Yakitori, street food from Japan: what it is and how it is eaten

Yakitori is a Japanese dish of bite-sized chicken pieces skewered and grilled over charcoal, seasoned with either salt or a sweet soy-based glaze. It is a popular street food and bar snack, served at festivals, specialty shops, and izakaya throughout Japan, and comes in many cuts and styles.

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Yakitori means 'grilled bird' in Japanese
Traditionally cooked over charcoal for crisp skin and smoky flavor
Seasoned with either salt or a sweet soy-based tare sauce
Sold at street stalls, izakaya, and in canned form
Uses many chicken parts, from thigh to heart and skin

What is Yakitori?

Yakitori is made by skewering small, uniform pieces of chicken on sticks called kushi and grilling them over charcoal. The meat can come from various parts of the chicken, such as thigh, breast, skin, heart, or gizzard. Yakitori is usually seasoned with either plain salt or a glaze called tare, which is a mix of soy sauce, mirin (a sweet rice wine), sake, and sugar. The grilling process gives the chicken a crisp skin and smoky aroma. Some versions may also include spring onion or be served with spicy miso or other condiments.

Where does Yakitori come from?

Yakitori comes from Japan, where grilling skewered chicken over charcoal has long been a part of street and bar food culture. The word means 'grilled bird.' While the basic method is traditional, yakitori became especially popular in the 20th century as a quick, portable snack for workers and festival-goers. Today, it is found everywhere from small street stalls to restaurants and even in canned form, which became widely available in the 1970s.

How is Yakitori made?

To make yakitori, chicken is cut into small, even pieces and threaded onto bamboo or metal skewers. The skewers are then grilled over high heat, ideally using charcoal, which cooks the meat quickly and crisps the skin. During grilling, the chicken is either sprinkled with salt or brushed with tare sauce. Some shops use high-quality binchōtan charcoal for a cleaner burn and better flavor. At home, small electric grills or broilers may be used.

Yakitori being grilled.. Photo: 竹麦魚(Searobin), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Yakitori (grilled chicken) on sale in a depachika (department store basement food market) in Kyoto.. Photo: sunday driver (Janine Cheung), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Assorted yakitori items - from left: kawa (chicken skin), yamaimo (sticky yam), shishitou (Japanese pepper). This photo was taken at a yakitori-ya at Shinjuku, Tokyo. — Assorted yakitori items - from left: kawa (chicken skin), yamaimo (sticky yam), shishitou (Japanese pepper). This photo . Photo: Schellack, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How and when is Yakitori eaten?

Yakitori is commonly eaten as a snack or light meal, especially in the evening. It is served hot, often straight from the grill, and is a staple at izakaya (Japanese pubs), street stalls (yatai), and festivals. People enjoy it with drinks like beer or sake. It can be eaten alone or with simple sides. Some regions serve it with spicy miso or other seasonings, and diners may add pepper or wasabi to taste.

Kinds of Yakitori

There are many types of yakitori, depending on the chicken part used. Popular versions include negima (chicken with spring onion), tsukune (chicken meatballs), kawa (crispy skin), tebasaki (wing), and sunagimo (gizzard). Some shops also offer pork or vegetables on skewers, though these are technically kushiyaki. Yakitori is available fresh, frozen, or canned, with canned versions offering several flavors.

What Yakitori means

Yakitori is a familiar part of Japanese daily life, enjoyed by people of all ages. It is especially popular at festivals and after-work gatherings. Small yakitori shops and stalls are common in busy city areas, and the food is closely tied to the casual, social atmosphere of izakaya. The canned version, introduced in 1970, became iconic through advertising and made yakitori even more accessible.

Questions people ask about Yakitori

What is yakitori made of?

Yakitori is made from small pieces of chicken, often including thigh, breast, skin, or other parts, skewered and grilled. It is seasoned with either salt or a glaze called tare, which contains soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar.

Where does yakitori come from?

Yakitori comes from Japan, where it is a popular street food and bar snack. It is found at festivals, in izakaya (Japanese pubs), and at specialized yakitori shops.

How is yakitori cooked?

Yakitori is cooked by grilling skewered chicken over charcoal, which gives it a crisp texture and smoky aroma. It can also be cooked on gas or electric grills, but charcoal is preferred for flavor.

What are the main seasonings for yakitori?

The main seasonings are salt (shio) or tare, a sweet and savory sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Other spices like pepper or wasabi may be added to taste.

Is yakitori only made with chicken?

Yakitori traditionally uses chicken, but some shops offer other meats or vegetables on skewers. These are generally called kushiyaki rather than yakitori.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Yakitori", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes, and it is not dietary or allergy advice: recipes differ from cook to cook. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

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