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Negima yakitori is a Japanese chicken and scallion skewer brushed with glossy, savory-sweet tare sauce. As the skewers cook, the chicken stays tender and the scallions turn sweet with lightly charred edges.
This homemade version is built for home kitchens. No charcoal grill needed — I’ll show you how to make these Japanese chicken and scallion skewers using an air fryer, oven broiler, or stovetop grill pan.
Why this home yakitori method works
This recipe answers the biggest home-cook question: how do you make good yakitori without a charcoal grill?
I tested three indoor methods, and each one has a different strength. The air fryer gives the closest taste and texture to grilled yakitori for a small batch. The broiler is the easiest for cooking more skewers at once. The stovetop grill pan gives the deepest grill marks, but needs the most heat control.
You’ll also learn when to brush the yakitori sauce so it caramelizes without burning, and how to check the folded chicken so the center cooks through.
What is negima yakitori?
Negima yakitori is a Japanese chicken skewer made with pieces of chicken and negi, a Japanese long onion similar to a thicker green onion. The chicken and onion are threaded onto skewers, then grilled or broiled until the chicken is juicy and the onion turns sweet and lightly charred.
“Yakitori” means Japanese grilled chicken skewers, and negima is one of the most popular types. Since Japanese negi is harder to find in the U.S., this recipe uses green onions or scallions instead.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Thigh meat is the best choice for juicy chicken yakitori. It has more flavor than chicken breast and stays tender under high heat.
- Green onions or scallions: Use only the white and pale green parts because they are firmer and hold up better on the skewers. The dark green tops are hollow and can burn faster.
- Yakitori tare sauce: This is the glossy, savory-sweet yakitori sauce brushed over the chicken skewers. My homemade yakitori sauce uses mirin, sake, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Mirin adds sweetness and shine, sake gives the sauce a cleaner flavor, soy sauce adds the savory base, and brown sugar helps the sauce caramelize.
- Salt and black pepper: A light sprinkle helps season the chicken and balances the sweet-savory sauce.
- Avocado oil spray: A little oil helps the Japanese chicken skewers brown better, especially in the air fryer or under the broiler.
Gluten-free note: Use gluten-free soy sauce for the tare sauce. Gluten-free mirin and sake are also available if needed. For more gluten-free Asian cooking tips, see my Gluten-Free Asian Pantry Guide.
How to make negima yakitori (chicken skewers with scallions)
Step 1: Make the yakitori tare sauce. Simmer the mirin, sake, soy sauce, and brown sugar until the sauce turns glossy with a nice sheen. The texture should be lightly syrupy, but still pourable and quite liquid. It should not be thick or gloopy like a store-bought bottled teriyaki sauce. You can make the tare sauce up to 3 weeks in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
Step 2: Slice and marinate the chicken. Slice the chicken thighs into long strips, about 1 inch wide, so the pieces cook evenly on the skewers. Add a few spoonfuls of the cooled tare sauce to lightly season the chicken, then marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day ahead. Keep the rest of the tare sauce separate and clean for brushing later.
Step 3: Fold and skewer the chicken. Fold each chicken strip into a loose C shape 2 to 3 times as you thread it onto the skewer. This helps the chicken stay on the skewer instead of slipping off. Pack the pieces close enough to sit securely, but don’t press them too tightly. Aim for the middle: snug enough to hold their shape, but not so tight that the center has trouble cooking through.
Step 4: Alternate chicken with scallions. Thread the chicken and scallion whites close together, but don’t crush them. The white and pale green parts hold up better than the dark green tops. They become sweet and lightly charred as they cook, but they can burn if the heat is too high.
Step 5: Choose your cooking method. You can make these chicken skewers with scallions in the air fryer, under the oven broiler, or on a stovetop grill pan. I’ll compare all three methods in the next section so you can choose the best one for your kitchen.
Step 6: Cook first, then glaze. Since the chicken is already lightly marinated, you don’t need to brush on more tare right away. Cook the skewers until the chicken is almost cooked through, then brush with more tare near the end. As you flip the skewers, brush a few more times so the sauce caramelizes into a glossy, savory-sweet coating. A few lightly charred edges on the chicken and scallions are good — that’s where the smoky, grilled flavor comes from.
Step 7: Check the thickest folded piece. Don’t judge doneness by the outside color only. The chicken can look browned while the folded center still needs more time. Check the thickest folded piece, especially near the center of the skewer. The chicken should reach 165°F.
Step 8: Finish with one more brush of tare. Once the skewers are cooked, brush them with a little more clean tare sauce before serving.This gives the yakitori chicken a glossy finish while keeping the flavor balanced, not heavy. Serve the skewers hot or warm, while the scallions are still sweet and the chicken is juicy.
Best Cooking Method for Home Yakitori
I tested this indoor yakitori chicken three ways: air fryer, oven broiler, and stovetop grill pan. All three work, but they give different results. Here’s what I found so you can choose the best method for your kitchen.
- Air fryer: Best for smaller batches. Line the air fryer basket and place the skewers directly on the lined crisp tray. I don’t recommend using an extra raised grill tray accessory here. I tested that method, and because the skewers sit too close to the heating source, the chicken can burn too quickly. Keeping the skewers lower in the basket gives the chicken better color while keeping it juicy inside.
- Oven broiler: Best for cooking more skewers at once. This is the most convenient method if you’re serving a few people because you can fit the skewers on one sheet pan. Out of the three methods, this is my least favorite for color because it gives the lightest char, and the chicken comes out more moist than grilled. For better airflow, you can place a wire rack over the sheet pan, but grease the rack well so the chicken doesn’t stick.
- Stovetop grill pan: Best for deeper grill marks and a more charred exterior. This method gives the skewers the most “grilled” look, but it needs the most attention and temperature control so the chicken cooks through while the outside gets lightly charred. Once the tare sauce goes on, watch closely and flip as needed so the sauce caramelizes without burning.
➡️ My pick: For an easy small family dinner, I like the air fryer yakitori method best. For the deepest char, use the stovetop grill pan. For the easiest larger batch, use the broiler.
Negima Yakitori Recipe (Grilled chicken and scallion skewers)
Ingredients
Yakitori sauce (tare) | makes 1 cup
- ½ cup mirin
- ½ cup sake
- ½ cup light soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
For the chicken:
- 1.8-2 lb chicken thighs skinless and boneless
- 2 bunches green onion using only the pale green/white parts
- Light sprinkle coarse salt
- Light sprinkle ground black pepper
- Avocado oil spray Avocado oil
Equipment
- 8 7.5-inch metal skewers
Instructions
Make the tare sauce
- Add the mirin, sake, soy sauce, and brown sugar to a saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. This should take about 4–5 minutes. Keep the pan uncovered and watch closely so it does not boil over.
- Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce cool. Transfer it to a jar for storage. The sauce will thicken more as it cools. The final texture should be glossy and lightly syrupy, but still pourable. It should not be overly thick or gloopy.
Prepare and marinate the chicken
- Slice the chicken thighs into long strips, about 1 inch wide. Transfer them to a storage container.
- Once the tare sauce has cooled to room temperature, add 6 to 8 tablespoons of the sauce to the chicken. Gently massage to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Keep the remaining tare sauce separate and clean for brushing and serving. Do not reuse the sauce that touched the raw chicken. Discard the marinade after using.
Thread the skewers
- Trim away the scallion roots. Slice each scallion to separate the white and green parts. For this recipe, use only the white and pale green parts, where the texture is firmer and not hollow in the center. Cut each scallion white into 3 equal sections.
- To thread the skewers, add one piece of scallion white, followed by one piece of chicken. Fold the chicken into a loose C shape 2 to 3 times as you thread it onto the skewer. Alternate chicken and scallion until you reach near the top of the skewer, leaving about a 1 to 1½-inch gap at the top.
- For reference, each skewer should have about 4–5 pieces of chicken. Place the skewers on a large lined sheet pan.
- Lightly sprinkle each skewer with salt and pepper, then spray with avocado oil.
Cook the skewers
Air fryer method:
- Line the air fryer basket and air fry at 380°F for 6 minutes. Rotate the skewers, brush with more clean tare sauce, and air fry for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Brush with more tare sauce once the skewers come out of the air fryer.
Oven broiler method:
- Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes. Place the skewers on a lined sheet pan. Broil for 7 minutes on the first side. Flip the skewers, brush with clean tare sauce, and broil for another 6 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Brush with more tare sauce once the skewers come out of the broiler.
Stovetop grill pan method:
- Preheat a grill pan over medium heat until the pan is hot but not smoking. Lightly oil the ridges of the pan.
- Place the skewers on the pan and gently press them down so the chicken and scallions make good contact with the ridges. Let them cook undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes, so they develop grill marks and release more easily.
- Flip the skewers and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. At this point, the chicken should be almost cooked through.
- Lower the heat to low. Brush the top side of the skewers with clean tare sauce, then flip them sauce-side down against the pan for about 30 seconds to caramelize. While that side caramelizes, brush the new top side with sauce. Flip one more time and cook for another 30 seconds to caramelize the second side.
How to serve it:
- Remove the skewers from the pan right away. Brush with more tare sauce before serving. The skewers will be hot, so handle them carefully. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
- Cooking methods: The air fryer is my favorite for a small family serving because it gives the skewers nice color while keeping the chicken juicy. The oven broiler is best for larger batches, but gives the lightest char. The stovetop grill pan gives the deepest grill marks, but needs the most attention and heat control.
- Stovetop grill pan timing: You will likely need the full 12 minutes, and possibly 13 minutes, to cook the center of the folded chicken pieces. Watch the heat closely so the scallions do not burn.
- Sauce safety: Keep the sauce for brushing and serving separate from the sauce used to marinate the raw chicken.
- Bamboo skewers: If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before cooking to help prevent burning.
- Chicken doneness: Chicken is fully cooked when the thickest folded piece reaches 165°F.
- Make-ahead: The yakitori sauce (tare) can be made up to 3 weeks ahead and stored in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with yakitori
Serve these Japanese chicken skewers with simple sides that balance the savory-sweet tare sauce:
- Rice: Rice cooker steamed rice is the easiest pairing and turns these chicken skewers into a simple dinner.
- Fresh salads: Japanese cucumber salad, Japanese spinach salad, shaved daikon salad, or soba noodle salad all add something cool and refreshing.
- Pickled sides: Asian pickled cucumbers or pickled daikon with carrots add crunch and tang, which pair really well with the lightly charred chicken and scallions.
FAQs
Yes. This recipe includes air fryer, oven broiler, and stovetop grill pan methods. Out of the three, the air fryer gives the closest result to charcoal-grilled yakitori in both taste and texture. The chicken gets a nice color on the outside while staying juicy inside, and the scallions turn sweet with lightly charred edges.
I don’t recommend chicken breast for this recipe. I tested these yakitori chicken skewers with boneless skinless chicken thighs because they stay juicy and tender under high heat. Chicken breast can dry out more easily, and the slicing size and cook time would need to be adjusted.
Yakitori tare and teriyaki sauce can use similar ingredients, like soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. The main difference is how they are used.
Yakitori tare is brushed onto chicken skewers near the end of cooking so it lightly caramelizes over the chicken and scallions. It should be glossy and pourable, not thick.
Teriyaki sauce, especially the bottled kind in the U.S., is usually thicker, sweeter, and often used as a heavier glaze or sauce. For Japanese-style chicken skewers with scallions, the tare should add a light savory-sweet coating without covering up the chicken and green onion flavor.
More chicken skewer recipes to try
If you love these Japanese chicken and scallion skewers, try my Tsukune next — it’s another yakitori-style favorite made with juicy chicken meatballs.
For more easy chicken dinner ideas, try my Ginger Scallion Chicken Skewers bring a fresh scallion flavor, or Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken for another savory-sweet Japanese-style chicken meal
Made a dish and loved it? Please rate the recipe and leave a comment in the section below! It helps my blog grow organically, allowing me to continue sharing free and awesome content with you. Thank you!
Just made another of your scrumptious recipes. These Paleo chicken yakitori skewers are divine and moreover, so easy and quickly prepared. It’s almost addictive……
OMG! We made these chicken skewers over the weekend and everyone including my kids LOVE them! Next time, I’ll make this dish without the skewers because they taste just as delicious and will be perfect for my meal prep!
So happy to hear. Thank you, Sabrina!
I can’t wait to make these & I love your Teriyaki sauce! I have some bamboo skewers that ready to go!
Time for me to explore more of the Japanese cuisine! These skewers look astonishing! I should better get everything I need for this recipe and try it pretty soon!
I love this version of chicken skewers, I can’t wait to try it!