Japanese Grilled Chicken Skewers with Scallions

Japanese Grilled Chicken Skewers with Scallions

Serves 4-6
By author margaret @ The Right Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lower sodium chicken broth
  • 3/4 cups soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon wasabi paste
  • 6 thin slices fresh ginger (smashed)
  • 4 cloves garlic (smashed)
  • 1 1/2lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 2 bunches scallions (trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces)
  • salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine chicken broth, soy sauce, mirin, honey, rice vinegar, lime juice, sugar, sesame oil, wasabi paste, ginger and garlic. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Mix the cornstarch and water until smooth then stir into the hot soy mixture. Simmer until thickened…another 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat and strain to remover garlic and ginger. Reserve 1/2 cup sauce for dipping and the rest will be used to glaze the chicken while grilling.
3. Thread chicken onto skewers, alternating with scallions. Brush with oil and season very lightly with salt and pepper. (if using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak in water for at least 30 minutes before you skewer the chicken)
4. Over a medium hot grill (charcoal or gas), grill the skewers for 2 minutes on each side and then start basting with the sauce. Baste and turn the skewers several times to create a thick, glossy surface until cooked through. The whole grilling process takes about 10 minutes. Serve with reserved dipping sauce on the side.