Sophie Bennett
Yakitori is a Japanese grilled chicken dish that is typically cooked on traditional grills with grates. To break down a chicken for yakitori, you will need a sharp knife to cut through the skin, tendons, and membranes. You can use a large Chinese cleaver or a traditional Japanese single-bevel knife. First, separate the legs into upper and lower parts, as the upper leg meat is more tender. Then, slice off the butt skin and belly meat skin, and remove the skin from the breast. Cut the wing joints into 25mm/1-inch square pieces, and grill the remaining skin until crispy. You can also use the neck meat and leeks to make negima, a popular variation of yakitori.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Knife | Deba, Honesuki, Chinese cleaver, or any sharp knife |
| Chicken parts | Thigh, leg, butt skin, belly meat skin, breast, wing, neck, shoulder |
| Skewer weight | Approximately 40 g |
| Grilling technique | Use traditional grills with grates, Binchotan charcoal, or two bars to hang skewers |
| Cutting technique | Separate meat into desired parts, cut skin, tendons, and membranes, and pull out joints |
| Chicken quality | Fresh, good quality chicken with firm and fresh skin |
| Yakitori style | Breast, negima (neck and leeks), or other creative combinations |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing the right chicken
Yakitori is a Japanese grilled chicken dish that is cooked on traditional grills with grates. The weight of the chicken is pushed down, which releases the juices, resulting in drier chicken skewers. To retain the juices and keep the meat moist and fluffy, two bars are used to hang the skewers so that the chicken is directly on the fire. Binchotan, a high-quality charcoal made from oak, is often used to grill yakitori.
When choosing a chicken for yakitori, it is important to select a good quality chicken with fresh, firm skin. Frozen skin will not achieve the best results. If you are using a chicken breast, you can choose to separate the comparatively fat part from the more irregular part where the wing joint is found. The wing joint part can be cut into 25 mm/1 inch square pieces. If you are using the chicken legs, it is preferable to use the legs with the skin on as it makes for tastier yakitori. The upper leg meat is more tender than the lower leg meat because of tendons.
If you are using pre-cut chicken pieces, you may encounter issues with the consistency of the cuts, especially if the chicken has been cut through the bone for efficiency. This can make it harder to break down the chicken into special skewers like negima, which combines chicken and leek.
For a more authentic experience, you may want to source a high-quality chicken, such as a Jidori chicken, which is a type of fresh chicken used by yakitori masters in Japan. Alternatively, you can use chicken thighs and wings from Costco, which are suitable as long as they smell fresh.
When preparing the chicken, you will need a sharp knife to cut through the skin, tendons, and membranes. A traditional Japanese single bevel knife, such as a Deba or a Tojiro Shirogami, can be used to break down the chicken. Alternatively, a large Chinese cleaver can be used to cut through the bones and create small rectangular pieces that are easy to pick up with chopsticks.
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Selecting the right knife
When it comes to selecting the right knife for breaking down a chicken for yakitori, there are a few options to consider. Firstly, it is essential to have a sharp knife that can easily cut through skin, tendons, and membranes.
One option is a traditional Japanese single bevel knife, such as a Deba or a Honesuki. These knives are typically used for breaking down fish but can also be used for chicken. The Tojiro Shirogami is a high-quality, basic knife in this style, with a soft resin ferrule. You can usually find an 180mm blade for between $130 and $150.
Another option is a large Chinese cleaver, which can be used to cut through the chicken, including the bones, creating small rectangular chunks. This technique is often used for soy sauce chicken and results in pieces that are easy to pick up with chopsticks.
Alternatively, a sharp, trusty chef's knife can also get the job done. When choosing a knife, consider the size of the chicken and the precision required for the cuts. A smaller, sharper knife may be preferable for more intricate cuts, while a larger knife can make quick work of breaking down larger chickens.
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Cutting the breast
Yakitori is a Japanese grilled chicken dish made from breaking down a whole chicken, skewering it, and grilling it. The chicken breast is one of the most important parts of the chicken when preparing yakitori. Here is a detailed guide on how to cut the chicken breast for yakitori:
First, make sure you have a trusty sharp knife. You will need this to cut any skin, tendon, or membrane, and you will be pulling the rest out. If you only have the chicken legs, separate the meat into upper and lower leg. The upper leg meat is more tender than the lower leg meat because of the tendons.
Next, slice off the butt skin and the belly meat skin, which is the skin in the middle of the breast and rib. Then, pull the skin on top of the breast and take it off, slicing it away from the chicken. Make an incision along the wings, the bottom of the breast, and along the middle of the two breasts, then pull it out. Cut the tendons as needed.
Now, you will be left with the chicken breast. Cut the breast into 25mm/1-inch square pieces. The fat part of the breast could be cut into the same pieces, but it would be better to grill it whole, skin down, until the skin is crispy. Do not grill on the other side, so the meat will still be half-rare inside, making for a juicy and tender morsel best enjoyed with ponzu instead of sauce or tare. If you do decide to cut the fat part into pieces, remember not to overcook it, and make larger cuts. The trick is to have all the skin parts facing down and grill them skin-down only.
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Preparing the thighs and legs
To prepare the thighs and legs of a chicken for yakitori, you will need a sharp knife. Start by slicing through the skin around the thigh and leg areas. Then, break the joints connecting these parts to the rest of the chicken and pull them out. You can separate the upper leg, which is more tender, from the lower leg by cutting through the remaining attached skin.
Next, remove any remaining skin from the thighs and legs. Slice off the butt skin and the belly meat skin, which is the skin in the middle of the breast and rib area. Pull off the skin on top of the breast and slice it away from the chicken. You can also make an incision along the wings and the bottom of the breast to remove any remaining skin. Cut the tendons as needed and remove any silver skin or membranes.
At this point, you should have the skeleton of the chicken, and you can remove any remaining cartilage, skin, shoulder meat, and neck meat. If you want to include the neck in your yakitori, choose a long and thin leek and cut it into 25 mm or 1-inch pieces. This preparation is called "negima" and is a popular way to make yakitori.
Finally, lay the chicken on your cutting board and roll it a bit from the bottom. Push from the top while poking through the middle with a stick to create the skewers for your yakitori. You can also use a large Chinese cleaver to cut through the bones and create small chunks of meat that can be threaded onto skewers.
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Grilling the meat
When grilling the meat, it is important to pay attention to the cut of chicken and adjust the cooking time accordingly. Hearts, liver, and chicken tenders cook fast, usually in about 4 minutes. Beef and pork belly are even faster, taking less than 30 seconds depending on the cut. Chicken skewers take longer, around 7-9 minutes on the highest heat.
For the breast meat, it is recommended to separate the comparatively fat part from the more irregular part where the wing joint is found. Cut the wing joint into 25 mm/1-inch square pieces. The fat part of the breast can also be cut into pieces, but it is better to grill it whole, skin-down, until the skin is crispy. Do not grill the other side, as this will result in meat that is still half-rare inside, creating a juicy and tender morsel that can be enjoyed with ponzu instead of sauce.
If you are using pre-cut chicken thighs and wings, be aware that the consistency of the cuts may vary, which can make it more difficult to create special skewers like negima with skin. For the neck and leeks (negima) variety of yakitori, choose a long and comparatively thin leek with a clear white and green part, and cut it into 25 mm/1-inch pieces.
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Frequently asked questions
Yakitori is Japanese grilled chicken.
You will need a trusty sharp knife to cut any skin, tendon, or membrane. A large Chinese cleaver is also recommended.
Yakitori masters source the best chicken they can find. When cutting up the chicken, make sure the skin is firm and fresh. Frozen skin will not achieve the best results.
Traditionally, Yakitori is cooked over two bars where the two ends of the skewer hang and the chicken is directly on the fire. Binchotan, a high-quality charcoal made from oak, is often used to achieve a high and controlled temperature.
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