Who doesn’t like meat on a stick? Indian Chicken tikka. Indonesian satay. Spanish pinchos morunos. Even a hot dog on a stick over an open fire can be a treat. Yakitori is just another great example of meat meets stick meets fire.
Yakitori are best cooked over high heat
Cook yakitori over high heat. Like one Mississippi or less heat. Screaming hot. That’s where the magic happens. You need to move fast when you do this but the results are worth it. The Japanese have been doing this for ages. They have made an art of it. There are restaurants in Japan that serve nothing else. Maybe beer to wash it down but that’s it. They are masters. It’s worth checking out youtube to watch them in action.
Set up your grill for success
I like lump charcoal for this (as always) but real the key is getting a set up that lets you cook the chicken without incinerating the skewers. One trick I saw is to set a couple bricks wrapped in foil directly on the grate. Set them up so the chicken is exposed to the fire but the bare skewers are not. Tin foil strips right on the grill is another way to help with this. You can go different ways with the seasoning. Teriyaki works well. Simple salt and maybe a sprinkle of shichime togarachi. This is about chicken and fire. You don’t want to overpower.
Yakitori means chicken over fire
Before anyone points out the flaw in the post title – it is redundant. It’s for clarity and understanding. Yaki means cooked over fire. Tori is chicken. So Japanese grilled chicken yakitori is total overkill. But at least there will be no confusion. This is perfect party food. Food to be shared with friends. Next time you have a cookout serve try it. Bring a bit of Japanese flair to your meal. You won’t be sorry.
