🇯🇵 Japanese
Chicken Yakitori Skewers
⏱ 25 min
🍞 ~8g (2 skewers)
🍽 4 (2 skewers each) servings
⭐ 5/5
⚠️ Estimates only — not medical advice. Carb counts vary by brand and portion. Always verify with your endo or CDCES.
🌍 Cultural note
Yakitori means "grilled bird" — these tiny chicken skewers are the classic Japanese izakaya (pub) food. In Tokyo, yakitori spots are tucked under train tracks, the smell of charcoal pulling people in after work. Kids love them because they're food on a stick. Universal law.
Why this recipe is T1D-friendly
- Almost pure protein — minimal carb impact
- Pre-portioned by skewer, easy to count
- Scallion segments add fiber + crunch
- The tare (sauce) is sweetened with monk fruit instead of sugar/mirin
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes (0g)
- 1 bunch scallions, white/light green parts cut into 1-inch segments (4g total)
- 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water 30 min (0g)
Tare (yakitori sauce)
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (3g)
- 2 tbsp monk fruit or allulose (0g)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (0g)
- 1 tbsp water (0g)
- 1 tsp grated ginger (1g)
- 1 garlic clove, grated (1g)
- 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water slurry (2g)
Directions
- Make the tare: simmer soy, monk fruit, vinegar, water, ginger, and garlic in a small pot for 3 min. Stir in cornstarch slurry, cook 1 min until syrupy. Set aside.
- Thread skewers: alternate chicken cube, scallion segment, chicken cube, scallion, etc. — 3-4 chicken pieces per skewer.
- Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high. Lightly oil the grates.
- Grill skewers 3-4 min per side until chicken is cooked through (165°F internal).
- Brush generously with tare during the last 1 min on each side.
- Brush one more time after pulling off the grill. Serve hot with extra tare in a dipper.
Dash's kid tips 🐆
- Pull the chicken off the stick if your kid is little — same flavor, no poke risk
- Let them brush on the sauce with a pastry brush — it's basically painting with dinner
- Serve with cucumber spears and edamame for a "kid izakaya night" at home