Chicken yakitori with bell pepper and scallion

2
Points®
Total Time
22 min
Prep
12 min
Cook
10 min
Serves
12
Difficulty
Moderate
In Japanese, Yakitori means “chicken that is seared with heat.” Often the chicken is not seasoned before being cooked. Instead, it is presented with a pleasing variety of highly seasoned sauces set out in small decorative bowls. In this version of yakitori, it is glaze-grilled: It’s coated with a slightly sweet soy sauce and miso mixture, which gives it a lavish sheen. Miso, a fermented soybean paste, is the secret to this dish’s perfectly balanced sweet-salty taste. Look for it in Asian stores and health-food stores. You’ll most likely have some miso leftover so plan to use it marinades or dressings. It can be stored in the refrigerator for weeks.

Ingredients

Fresh ginger

1 piece(s), fresh, 4-inches

Mirin

2 fl oz, or dry sherry, (about 1/4 cup)

Less sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp

Miso

2 Tbsp, white or yellow

Packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp

Uncooked skinless boneless chicken thigh

1 pound(s), cut into 24 chunks

Red bell pepper

1 large, or green pepper, seeded and cut into 24 pieces

Scallions

5 medium, cut into 24 pieces (white and light green portion only)

Instructions

  1. To make the marinade, peel and finely grate the ginger. Put the ginger into a piece of cheesecloth and squeeze it to extract as much ginger juice as possible into a medium bowl. Add the mirin, soy sauce, miso, and sugar to the ginger juice, stirring until well mixed. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.
  2. Meanwhile, soak 24 (6–8-inch) wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Spray the broiler rack with nonstick spray; preheat the broiler.
  4. Thread 1 piece of chicken, bell pepper, and scallion onto each skewer. Place the skewers on the broiler rack. Broil about 4 inches from the heat, turning the skewers once or twice, until the chicken is browned on the outside and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Yields 2 skewers per serving.