Yakitori Tare

Name: Yakitori Tare
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: Soy sauce — 150 ml (2/3 cup); Mirin — 150 ml (2/3 cup); Sake — 60 ml (1/4 cup); Sugar — 40 g (3 tbsp); Chicken bones or wing tips (for depth, optional) — 200 g (7 oz)

The Quirky Foodster Team

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10 min

Prep

35 min

Cook

Ingredients

Soy sauce — 150 ml (2/3 cup)
Mirin — 150 ml (2/3 cup)
Sake — 60 ml (1/4 cup)
Sugar — 40 g (3 tbsp)
Chicken bones or wing tips (for depth, optional) — 200 g (7 oz)

Method

If using chicken bones, combine with soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar in a saucepan.
Bring to a simmer and cook 30-40 minutes, skimming any foam, until reduced by about a third and syrupy.
Strain out chicken bones if used, discarding them.
Cool slightly; the sauce should coat the back of a spoon thickly.
Use for basting skewers repeatedly during grilling, allowing layers to build up.

Cultural Background: A sweet, savoury glaze made from repeatedly basting and reducing chicken drippings with soy sauce and mirin, yakitori tare traditionally develops depth over years at dedicated skewer shops, where the same base sauce is continuously replenished and reused.

Tips: • Traditional shops repeatedly dip skewers into the same tare over years, building extraordinary depth — a home version won't replicate this exactly but still develops good flavour. • Using chicken bones or wing tips in the reduction adds authentic savoury depth if available.

Variations: • Omit chicken bones for a simpler, purely soy-mirin-based vegetarian-friendly glaze. • Use for glazing other grilled proteins beyond chicken, like pork or beef skewers.

Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed jar up to 2 weeks.

Reheating: Reheat gently if needed, or use at room temperature for basting. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 30 kcal, 1 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 5.5 g carbohydrate per 15 ml serving.

FAQs: What is yakitori tare traditionally used for? Repeatedly basting grilled chicken skewers (yakitori) during cooking for a glossy, deeply savoury glaze. Why do traditional shops keep using the same sauce? Continuous reuse and replenishment over years builds extraordinary layered depth of flavour, a hallmark of dedicated yakitori establishments.