Name: Chicken Kebabs with Soy and Sesame-Citrus Sprinkle
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons toasted white and/or black sesame seeds; 1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives; 1 teaspoon Aleppo-style pepper or other mild red pepper flakes; 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest; Kosher salt; 1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar; 1/3 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine); 1/3 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar; 1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs; Vegetable oil (for grill); Kosher salt; 8 (8–12-inch-long) metal skewers

Photo by Ted Cavanaugh

Soy adds saltiness along with a deep color to these skewers; the glaze would also be great on short ribs.

Recipe information

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

For the sprinkle:

2 tablespoons toasted white and/or black sesame seeds

1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives

1 teaspoon Aleppo-style pepper or other mild red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Kosher salt

For the chicken and assembly:

1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1/3 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Vegetable oil (for grill)

Kosher salt

Special Equipment

8 (8–12-inch-long) metal skewers

Preparation

Make the sesame-citrus sprinkle:
Step 1
Mix sesame seeds, chives, Aleppo-style pepper, and lemon zest in a small bowl to combine; season with salt.
Make the chicken kebabs:
Step 2
Combine brown sugar, mirin, soy sauce, and vinegar in a small saucepan. Transfer 1/4 cup mixture to a large resealable plastic bag. Working one at a time, slice chicken thighs in half lengthwise. Add to bag with marinade and massage marinade into chicken. Chill at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.
Step 3
Meanwhile, bring remaining marinade to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by half and slightly thickened (just shy of syrupy), 8–10 minutes. Remove glaze from heat.
Step 4
Prepare a grill for medium-high, indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off). Oil grates. Thread chicken onto 6–8 skewers, folding and piling onto itself to form a compact shape. Season lightly with salt and grill over direct heat, turning every minute or so, until browned and beginning to char in spots, about 4 minutes. Move to cooler side of grill and continue to grill, basting lightly with glaze and turning every 30 seconds or so, until cooked through and coated with glaze, about 5 minutes longer. Serve chicken topped with sesame-citrus sprinkle.
Do Ahead
Step 5
Glaze can be made 12 hours ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

TagsSkewer Chicken Thigh Chicken Poultry Main Starter Lunch Dinner Dairy Free Nut Free Make Ahead Grilling Bon Appétit

Recipe notes

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