Yakitori are skewered chicken pieces grilled over binchotan charcoal — the hard, slow-burning white charcoal that produces even, intense heat without smoke flavour. Almost every part of the chicken is used: thigh, breast, wing, liver, heart, gizzard, skin, and cartilage.
Seasoning styles
- Tare: glazed repeatedly with a soy-mirin-sake reduction; sweet and lacquered
- Shio: salt only; preferred for delicate parts (breast, wings) to let flavour through
Notable cuts
| Japanese | Part | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| momo | thigh | default; most popular |
| negima | thigh + leek | alternating pieces |
| tsukune | meatball | ground chicken, often with tare + egg yolk |
| rebā | liver | served pink in Japan; served cooked through in many countries |
| kawa | skin | crisp when done well; fatty |