Japanese Beef Skewers (Kushiyaki) Recipe

Name: Japanese Beef Skewers (Kushiyaki)
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 pound beef flank steak , thinly sliced; 1/2 cup sugar; 2/3 cup soy sauce; 2 tablespoons sake; 1 small piece ginger, grated; 1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus more to taste; 2 tablespoons canola oil; 2 green onions, chopped; Bamboo skewers

Prep: 2 hrs

Cook: 5 mins

Total: 2 hrs 5 mins

Servings: 2 to 4 servings

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In Japanese cuisine, "kushiyaki " refers to all foods that are skewered and grilled. It includes beef, chicken, pork, offal, seafood, and vegetables. While less commonly used, the term "kushiyaki-ya" refers to restaurants that specialize in skewered foods.

Kushiyaki and Yakitori

A popular Japanese skewered and grilled dish that Westerners are quite familiar with is yakitori, which means skewered chicken (vegetables and chicken offal) grilled over an open flame. In the West, this term has been adopted to refer to almost anything that is skewered and grilled. Similarly, "yakitori-ya " refers to a Japanese restaurant that specializes in any type of skewered food.

While commonly enjoyed at restaurants, kushiyaki and yakitori can easily be made at home, especially during the summer when grilling is more popular.

This Japanese skewered beef recipe has a bold Asian flavor profile bursting with savory and sweet goodness from its soy sauce-based marinade. The sweetness of these beef skewers is reminiscent of a teriyaki sauce, yet the addition of Japanese sake, ginger, garlic, and scallions will remind you that this is not your average thick and sweet teriyaki skewer, but rather a sophisticated Asian beef dish.

Beef kushiyaki is a great main dish for an intimate family meal or large parties or potlucks. The recipe below can easily be multiplied to accommodate large parties.

1 pound traditional Japanese Waygu or other beef flank steak, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake
1 small piece ginger, grated
1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 green onions, chopped

Gather the ingredients.

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
Soak bamboo skewers in water for a few hours. Alternatively, metal shish kebob skewers may be used.

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
Combine sugar, soy sauce, sake, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, oil, and green onions in a resealable storage bag or large secure container.

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Shake or mix ingredients together and refrigerate.

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
Slice beef flank steak into thin 2 x 2 inch pieces.

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
Marinate sliced beef with prepared marinade in resealable storage bag or plastic storage container in refrigerator. For best flavor, marinate beef at least two hours. Marinating beef for over four hours or even overnight will result in meat that is overly salty given the potency of the soy sauce in marinade.

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
Remove bamboo skewers from water, and skewer several pieces of beef onto bamboo sticks. Discard marinade after meat has been skewered.

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
Grill beef kushiyaki on barbecue over medium to high heat until beef is cooked to desired wellness, about three minutes on each side. Because meat is thinly sliced, you’ll find that it cooks fairly quickly. Be careful not to overcook or burn meat, as it will become tough.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
437	Calories
19g	Fat
30g	Carbs
36g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories	437
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g	24%
Saturated Fat 5g	24%
Cholesterol 90mg	30%
Sodium 2415mg	105%
Total Carbohydrate 30g	11%
Dietary Fiber 1g	5%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 2mg	8%
Calcium 90mg	7%
Iron 3mg	19%
Potassium 628mg	13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.