Yakitori directly translates to grilled bird, a very popular Japanese type of skewered chicken. It often features a range of meats from chicken breast, thighs, to beef, pork and a range of vegetables like mushrooms and leeks. It is typically skewered on a bamboo or steel skewer and grilled over a charcoal fire for that extra smokey flavours. ​ But not everyone has excess to an open bbq pit, so today we have a "hacked" chicken and leek yakitori, made using your humble oven. This is a quick and simple dish, a great and fun snack to enjoy with your friends and family or just by yourself. Tender juicy pieces of chicken breast, interlayed with sweet tender leeks all bound together with a sweet savoury sauce and who can forget the smokey bbq char. ​ Feel free to customise your skewer, try some chicken thighs (defo more juicy and tasier than breast), some beef, pork, fish and a whole range of vegetables.
Ingredients
300g Chicken Breast
150g Leek
Skewers
1tb Light Soy Sauce
1tb Mirin
1tb Sake
1ts Brown Sugar
1 Thumb Sized Piece Ginger
STEPS
Soak your skeweres in some water this prevents them from burning whilst they cook.
Preheat your oven to 180°C on the broiller setting.
Slice your leeks and chicken into 1/2 inch pieces.
In a bowl mix 1tb of light soy sauce, mirin, sake, 1ts of brown sugar and grate in 1 thumb sized piece of ginger and give it a good mix together.
Skewer up your chicken and leeks making sure to alternate between them.
Gently brush them with your lovely sauce and place them on a baking paper lined tray and into your preheated oven for 5 minutes.
Carefully flip your skewers and brush them with more sauce and let it cook for another 4 minutes.
Crank the heat up to max and give your skewers a final brushing of sauce and let it char for a good minute.
Carefully take it out of the oven and enjoy!
​ Happy Cooking,