The OG yakitori. Chicken thigh and scallion chunks grilled over screaming-hot coals, glazed with sweet-savory tare. Each bite delivers char, smoke, and the onion's caramelized bite.←Back to Taco Base Recipes
1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
8 whole scallions (white and light green parts), cut into 1-inch pieces
0.5 cup soy sauce
0.5 cup mirin
0.25 cup sake
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp avocado oil
8 whole bamboo skewers (8-10 inches), soaked in water 30 minutes
Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced by half and glossy, 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Thread chicken and scallion pieces alternately onto skewers, starting and ending with chicken. You should get 4-5 pieces of each per skewer.
Brush skewers lightly with avocado oil on all sides.
Grill over high direct heat (500°F+), turning every 45-60 seconds. After 4 minutes, start brushing with tare glaze every time you turn. Grill until chicken is charred at the edges and registers 165°F, 6-8 minutes total.
Let rest 1 minute. Use a warm tortilla as a glove to grip the skewer tip and slide the chicken and scallions off in one smooth motion.
Chef's Notes
The purists will tell you these skewers belong over screaming-hot binchotan charcoal in a proper robata setup — and they're right. At home: crank your grill to 500°F+ and don't walk away. Turn every 45–60 seconds for even char. The tare should reduce until it's glossy and clings to the chicken without dripping. Make the tare ahead — it keeps refrigerated for weeks and works on anything you want to grill.
Into This Base? Remix It!
Negima Yakitori is a taco base recipe — the foundation of your taco, also known as the filling. It sets the flavor direction for everything that follows. Hit remix to pair it with toppings and finishes that complement it or take it somewhere you'd never expect. You might land on something traditional or stumble into full-on taco fusion.Take Negima Yakitori into the Summoning Circle and shuffle it with hundreds of other taco components to create your perfect taco.
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