori recipe made with juicy chicken thighs marinated in an easy sweet and savory sauce are cooked to perfection in the air fryer (or the oven). The chicken is threaded onto skewers with green onions before cooking.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 452kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thigh (skin-on preferred) cut in 1 inch pieces
- 5-6 green onions cut in 3 inch pieces
- 15-20 bamboo wooden skewers soaked in water
- ½ cup marinade
- ½ cup sauce** (see notes) for brushing and dipping
marinade & sauce (makes 1 cup sauce)
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 3-4 garlic cloves grated
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup mirin
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon sake
- ¼ cup water
garnish
- roasted sesame seeds
- sauce brush on after cooking
Instructions
- Soak bamboo sticks in water for 30 minutes. After you start prepping the marinade and chicken, it will be around 30 minutes ◡̈
- Grate ginger and garlic cloves and set aside.
- To make the marinade, add grated ginger, grated garlic, soy sauce, mirin, water, sugar, and sake in a saucepan. Heat marinade on saucepan on medium heat for 7-8 minutes until the sauce starts bubbling and thickens. Cool marinade for 10 minutes.
- Cut chicken thigh in 1 inch pieces. Make sure the marinade has cooled down and add ½ cup of the marinade to the chicken. Marinate for 15-30 minutes.
- Cut green onions in 3 inch pieces. Get your skewer and add a piece of chicken then add 1-2 green onions. Repeat until the chicken reaches the end of the stick.
- Cut parchment paper or foil to fit your air fryer (see above for baking instructions). Cook skewers for 3-4 minutes on 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After 5 minutes, brush sauce on top. Flip over and brush sauce on the other side (both sides sauced!). Cook for 3-4 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit until slightly charred.
- To serve, brush some sauce at the top and garnish with sesame seeds.
Oven Instructions
- Place the chicken skewers on parchment paper or foil on a sheet pan. Cook at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 minutes on one side. Add sauce, flip it over and cook on broil 2-3 minutes or until your desired char.
Notes
EXPERT TIPS
- Cut the chicken in to similar sized pieces. This allows for even cooking of your yakitori skewers.
- Save some of the marinade. Use a half cup to marinate the chicken for the skewers and the other half cup for during and after cooking to brush over the chicken. Any extras can be served on the side as a dipping sauce with your Japanese chicken yakitori.
- Soak your wooden skewers. It will take about thirty minutes but is important to keep them from burning while the chicken skewers cook in the air fryer.
- Cool the marinade before adding the chicken.
- Discard the marinade left in the dish after marinating the chicken only use the fresh half cup of marinade for brushing and serving as a sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 1337mg | Potassium: 442mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 282IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg