What is yakitori?
Quick answer
Yakitori (焼き鳥) is the Japanese term for grilled, skewered chicken. The name means “grilled bird.” Bite-sized pieces of chicken are threaded onto bamboo skewers and cooked over charcoal, then seasoned either with salt (shio) or a sweet, glossy soy-based sauce called tare.
Yakitori is a classic Japanese comfort food, served at casual restaurants called yakitori-ya, at izakaya (pubs), at festival stalls and in convenience stores. It’s often eaten in the evening with a cold beer.
Popular yakitori cuts
| Japanese name | What it is |
|---|---|
| Momo | Thigh meat |
| Negima | Thigh with pieces of green onion (leek) |
| Tsukune | Chicken meatballs, often dipped in egg yolk |
| Kawa | Crispy chicken skin |
| Sasami | Breast tenderloin |
| Tebasaki | Wings |
| Sunagimo | Gizzards |
| Reba | Liver |
| Bonjiri | Tail |
| Hatsu | Heart |
Good yakitori restaurants use almost every part of the chicken.
Salt or sauce?
| Seasoning | Taste | Best with |
|---|---|---|
| Shio (salt) | Clean, lets the chicken flavor shine | Skin, breast, wings |
| Tare (sauce) | Sweet and savory; made with soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar | Thigh, meatballs, liver |
Some old restaurants have kept their tare going for decades, topping up the same pot every day.
The charcoal
Top yakitori chefs grill over binchōtan, a hard white charcoal that burns very hot and clean, with little smoke. Chefs fan the coals and turn the skewers constantly.
How to order
Order a few skewers at a time, try both shio and tare, and ask for the chef’s recommendations (omakase). Spices such as shichimi (seven-spice chili) are on the table.
For more Japanese food, see what miso is made from. Visiting Japan? Check what time it is in Japan.
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