Who doesn’t love a good skewers recipe?! This Chicken and Scallion Skewers recipe is next level after being inspired by Japanese Yakitori! I cubed and marinated some chicken thighs overnight in a ginger, garlic and chili mixture for the most delicious skewers the following evening. I cooked them directly over some hot coals and finished them with a mirin glaze and dash of togarashi. Oh yeah, it was epic. Let’s do this!
Blue Skies and Chicken Thighs
I’ve done plenty of skewer recipes in my time as a fire cooking enthusiast, but never have I done one with chicken thighs until today. You’ll typically see chicken breast for skewers, but I decided it was time to give chicken thighs some spotlight time. The wonderful thing about chicken thighs is that they’re fattier than chicken breast and therefore bring a bit more flavor to the table. Also, due to their smaller size, they cook faster but maintain the juicy tenderness we love in all our proteins. With that said, let’s get rolling on these Chicken and Scallion Skewers!
I cubed the chicken thighs and mixed them in my marinade. Let them bathe in this marinade overnight, allowing them to soak in all the delicious flavors. The following evening, grab a handful of small skewers and some scallions. I cut the scallions into about 1 inch sections. Then, I began the skewering process. I skewered two pieces of chicken and then placed a single cut of scallion. Continue this process until all the chicken has been skewered.
Chicken and Scallion Skewers Sauce
I know you’re probably antsy and wanting to get straight to grilling the chicken skewers. However, you do not want to pass on this mirin glaze (which is very similar to Yakitori sauce). It’s the secret to this chicken and scallion skewers recipe. Before placing the chicken skewers on the grill, we’ll make this mirin sauce.
In a cast iron sauce bowl, place all the mirin sauce ingredients. Mix them together and bring it to a roaring boil. Once the sauce reduces by half, remove it from the grill. Now, it’s chicken time! I removed the grill grate and layed my skewers across the grill directly over the coals. Remember, the small cubes of chicken thighs will cook quickly, so stay close by and be ready to flip.
Check out my cookbook, Food X Fire, for more delicious recipes and fire cooking techniques!
A Dash of Togarashi
Grab that mirin glaze after you’ve flipped the chicken skewers and they’ve cooked on each side. Then, using a basting brush, spread that delicious glaze all over those chicken and scallion skewers. Keep them on the grill for only a few more minutes to let that sauce caramelize a bit. All that’s left to do from here is the fun part, eating! I pulled each skewer from the grill and placed it directly on a serving dish. I gave it a dusting of some togarashi seasoning for that final punch of flavor and it was ready to go. Best enjoyed with friends and family. Cheers!
Chicken and Scallion Skewers
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 6-8 Chicken Thighs boneless & cubed
- 10-15 Scallions white part only
- Dash of Togarashi for garnish
Marinade:
- ½ cup of Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup of White Wine Vinegar
- 2 tbsp of Fish Sauce
- 1 tbsp of Garlic Paste
- 1 tbsp of Ginger Paste
- 1 tbsp of Spicy Mustard
- 1 tbsp of Chili Paste
- 1.5 tsp of Sea Salt
- 1.5 tsp of Pepper
- 2 tsp of Oil
Mirin Glaze:
- 2 tbsp of Mirin Sauce
- 2 tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 1.5 tbsp of Bourbon
- 2 tsp of Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp of Chili Flakes
Instructions
- Cube your chicken thighs and slice your scallions for the white part only. Add your chicken to a bowl along with all the ingredients for the marinade. Mix together thoroughly and let set in the fridge for 4 hours but ideally overnight.
- Pull out chicken and discard excess marinade. Skewer your chicken two pieces at a time along with one scallion. Repeat this process until all the chicken has been skewered. Set your chicken in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Preheat your grill for direct cooking to medium high heat (around 375F).
- Add a basting skillet to warm over the fire for 1 minute. Next, add your bourbon to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the rest of the Mirin Glaze to the skillet and let simmer until it has reduced by half (around 7-8 minutes). Once done, pull it off and let it cool.
- Begin adding your chicken skewers over the coals to cook for 4-5 minutes per side. If they begin to burn, move that skewer to a cooler part of the grill. When the skewers are close to being done (and about 165F internal on the chicken), begin basting the outside of the skewers in the glaze to let it caramelize. Let cook for 1 more minute, then pull off and rest.
- Garnish your skewers with Togarashi Seasoning, and enjoy!
I make these chicken skewers on a regular basis. I omit the glaze because I love the way the chicken taste on its own from being marinated. This is a must have recipe!!