Yakitori in the Air Fryer
Juicy chicken skewers brushed with sweet and salty tare sauce that turns glossy and sticky in the air fryer. Japanese street food, ready in half an hour.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot
- 8 Metal skewer
- 1 Brush
- 1 Meat thermometer
Ingredients
Chicken skewers
- 700 g chicken thighs Boneless and skinless
- 4 pcs spring onions Cut into 3 cm pieces
- 1 tbsp neutral oil For brushing
0.5 tsp salt
Tare sauce
- 100 ml soy sauce
- 100 ml mirin
- 50 ml sake Can be replaced with dry sherry
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic Crushed
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
To serve
- 1 tsp sesame seeds Toasted
- 1 tsp shichimi togarashi Japanese chilli spice blend, can be left out
Instructions
Preparation
- Cut 700 g chicken thighs into bite-sized 3-4 cm pieces. Cut 4 pcs spring onions into pieces about 3 cm long.
- Put 100 ml soy sauce, 100 ml mirin, 50 ml sake and 2 tbsp soft brown sugar into a small saucepan together with 1 clove garlic and 1 tsp grated fresh ginger. Bring to the boil, then leave the tare sauce to simmer over a low heat for 8-10 minutes, until it is slightly syrupy and coats the back of a spoon. Strain the sauce and leave it to cool.
- Thread the chicken and spring onions alternately onto 8 metal skewers, with 4-5 pieces of chicken per skewer. Brush the skewers with 1 tbsp neutral oil and season them with 0.5 tsp salt.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Place the skewers in a single layer in the basket so they do not overlap, and cook them at 200 °C for 6 minutes.
- Turn the skewers, brush them with a thin layer of tare sauce, and continue cooking at 200 °C for 4 minutes.
- Brush the skewers with another layer of tare sauce and give them 2 more minutes at 200 °C, until the glaze is glossy and sticky and the chicken has a core temperature of 75 °C.
Serving
- Leave the skewers to rest for 3 minutes. Sprinkle them with 1 tsp sesame seeds and 1 tsp shichimi togarashi, and serve the remaining tare sauce alongside.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
Use chicken thighs rather than breast — they stand up to the high heat and stay juicy instead of drying out. Only brush on the tare sauce for the last few minutes; the sugar in the sauce burns easily if it goes on from the start. Always use metal skewers in the air fryer. Variation:
Make shio-yakitori with no tare sauce at all, where the skewers are seasoned with just salt and get a squeeze of lemon at the end. Chicken wings or chicken hearts can be used in the same way. Serving:
Serve the skewers with steamed jasmine rice, quick-pickled cucumber and a bowl of miso soup. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can cook the dish in two batches. Keep the first batch warm under a piece of foil.
Use chicken thighs rather than breast — they stand up to the high heat and stay juicy instead of drying out. Only brush on the tare sauce for the last few minutes; the sugar in the sauce burns easily if it goes on from the start. Always use metal skewers in the air fryer. Variation:
Make shio-yakitori with no tare sauce at all, where the skewers are seasoned with just salt and get a squeeze of lemon at the end. Chicken wings or chicken hearts can be used in the same way. Serving:
Serve the skewers with steamed jasmine rice, quick-pickled cucumber and a bowl of miso soup. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can cook the dish in two batches. Keep the first batch warm under a piece of foil.
Nutrition
Calories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 36gFat: 14gSaturated fat: 3.5gPolyunsaturated fat: 3gMonounsaturated fat: 6gTrans fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 1100mgPotassium: 480mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 180IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mgNet carbohydrates: 13.5g
