A recipe for Sesame Miso Yakitori (ごまみそ焼き鳥)! Pieces of chicken arranged on skewers and brushed with a sweet and savory sesame miso glaze.
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Yakitori (焼き鳥) is a type of Japanese grilled chicken popular in Izakaya, Yakitori-ya (specialty yakitori restaurant), and as a street food. There are a variety of types using different parts of the chicken and seasonings, most often with Tare (a sweet soy sauce) or Shio (salt).
I came across the idea for this Sesame Miso Yakitori in the cookbook, At the Japanese Table, and it is such a fun option during summer grilling season. Everything comes together in about 30 minutes since there is no marinating or resting time needed.
Simply simmer the sesame miso glaze for a few minutes until thickened, arrange pieces of chicken on skewers, then cook over an indoor/outdoor grill while brushing with the glaze on each side.
Serve hot from the grill with greens and steamed rice.
A Few Tips
The exact amount of skewers will depend on the size. Try to use bamboo skewers between 4-7 inches (10-18 centimeters). I like the flattened skewers so they are easier to turn/less likely to roll.
With 7 inch (18 centimeter) wooden skewers, I am able to get around 8 Sesame Miso Yakitori.
Soak the bamboo/wooden skewers in cold water for about 30 minutes before assembling.
Try to keep all the chicken pieces roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Do not leave gaps as you assemble them on the skewers.
While cooking the glaze, whisk the bottom and sides often to keep it from burning.
After simmering the glaze until thickened, set aside 1/3rd of the sauce in a clean bowl with a clean brush. This will be used once the chicken is cooked through to avoid cross contamination and give one final burst of flavor before serving.
I cooked the yakitori on an indoor grill. You can also use the broiler (keep an eye on them so the skewers don’t burn), an outdoor grill, or large frying pan. Very lightly grease with oil as needed to keep the chicken from sticking.
Only turn the skewers once or twice until golden on each side.
If using an indoor grill pan, wipe it down between batches.
Other favorite Yakitori options include Negima Yakitori and Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatball Skewers).
Suribachi and Surikogi
I ground the toasted sesame seeds in a Japanese Suribachi (擂鉢, mortar) and Surikogi (擂粉木, pestle). The Suribachi is an earthenware bowl with a finished glaze on the outside and thin ridges across the interior unfinished surface.
These ridges are perfect for grinding spices when pressed with a wooden (to avoid damaging the bowl) Surikogi.
I have a 5 inch (13 centimeter) one and it is great for grinding small amounts of ingredients such as the 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds in this recipe. A larger one with a pour spout would be helpful for bringing together sauces.
It can be found in stores with Japanese cookware or on Amazon: Suribachi & Surikogi.
Notable Ingredients
Miso is a Japanese condiment created by fermenting soy with salt. Sometimes rice and barley are also used. There are many types of miso available.
Lighter colored miso is usually more sweet and less salty. As the color darkens, the flavor generally becomes stronger.
I used Akamiso (赤味噌, red miso) for the glaze. It has a longer fermentation time and stronger flavor, perfect for grilling meat.
Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking rice wine. I use hon-mirin (true mirin) in recipes calling for mirin. I have been able to find it in Japanese markets and larger grocery stores.
Many grocery stores have aji-mirin, but be sure to check the ingredient list. Other types of mirin are shio-mirin (includes salt) and shin-mirin (very little alcohol).
Shichimi Togarashi is a Japanese seven-spice chili seasoning blend. The exact spices may vary based on the brand and the version I used includes a combination of black peppercorns, red chili flakes, garlic, freshly ground ginger root, nori, toasted white and black sesame seeds, and orange zest.
In the photos, I paired the Sesame Miso Yakitori with Mizuna (水菜) from my garden. A variety of other fresh greens to contrast with the heavier miso glaze would work well.
Looking for more recipes with miso?
Try my:
This recipe was originally posted in June 2013 and updated in May 2023.
Sesame Miso Yakitori Recipe
Adapted from At the Japanese Table
Sesame Miso Yakitori
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) soy sauce
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) mirin
- 3 tablespoons (44 milliliters) red miso
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) sake
- 2 tablespoons (18 grams) toasted sesame seeds ground
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 pound (450 grams) boneless chicken thighs
- Shichimi Togarashi optional, for serving
Instructions
- Soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes prior to use.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, miso, sake, ground sesame seeds, and sugar.
- Place the saucepan over medium low heat and cook, whisking often, until thickened.
- Remove from heat and pour 1/3rd of the mixture into a separate bowl and set aside with a clean pastry brush. This bowl of glaze and brush will be for the final coating over the cooked chicken skewers. Take care not to contaminate. It should only touch fully cooked chicken.
- Cut the chicken into 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) pieces.
- Arrange the chicken on the skewers.
- Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill and lightly grease with oil.
- Add the skewers of chicken to the heated grill, taking care not to overcrowd, and brush with the glaze from the saucepan.
- Cook until golden, then turn and brush again with the miso glaze. Continue to cook until the chicken is heated through to 165˚F (74˚C).
- Repeat with remaining skewers.
- Brush the cooked chicken skewers with the clean brush and bowl of miso glaze.
- Serve immediately, sprinkling a little shichimi togarashi if desired.
SallyBR
Love this! I don’t have sake around, might try using Brazilian “cachaça” instead……