The variety you get with yakitori just makes it extra fun to eat! My favorites are chicken with green onion, but I also have to have pork belly, grilled quail egg, some form of bacon-wrapped veggies, and of course mushrooms. That’s a lotta must-haves but these are great as leftovers too. Let’s get to grilling! Yakitori, or “grilled chicken” in Japanese, is a traditional form of grilling in Japan. While there are various cuts of chicken meat that are pierced onto bamboo or metal skewers, it can also refer to grilled vegetables or other meats like pork belly. My favorite places to eat yakitori are local restaurants, Honda Ya and Shinsengumi. However, it’s also fun to grill yakitori at home.
Yakitori grill types & setup
Yakitori grills are a semi-specialized type of grill meant for handling skewers. So, compared to your regular American bbq style charcoal grill, the ones I’ve found are typically rectangular in shape. Yakitori grills are designed to accommodate a row of skewers which are typically 6-8″ each, with different width grills so you can grill even more skewers at a time side by side. Charcoal yakitori grills have these features:
Flat bottoms and flat sides on the interior to accommodate binchō-tan, the common coals used for yakitori. About 5-6″ of depth for the coal area: enough room to stack at least 2 layers of coals, and keep the distance between coals and skewers about 1-2″. Sliding doors on the front and back to control airflow to regulate charcoal temperature. Construction material of the yakitori grill I have is diatomite brick, to better insulate the higher-than-normal heat of binchō-tan, although stainless steel yakitori grills are also common. A grill grate to keep the food a uniform distance from the heat Some grills have notches for skewers to sit in, so they stay in place and are easier to rotate—this lets you easily target the sides of chunky pieces of chicken or things that don’t sit flat like quail eggs.
Stainless steel charcoal yakitori grills like the Yak Grill share all of the above characteristics but also may have:
No other layer of insulation than the single stainless-steel wall An interior box you can pull out and wash out charcoal, ash, and oil from cooking A grid to raise the charcoal off the bottom, allowing for more airflow underneath
Electric yakitori grills typically share the same shape as the above grills and have:
Much lower maximum temperatures Lack of charcoal flavor, but also produce less smoke so they have the ability to safely grill indoors with some ventilation Flexibility in heating element placement (some models even have you place the skewers vertically), although no models seem to outperform the traditional flat orientation
Coals & binchotan for yakitori
The type of coals used for yakitori are called binchō-tan, or white charcoal. These types of coals are made of a hardwood like oak, which gives it a long burn time (about 4-5 hours) with a high heat level (up to 1600°F). You can find more information and a variety of different types of binchō-tan at Korin. Most of these coals do come with a hefty price tag, but due to their long burn time they could be worth it. I used a new version of coals from PokPok (yes, the restaurant) called Thaan, which is slightly less in price.
Homemade yakitori tare (sauce)
Most yakitori is seasoned with salt, but it’s also important to brush on some yummy basting sauce called “tare.” This special sauce is often a mix of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar, but each restaurant, or yakitori-ya (a restaurant specializing in yakitori), has its own special ratio. Often times, this tare is reused and passed down from chef to chef, building complex flavors throughout the years.
Bamboo skewers for grilling
For skewers, I had an assortment that I purchased from Korin. My favorite to use was larger ones (more than 6 inches) because it’s easier to handle over the grill without burning myself. For most of the meat pieces, I liked using thinner skewers to pierce the meat easier. For other pieces like okra or bacon covered enoki mushrooms, I liked using the thicker bamboo skewers to hold the pieces in while they were grilling. Before skewering any meat or vegetables, I would highly recommend soaking them in water for at least 1 hour to help prevent them from burning too fast over the grill.
Types of meat to use for yakitori
Some of my favorites include:
Yakitori-momo: chicken thigh Yakitori-negima: chicken thigh and spring onions Yakitori-kawa: chicken skin Yakitori-buta bura: pork belly Quail eggs
Types of veggies to use for yakitori
Some of my favorites include:
shishito peppersasparagus (bacon wrapped is great)okra (bacon wrapped is great)enoki (ok you can wrap anything in bacon)green onionsany thick mushroomsshiso leaf
Making yakitori without a grill
My favorite way to eat and cook yakitori is using a charcoal grill because there’s just no replicating the smoky flavor from the grill. However, if you don’t have access to a grill, you also have the option to broil yakitori in the oven. I would, however, watch the oven closely since the skewers or meat can burn fast if the oven is too hot. Remember to pull the meat and baste with the tare towards the end of cooking.
Hibachi vs teppanyaki
Yakitori is typically cooked on a hibachi grill. Unfortunately for many Americans, there seems to be a common misunderstanding between hibachi and teppanyaki. Teppanyaki grills have been around since 1945, but hibachi grills have been around for hundreds of years. The main difference between hibachi and teppanyaki grills is that hibachi grills have a traditional fire or charcoal stove with a grate on top, whereas the teppanyaki grill is a wide and flat top that is more like a griddle (like those at Benihana).
Cooking tips
Learn how to properly start a charcoal grill here. Don’t make chicken or any food on your skewer too thick—it will be hard to season all the way through. Don’t let skewers sit over flare-ups. If your food drips fat, it can cause flames to grow. This doesn’t taste good and isn’t good for you to eat. Move the skewers away from the flame, and you can even spray them with water to put out the fire. Don’t leave the grill unattended. Things can cook very fast. Since the heat is high, flip your skewers very often to promote even heating and so you can see the cooking progress.
For other grilled bbq options, I would recommend making Filipino BBQ pork skewers, veggie kabobs, or grilled fish.
