A delicious teriyaki chicken skewer recipe better than at the restaurant
There’s nothing better to end the summer beautifully (and gently) than having a little barbecue. For all teriyaki chicken lovers, the skewer version will make everyone happy. Here’s how to start the new season well: tender, juicy, and very tasty chicken to tackle the back-to-school period.
What are Teriyaki skewers?
Teriyaki chicken is undoubtedly a staple of Japanese cuisine. There, it actually refers to a cooking style consisting of grilling meat and basting it, in this case with Teriyaki glaze. The same principle applies to skewers.
The meat is tender and melting, and it must be said that the sauce that accompanies it, for marinating and glazing, makes the dish truly unique.
Whether we pour it on sushi, temaki, beef-based dishes or noodles, it’s a sauce that always makes a great impression in addition to being super quick to prepare. Why not with this recipe then?
Tips for successful Teriyaki skewers
Forewarned is forearmed. “I don’t have pineapple juice at home, what if I used pineapple chunks?” Several people seem to have been surprised by following this method.
If it seems to be the solution, I can tell you that you’ll be surprised the next day if you planned to prepare your skewers in advance. You would even be disappointed to see that it’s not you and your guests who ate the skewers, but the pineapple itself.
For a quick explanation, pineapple contains small enzymes that nibble at proteins. Practical for killing microbes and last “parasitic” residues, a bit less when there’s not much left of the dish.
If you want to use pineapple chunks in the preparation, do it at the last minute. As for pineapple juice, the danger is less and allows for a slower marination (but not too long either).
The main ingredients of Teriyaki skewers
Chicken: an element that goes hand in hand with Teriyaki, I want to say. Here, it’s not exactly Teriyaki sauce, I’m proposing an express sweet-salty marinade that’s just as effective.
We’ll let the chicken marinate with all the elements of the recipe, before glazing it with this same mixture at the end of preparation to give it that caramelized taste.
Soy sauce: while we have very mild and quite sweet ingredients in the marinade, soy sauce (kikkoman or tamari sauce will do) will bring the indispensable saltiness to the sauce. It’s simply a matter of balance.
Pineapple juice: in the best of worlds, you should use a juice without added sugar. Pineapple is already sweet naturally, not to mention that we’re already adding brown sugar to the preparation, the goal is not to unbalance the scale.
Garlic: in abundance. Along with ginger, fresh garlic adds that little spicy and aromatic touch to the marinade.
Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Matériel
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg of boneless chicken thighs cut into pieces
- 240 ml of Japanese soy sauce such as kikkoman
- 240 ml of pineapple juice ideally without added sugar
- 240 ml of brown sugar
- 5 pods garlic chopped
- A bit of ginger chopped
Procédé
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Set aside about a third of the marinade to use for glazing during cooking.
- Marinate the chicken in the remaining mixture for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight.
- 30 min before cooking, soak the skewers in cold water
- Thread the chicken onto skewers. Make sure to tightly pack the chicken pieces together.
- Cook the chicken over medium-low heat on the grill or in a pan, turning frequently for even cooking.
- Brush regularly with the reserved marinade until the chicken is well caramelized and cooked through.
