Recipe Highlights
My household loves grilled hen skewers, however we don’t all the time have time to fireside up the grill. So I created this pan-seared Yakitori Don recipe—a fast and simple technique to convey these savory, caramelized flavors to the desk. Even my busy college-aged son could make it! Served over sizzling steamed Japanese rice, it’s a comforting one-bowl meal that feels particular but comes collectively quick.
- Fast 20-minute meal with pantry substances
- Juicy, golden hen with a shiny home made sauce
- Traditional yakitori taste with out skewers or a grill
If you happen to love simple rice bowls, attempt my Gyudon, Oyakodon, and Soboro Don recipes subsequent!
What’s Yakitori Don?
Yakitori is Japanese-style grilled hen skewers, whereas don is brief for donburi or rice bowl. Variations of hen yakitori have been a staple of Japanese delicacies for hundreds of years. Normally cooked over a charcoal grill in Japanese specialty eating places and izakaya, it’s simply adaptable to cooking in a pan so you may make it in any kitchen.
Components for Yakitori Don
- hen thighs
- Tokyo negi (lengthy inexperienced onion) or thick inexperienced onions/scallions
- yakitori sauce – mirin, soy sauce, and sugar
- all-purpose flour
- impartial oil
For the donburi
- cooked Japanese short-grain rice – it’s simple to make in a rice cooker or pot over the range
- shredded nori seaweed – non-compulsory
- shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) – non-compulsory
Discover the printable recipe with measurements under.
Tips on how to Make Yakitori Don
- Prep the substances. Minimize the white a part of the negi into 1½-inch items and slice the inexperienced half thinly. Minimize hen into bite-size items and mud with flour.
- Combine the sauce. Stir collectively mirin, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl till dissolved.
- Sear and steam. Grill the white a part of the negi in a plan till seared, then take away. Add the hen in a single layer and cook dinner till a golden crust kinds. Then, flip the hen, cowl, and cook dinner over medium-low warmth for 3 minutes.
- Glaze. Add again the negi, pour the sauce, and shake to coat evenly.
- Serve. Fill a donburi bowl with sizzling rice and sprinkle with shredded nori. Prime with the hen, garnish with inexperienced onions and shichimi togarashi, and revel in.
Nami’s Recipe Suggestions
These easy suggestions will show you how to make Yakitori Don completely each time.
- Pat the hen dry – Eradicating floor moisture reduces undesirable odor and helps create a greater sear.
- Mud with flour – A lightweight coating locks in juices and creates a golden crust whereas serving to the sauce cling superbly.
- Don’t crowd the pan – Depart house between items or cook dinner in batches so the hen sears as an alternative of steams.
- Check your pan warmth – For a chrome steel pan, add a drop of water to the pan. If it beads and glides throughout the floor, it’s prepared for searing.
- Wipe extra grease – The rendered hen fats has nice taste, however eradicating some retains the sauce from getting greasy.
Variations and Customizations
Seeking to change issues up? Attempt these simple and engaging concepts!
- Broil it. Caramelize the hen and scallions below the broiler utilizing my Yakitori Recipe.
- Make it plant-based. Prep agency tofu following my Pan-Fried Teriyaki Tofu methodology. First, drain it wrapped in a paper towel for half-hour. Then reduce into slabs, dredge, sear, and season with the yakitori sauce recipe to complete.
- Add veggies. Bulk it up with blanched broccoli, edamame, and/or child bok choy or grilled mushrooms, asparagus, and/or eggplant.
- Add aromatics. Whereas not conventional, you possibly can add garlic, ginger, or black pepper to the sauce for additional taste.
What to Serve with Yakitori Don
Serve these tasty and simple dishes to make a Yakitori Don set meal.
Storage and Reheating Suggestions
To retailer: Switch the leftover hen to an hermetic container and refrigerate for as much as 3 days or freeze for as much as 1 month. I like to recommend freezing any leftover rice individually; see my tutorial Tips on how to Retailer Cooked Rice for step-by-step directions.
To reheat: Warmth gently within the microwave or on the stovetop till warmed by way of. Serve over freshly cooked or reheated rice.
FAQs
Can I make Yakitori Don forward of time?
Sure. You may cook dinner the hen and sauce as much as 3 days upfront. Retailer within the fridge and reheat gently earlier than serving over freshly steamed or reheated rice.
How lengthy does Yakitori Don final within the fridge?
Cooked yakitori hen will maintain in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. For longer storage, freeze it for as much as 1 month.
What rice ought to I take advantage of for Yakitori Don?
Use Japanese short-grain rice for genuine donburi texture. It’s barely sticky and holds the sauce nicely, making it good for rice bowls.
Do I have to cook dinner Yakitori Don on a grill?
No. To make yakitori donburi within the kitchen, easy sear chew dimension items of hen in a frying pan or skillet and canopy to complete cooking. Then, add yakitori sauce, toss, and glaze.
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Stop your display from going darkish
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Earlier than You Begin: Put together 2 donburi servings of cooked rice. See the Notes under for extra data.Now, collect all of the substances.
To Put together the Components
To Cook dinner
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Warmth a chrome steel pan over medium warmth. Add a drop of water to the pan to check the temperature. If it beads and glides throughout the floor, it is prepared. Rigorously wipe out the water with a paper towel. Add 1 Tbsp impartial oil and swirl to coat. Add the white a part of the negi and grill till seared on each side. Switch to a plate or tray.
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Add extra oil to the pan, if wanted. As soon as the oil is sizzling, add the hen in a single layer, leaving house so the items do not contact one another. Cook dinner in batches to keep away from overcrowding the pan. Sear till a golden crust kinds on one facet, about 3 minutes.Nami’s Tip: Depart house between each bit so the hen sears evenly and develops a pleasant crust.
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Flip over the hen, cowl the pan, and cut back the warmth to medium low. Steam for 3 minutes.
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Wipe off the surplus pan grease with a paper towel. Then, return the grilled negi to the pan.Nami’s Tip: Eradicating the rendered fats is non-compulsory. It has good hen taste however could make the sauce greasy.
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Add the yakitori sauce and shake the pan to coat the hen nicely.
To Serve
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Divide 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice into particular person bowls. Sprinkle with non-compulsory shredded nori seaweed, place the hen on high, and garnish with sliced inexperienced onions. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) on the desk for a spicy kick.
To Retailer
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Switch the leftover hen to an hermetic container and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 3 days or within the freezer for a month. I like to recommend freezing leftover rice; see how in my tutorial Tips on how to Retailer Cooked Rice.
- Steamed rice: A typical donburi serving makes use of 1⅔ cups (250 g) of cooked rice. Cook dinner 2 rice cooker cups (1½ cups, 300 g) of raw Japanese short-grain rice to yield about 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked rice, sufficient for two donburi servings (about 3⅓ cups, 500 g whole). See my tutorial for cooking short-grain rice utilizing a rice cooker, pot over the range, Instantaneous Pot, or donabe.
Variations and Customizations
Seeking to change issues up? Attempt these simple and engaging concepts!
- Prime with a soft-cooked egg. Add silky richness with my 2-Minute Microwave Onsen Tamago.
- Broil it. Caramelize the hen and scallions below the broiler utilizing my Yakitori Recipe.
- Use brown rice. See my tutorial Tips on how to Cook dinner Brief-Grain Brown Rice in a Rice Cooker.
- Make it plant-based. Prep agency tofu following my Pan-Fried Teriyaki Tofu methodology. First, drain it wrapped in a paper towel for half-hour. Then reduce into slabs, dredge, sear, and season with the yakitori sauce recipe to complete.
- Add veggies. Bulk it up with blanched broccoli, edamame, and/or child bok choy or grilled mushrooms, asparagus, and/or eggplant.
- Add aromatics. Whereas not conventional, you possibly can add garlic, ginger, or black pepper to the sauce for additional taste.
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