If you’ve been following along with our blog for any amount of time you have probably noticed that we’re big fans of the classics. Burgers, brats, steaks, grilled chicken. There are plenty of things to love about those foods, but sometimes it’s good to branch out a little bit and try something a little different.
We always say that when you buy a propane tank, you unlock a world of culinary possibilities, so it only makes sense that we would share a few of our recipes and ideas with our readers! That’s why in today’s blog we want to share a recipe for chicken yakitori that we’re sure you will absolutely love. Keep reading to find out what ingredients you’ll need and get our suggestions for how to make this amazing dish.
What Is Yakitori?
One question you might be wondering about is what, exactly, yakitori even is. Let’s turn to our friends at Wikipedia for the answer. They note that “yakitori is a Japanese type of skewered chicken” and that is traditionally prepared utilizing “a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials.” Yakitori is ideal for any dinner party or get together where people will be standing because it is easy to grab and eat without a fork or knife.
As with many of the other recipes we share, you can feel free to switch things up a bit if you prefer to season your meal to suit your unique tastes. As a matter of fact, Wikipedia also notes that yakitori can be seasoned to be salty and sweet or just salty. If you prefer to mix the two flavors, “tare, a special sauce consisting of mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar is used [and] other common spices include powdered cayenne pepper, shichimi, Japanese pepper, black pepper, and wasabi, according to one’s tastes.”
The good news is that we’ll provide you with a template to get you started and you can add or subtract whatever you like!
Here’s What You’ll Need
Head to your local grocery store and grab the following:
- 1 lb of chicken thighs (boneless)
- 1 cup mirin
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 cloves of finely minced
- Fresh black pepper
- Sesame seeds
That’s all there is to it! The only ingredient you might not be familiar with is mirin. Mirin is a variety of rice wine that will likely be available in the Asian foods section of your local grocery store, but if you can’t find it there, you can easily order it on Amazon or any other place that offers groceries online.
Let’s Get Started
First of all, you’ll combine the mirin, soy sauce, cornstarch, and garlic into a pan, combining it well. Be sure to mince your garlic as fine as possible. Cook this sauce over medium-high heat until it is well reduced. This is the perfect time to break out your skewers. If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water to ensure that they don’t burn on your grill. You can also preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
Next, cut the chicken into uniform pieces and begin threading the pieces onto your skewers. Top with freshly cracked black pepper.
Once your grill is fully preheated, cook your chicken skewers on one side. When they start to change color, flip them over and brush some of your sauce on the cooked side. Continue to let the other side cook, then flip it over, brush it with sauce, and repeat the process twice more, adding more sauce each time you flip the skewers. The entire process will take between 15 and 20 minutes depending on your grill.
The final step is to pull your chicken yakitori skewers off of the grill and top each side with sesame seeds. Serve them immediately and enjoy. They go perfectly with friend rice and veggies as a main course, but they also work wonderfully as appetizers.
Wondering Where to Buy a Propane Tank?
If this recipe has inspired you to break out the grill, why not swing by one of our propane tank exchange locations to grab a fresh tank? After that, keep your eyes on this space, because we’ll continue to share more of our favorite grilling recipes, tips, and tricks.
