Yakitori refers to Japanese grilled chicken where pieces of chicken meat are skewered with a particular type of skewer called kushi (which can be made from either steel or bamboo) and are then traditionally grilled over a charcoal fire.

Depending on the cut of chicken and the method of preparation, there are various types of this dish. An important step in the making of yakitori is the seasoning, either salty or salty-sweet, which can be done during or after grilling. Salty seasoning is just salt that can sometimes be combined with pepper, while salty-sweet seasoning is actually tare sauce made from mirin, soy sauce, sake, and sugar.

Present-day versions of yakitori first appeared during the Meiji Era in the 19th century, but once chicken became abundantly available in the 1950s, the popularity of skewered chicken skyrocketed and the dish became popular among the masses. In Japan, yakitori can be purchased in specialized yakitori shops called yakitori-ya, but it is also often served in Japanese gastropubs known as izakaya.

Since skewered chicken is so easy to prepare, plus it's portable, it is also a popular street food sold at yatai, the small Japanese food stalls. The dish is meant to be eaten with hands only, often directly off the skewer, and can be paired with a side of roasted vegetables, while each bite should ideally be washed down with ice-cold beer.