Pan-fried yakitori
About pan-fried yakitori
Pan-fried yakitori is easy yakitori made in a frying pan instead of grilling. Yakitori usually consists of bite-sized pieces of chicken skewered and grilled over an open flame. In Japan, you can eat yakitori at yakitori specialty restaurants and izakaya (a traditional Japanese tavern that serves light dishes in a relaxed atmosphere).
However, there are times when you want to eat yakitori at home. So this time it’s a yakitori recipe that can be delicious even in a frying pan. Yakitori also has various flavors, but this one is sesame miso taste. The nutty flavor of ground sesame goes well with the deep taste of miso, a fermented food. The rich flavor of the sauce is delicious, and it’s very easy to make because it’s just a matter of frying it in a frying pan. Since my family likes it, I make it regularly.
What I love about this yakitori is that it is mixed with the marinade and immediately skewered and fried. Therefore, you can make it as soon as you like to eat yakitori.
I put links to an article on the nutrition and health benefits of sesame and miso used in the marinade, so please read them if you like.
Recipe tips
For this recipe I use chicken thighs because they are juicy and flavorful. Removing as much visible fat as possible will improve the taste and texture. I use skinless meat, but if the skin is on, cut off the excess skin along with the fat. This will give it a nice shape and remove any greasiness.
Arrange chicken skewers in a large frying pan so that they do not overlap, and fry over medium-low heat. For 12 skewers, I usually use 2 frying pans. If you only have one frying pan, fry in two batches. When frying the chicken, do not turn it over many times and fry it slowly. However, it burns easily, so keep an eye on it while cooking.
If you have a little bit of marinade left over, add it and a small amount of water to the frying pan after transferring the chicken to a plate, bring to a boil, and pour over the yakitori as a sauce.
Pan-freid yakitori
Equipment
- 1 or 2 Frying pan with a lid
- 12 Bamboo skewer
Ingredients
- 600~700 gram Chicken thighs
- 90 gram Miso
- 45 gram Fine granulated sugar or caster sugar
- 4 tablespoon Roasted white sesame seeds
- 2½ teaspoon Japanese sake or Chinese rice wine or sherry
- 2½ teaspoon Japanese soy sauce
- 2½ teaspoon Sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Place the sesame seeds in a small food processor. Grind for about 30 seconds until finely ground.
- Put miso, sugar, ground sesame seeds, Japanese sake, Japanese soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl and mix well.
- Add the chicken and mix well so that the marinade coats the meat.
- Thread chicken evenly onto 12 bamboo skewers.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat, and arrange the skewered chicken so that they do not overlap.（ It's best to use two frying pans, but if you only have one frying pan, fry in two batches.）
- Fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown, then use tongs to turn it upside down. After turning it upside down, cover it with a lid and reduce the heat to low and slowly cook for about 10 minutes. (A lot of water comes out here.)
- When the chicken is cooked through, remove the lid, and increase the heat to evaporate the fluid. When the moisture is almost gone, turn the chicken over again and it's done when both sides are nicely browned. Transfer the chicken to the plate.
Notes
It’s easy and delicious, so please try making it for your family and friends. Below I put a link to a recipe that uses chicken thighs, so if you like, try making it as well.
Thank you for reading and Bon Appetit!