For some people, grilling season is year-round. For me, it ends in late September, when my apartment building shuts down the grills (boooo). These Vietnamese yakitori skewers are my last hurrah (or your summer kickoff, depending on when you're reading this), and they come together in about 40 minutes.
They're sticky, salty-sweet, a little peppery, and charred right at the edges. Serve them with rice and a pile of fresh herbs for an easy weeknight dinner, or double the batch and meal prep your lunches for the week!
This is in my meal prep rotation along with my lemongrass ground chicken bowls and my deconstructed burger bowl.
What is Yakitori?
Yakitori are Japanese chicken skewers. They're traditionally cooked over a charcoal fire and brushed with tare, a sweet soy-based glaze. These skewers alternate chicken and scallion, which is a classic yakitori style called negima.
For my version, I kept the skewers Japanese-inspired and gave them a Vietnamese twist with a classic fish sauce caramel glaze. Instead of tare, I brush them with this glaze. If you grew up eating thịt kho, you'll recognize the flavor right away. It's basically that sauce, reduced, thickened, and brushed over the chicken skewers a few times while they grill.
Why You'll Love This Vietnamese Yakitori
- Big flavor, short ingredient list - It uses nine ingredients, and one of them is salt.
- High protein - Chicken thighs stay juicy on the grill and pack plenty of protein into every serving.
- No marinating required - The glaze does all the work, so you can go from fridge to grill in under an hour.
- Meal prep friendly - Leftovers reheat well over rice, in lettuce wraps, or in a bowl!
Jump to:
- What is Yakitori?
- Why You'll Love This Vietnamese Yakitori
- Ingredients
- How to make Vietnamese Yakitori
- Tips for the Best Vietnamese Yakitori Skewers
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Store and Reheat Vietnamese Chicken Skewers
- What to Serve with Vietnamese Chicken Skewers
- FAQ
- Other recipes to try
- Vietnamese Yakitori
Ingredients
For the Fish Sauce Glaze
- Sugar: Caramelizes into the base of the glaze and gives the skewers a sticky, charred finish.
- Oil: Helps the sugar melt and caramelize evenly instead of scorching in spots.
- Coconut water: Loosens the caramel back into a sauce and adds a subtle sweetness. It's the same trick used in thịt kho.
- Fish sauce: This is the salty, savory backbone of the glaze. I like using Red Boat Fish Sauce because it's more potent!
- Garlic cloves: Adds flavor to the glaze without burning or leaving bitter bits on the grill.
- Black pepper: A little kick to balance out the sweetness.
- Salt: Add a pinch to balance out the sweetness.
For the Skewers
- Chicken: Use chicken thighs for juicy and tender cuts of meat that can be flipped and basted without drying out.
- Scallions: Whites only, chopped into large pieces.
- Salt: To season the chicken before grilling.
For Serving
- Steamed rice
- Lettuce and fresh herbs
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Vietnamese Yakitori
- Step 1: To a large container or bowl, add water and soak your skewers for at least 20 minutes.
- Step 2: Cut the chicken thighs into cubes and slice the scallion whites into 2-inch pieces.
- Step 3: In a pot over low heat, add the sugar and oil. Let it melt and caramelize, shaking the pot often so it caramelizes evenly. Resist the urge to stir it with a spatula, as this will cause the sugar to crystallize.
- Step 4: Once caramelized, add the coconut water and stir aggressively. It'll bubble and seize up at first, but keep stirring on low heat until most of the sugar has dissolved back into the liquid. This may take a few minutes. If you're having trouble dissolving the sugar, cover it with a lid for a couple minutes until the sugar has mostly dissolved.
- Step 5: Stir in the smashed garlic cloves, fish sauce and a pinch of salt. Add the black pepper and continue stirring until everything is combined and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and set aside ⅓ of the glaze for serving.
- Step 6: Skewer the chicken and scallions onto your soaked skewers, alternating them between chicken and scallion. Season the skewers with a little salt.
- Step 7: Preheat your grill on medium low.
- Step 8: Once heated, place your skewers on the grill. Cook one side for 2-3 minutes until lightly seared. Brush the top-facing side with glaze. Flip every 1-2 minutes, brushing on fresh glaze after each flip, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F and the outside is caramelized and slightly charred. Enjoy with rice and fresh herbs!
Tips for the Best Vietnamese Yakitori Skewers
- Keep the caramel on low heat - Sugar goes from amber to burnt fast. Aim for a light amber color.
- Be cautious adding the coconut water - It will sputter and seize. This is normal. Keep stirring and it'll melt back down. If you're having trouble dissolving the sugar, cover it with a lid for a couple minutes until the sugar has mostly dissolved.
- Don't glaze too early - Sear the first side before brushing. If you glaze raw chicken, the sugar burns before the chicken cooks through.
- Cut the chicken evenly - Same-size cubes cook at the same speed.
- Save a little glaze for serving - Set aside some of the glaze before you start brushing so you have clean glaze.
Substitutions and Variations
Protein swaps:
- Chicken breast: Works, but cut it slightly larger and pull it as soon as it hits 165F.
- Pork shoulder: The classic protein for Vietnamese grilled skewers like thịt nướng. Cook until it reaches 145F.
- Shrimp: Skewer large shrimp and grill 1-2 minutes per side, glazing as you go.
Glaze swaps:
- No coconut water? Use water. You'll lose a little sweetness, but it still works.
- Want heat? Add sliced Thai chilies or a pinch of chili flakes to the glaze.
How to Store and Reheat Vietnamese Chicken Skewers
Store the Vietnamese chicken yakitori in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, slide the chicken off the skewers and warm it in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water until warmed through.
FAQ
Traditional yakitori uses tare, a glaze made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. This version swaps the tare for a fish sauce caramel glaze, similar to the sauce in thịt kho. You still get sweet and savory, but with a deeper, saltier umami flavor.
Soak the skewers for 20-30 minutes. This will prevent the skewers from burning when you're grilling them.
Yes! You can broil the skewers on a foil-lined sheet pan on the top rack for 3-4 minutes per side, brushing with glaze after each flip. You can also air fry at 400F for 10-12 minutes, flipping and glazing halfway through.
Yes, but thighs stay juicier over high heat. If you use breast, cut it slightly larger and pull it off the grill as soon as it hits 165F.
Other recipes to try
Vietnamese Yakitori
Equipment
- Skewers
- Grill
Ingredients
Fish sauce glaze
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ tablespoon oil
- ½ cup coconut water
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- salt pinch
Chicken skewers
- 1 ½ lb chicken thighs
- 20 scallion stalks white part only
- 12 skewers
- salt for seasoning
For serving
- rice
- lettuce or fresh herbs
Instructions
- To a large container or bowl, add water and soak your skewers for at least 20 minutes.12 skewers
- Cut the chicken thighs into cubes and slice the scallion whites into 2-inch pieces.1 ½ lb chicken thighs, 20 scallion stalks
- In a pot over low heat, add the sugar and oil. Let it melt and caramelize, shaking the pot often so it caramelizes evenly. Resist the urge to stir it with a spatula, as this will cause the sugar to crystallize.½ cup sugar, ½ tbsp oil
- Once caramelized, add the coconut water and stir aggressively. It'll bubble and seize up at first, but keep stirring on low heat until most of the sugar has dissolved back into the liquid. This may take a few minutes. If you're having trouble dissolving the sugar, cover it with a lid for a couple minutes until the sugar has mostly dissolved.½ cup coconut water
- Stir in the smashed garlic cloves, fish sauce and a pinch of salt. Add the black pepper and continue stirring until everything is combined and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and set aside ⅓ of the glaze for serving.3 tablespoons fish sauce, 4 garlic cloves, ¼ tsp black pepper, salt
- Skewer the chicken and scallions onto your soaked skewers, alternating them between chicken and scallion. Season the skewers with a little salt.salt
- Preheat your grill on medium low.
- Once heated, place your skewers on the grill. Cook one side for 2-3 minutes until lightly seared. Brush the top-facing side with glaze. Flip every 1-2 minutes, brushing on fresh glaze after each flip, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F and the outside is caramelized and slightly charred. Enjoy with rice and fresh herbs!
Notes
- Storing and reheating - Store the Vietnamese chicken yakitori in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, slide the chicken off the skewers and warm it in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water until warmed through.
- Keep the caramel on low heat - Sugar goes from amber to burnt fast. Aim for a light amber color.
- Be cautious adding the coconut water - It will sputter and seize. This is normal. Keep stirring and it'll melt back down. If you're having trouble dissolving the sugar, cover it with a lid for a couple minutes until the sugar has mostly dissolved.
- Don't glaze too early - Sear the first side before brushing. If you glaze raw chicken, the sugar burns before the chicken cooks through.
- Cut the chicken evenly - Same-size cubes cook at the same speed.
- Save a little glaze for serving - Set aside some of the glaze before you start brushing so you have clean glaze.
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