Negima Yakitori Chicken Skewers

Negima Yakitori Chicken Skewers (Japan)

Juicy grilled chicken skewers glazed with a sweet and savory tare sauce — Negima Yakitori is the ultimate Japanese street food comfort. Chef Devan Rajkumar brings this smoky favorite to life on Global Street Eats, showing how a few simple ingredients can create incredible depth of flavor.

In the Asian Favorites episode, Chef Dev takes viewers on a journey through some of his most memorable street food experiences across Asia — from Chinese Pork Buns to Vietnamese Salt and Pepper Crab. His Negima Yakitori captures the essence of Japan’s bustling night markets: tender pieces of chicken and scallion charred over open flames, brushed with glossy tare sauce, and finished with a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi for heat.

Balanced, flavorful, and endlessly satisfying, this recipe reflects what Global Street Eats celebrates — bold, authentic, and approachable recipes that bring the world’s best street food into your home kitchen.

Ingredients:

For the Skewers:

• 2 lbs (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
• Black pepper

For the Tare Sauce:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup (60ml) dark brown sugar
• ½ cup (120ml) mirin
• ¾ cup (180ml) sake
• 1 ½ tbsp (22.2ml) cornstarch
• 1 tbsp (14.8ml) grated ginger

To Finish:

• Shichimi togarashi (optional)

Method:

For the Tare Sauce:

Add the soy sauce, dark brown sugar, mirin, and ginger to a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, mix the sake and cornstarch together in a small bowl to form a slurry.

When the saucepan has come to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, add the slurry, and cook for 1 minute, stirring throughout.

For the Skewers:

Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.

Thread 6 pieces of chicken and 3 pieces of scallion onto each skewer, adding a scallion after every 2 pieces of chicken. Season skewers with pepper.

Preheat your grill or a grill pan on high heat. Place skewers on the hot grill and cook for 2 minutes. Carefully flip the skewers over and brush with the tare sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes, then flip and brush the skewers with sauce again. Repeat flipping and brushing the skewers with sauce until they have cooked for 10 minutes.

Let skewers rest for 2 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with sichimi togarashi if desired.