Name: Chicken Yakitori
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 22.5 ml Soy Sauce; 15 ml Dark Soy Sauce; 30 ml Mirin; 30 ml Cooking Sake; 7.5 g Granulated Sugar; 15 ml Peanut Oil; 6 Chicken Thigh, Boneless & Skinless (Diced); 5 Spring Onions (Scallion) (Sliced); Salt & Pepper; 15 ml Peanut Oil; 2 Carrots (Julienned); 4 Parsnips (Julienned); 15 ml Soy Sauce; 15 ml Mirin; 5 ml Toasted Sesame Oil; 4.5 g Sesame Seeds (Toasted); 4.5 g Black Sesame Seeds (Toasted); Seasoning To Taste

Chicken Yakitori

PREP

15 mins

COOK

15 mins

SERVES

DIFFICULTY

Medium

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Chef Jack Ovens

Qualified Chef · 1.63M Subscribers

Updated August 2026

Chicken thigh and spring onion skewers, seared until golden then glazed in a homemade teriyaki sauce, served alongside a sesame carrot and parsnip stir fry. A proper izakaya-style dinner at home.

Soak the bamboo skewers for the full 10 minutes, dry skewers will char under the pan’s heat before the chicken is anywhere near done. Sear them covered with a lid first, in batches, that’s what gets proper colour on the chicken before the sauce goes in.

Keep the chicken and stir fry separate in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months, though the vegetables will lose a bit of crunch on thawing.

Chicken Yakitori

CHICKEN · DINNER · MEDIUM

Why You'll Love This Chicken Yakitori

Skewers with real char, glazed properly

Searing the skewers covered with a lid first, in batches, means every piece gets proper colour instead of steaming from overcrowding. That colour is where most of the flavour comes from.

A homemade teriyaki sauce, built from soy, mirin, sake, and sugar, reduces down into something glossy and clingy, worlds better than anything from a bottle.

The sesame carrot and parsnip stir fry rounds the whole plate out, toasted sesame seeds add a nutty crunch that plays well against the sticky glazed chicken.

Chicken Yakitori

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Calories: 373.1kcal

Servings: People

Metric - Imperial

Ingredients

Teriyaki Sauce

22.5 ml Soy Sauce
15 ml Dark Soy Sauce
30 ml Mirin
30 ml Cooking Sake
7.5 g Granulated Sugar

Chicken Yakitori

15 ml Peanut Oil
6 Chicken Thigh, Boneless & Skinless Diced
5 Spring Onions (Scallion) Sliced
Salt & Pepper

Carrot & Parsnip Stir Fry

15 ml Peanut Oil
2 Carrots Julienned
4 Parsnips Julienned
15 ml Soy Sauce
15 ml Mirin
5 ml Toasted Sesame Oil
4.5 g Sesame Seeds Toasted
4.5 g Black Sesame Seeds Toasted
Seasoning To Taste

Method

Teriyaki Sauce

Place all of the teriyaki sauce ingredients into a small saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Chicken Skewers (Yakitori)

Soak 8–10 medium bamboo skewers in cold water for 10 minutes — this stops them burning or charring.
Spear the chicken and spring onion onto the soaked skewers and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the skewers, cover with a lid, and sear for 3 minutes on both sides. Do this in batches.
Add all the chicken skewers back to the pan (overcrowding doesn't matter now) and pour in the teriyaki sauce. Cook for 1–2 minutes, or until thick and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F), rotating the skewers in the sauce.

Carrot & Parsnip Stir Fry

Toast the sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat for 2 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Remove.
Add the peanut oil, carrots, and parsnips to the same pan or wok over high heat and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and mirin and cook for 2 minutes, until the sauce has reduced. Turn off the heat, add the sesame oil and sesame seeds, mix well, and remove from the stovetop.

Serving

Place the stir fry on a plate or in a bowl, and place the chicken yakitori over the top — or serve the stir fry on the side. Garnish with spring onion. Dig in.

Chef's Tips

Soak the bamboo skewers for the full 10 minutes, not less — dry skewers will char and burn under the pan's heat before the chicken is anywhere near done.

Sear the skewers covered with a lid first, in batches, before crowding them all back in together — this gets proper colour on the chicken before the sauce goes in, rather than steaming it from the start.

Toast the sesame seeds before anything else touches the pan — they burn fast once the pan's hot, and doing them first means one less thing to watch once the stir-fry is moving.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate the chicken skewers and stir-fry separately for up to 3 days, in airtight containers. Freezing is possible for up to 2 months, though the vegetables will lose some crunch on thawing.

To reheat, warm the chicken in a pan or microwave until hot throughout (74°C/165°F), and then stir-fry in a hot pan for a couple of minutes to bring back some texture. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Serving 300gCalories 373.1kcalCarbohydrates 29.8gProtein 32.1gFat 11.9gSaturated Fat 2.8gPolyunsaturated Fat 3.25gMonounsaturated Fat 4.91gTrans Fat 0.1gCholesterol 134.4mgSodium 828.1mgPotassium 733.6mgFiber 5.6gSugar 13.9gVitamin A 187.9IUVitamin C 20.14mgCalcium 83.9mgIron 2.7mg

Common Questions

Can I use metal skewers instead of bamboo?⌄

Yes, and you can skip the soaking step entirely since there's no risk of them burning. Everything else about the method stays the same.

Can I make the teriyaki sauce ahead of time?⌄

Yes, it keeps well in the fridge for up to a week in a sealed container. Just warm it gently before pouring it over the seared skewers.

Can I grill these on a BBQ instead of a pan?⌄

Definitely, that's actually closer to how yakitori is traditionally cooked. Grill over medium-high heat and baste with the teriyaki sauce in the final few minutes.

Why toast the sesame seeds before starting the stir fry?⌄

They burn fast once the pan's hot, so doing them first while the pan's still cooler means one less thing to watch once the stir fry gets moving.

Chicken Yakitori

Chicken Yakitori

Skewers with real char, glazed properly