Japanese Chicken Yakitori (Barbecue) Recipe

Soak the wooden skewers in water for 10-20 minutes -- this helps prevent them from burning.

In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, red wine, brown sugar, and distilled vinegar. Stir well until all sugar granules are dissolved. We'll use this as our basting sauce and marinade.

Prepare the chicken for marination. Trim the chicken by removing excess fats, cartilages, and connective tissues.

Using the back of your knife, pound the whole surface of the chicken lightly. This helps keep them tender and moist, & helps with absorption of the marinade.

Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces. This will make for faster marinade absorption and easier threading of the chicken on the wooden skewers.

Transfer chicken pieces into a large bowl. Add the ground black pepper, minced garlic, and ginger powder or minced ginger. Mix until seasoning is well distributed.

Add 1/4 cup of the Yakitori sauce into the chicken pieces. Then mix thoroughly, and marinate for a minimum of 10 minutes or longer.

Finish the Yakitori sauce. Transfer the remaining, unused sauce (3/4) into a small pot, and let it boil at medium heat.

Prepare the cornstarch mixture. Add 2 tbsps of the Yakitori sauce into the 1 tbsp cornstarch. Mix well until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.

Throw in the cornstarch mixture into the Yakitori sauce in the pot. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens. Set aside to cool. Make sure to scrape all sides to prevent the sauce from burning.

Prepare the Chicken kebabs. Take a wooden skewer and thread the pieces of chicken. Make sure to leave a space at the dull end of the skewer as a handle.

Using a brush, coat the kebabs with Yakitori sauce.

Grill or broil for 4 minutes on each side. Do NOT overcook the chicken.

Brush additional sauce once in a while until kebabs are fully cooked.

Best served with a cup of rice and some pickled vegetables. Enjoy!