Easy Japanese Teriyaki Chicken
Ready for juicy grilled chicken with a luscious sweet soy glaze? Packed with flavour, Teriyaki Chicken is an easy weeknight meal for the whole family. Transport yourself back to Japan with this iconic dish, complete with your own homemade teriyaki sauce!
Servings 2 chicken thighs
Calories 382kcal
Cost $8
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 chicken thighs 300g / 10 oz
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the marinade
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cooking sake
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp pepper
For the sauce glaze
- 225 ml teriyaki sauce 7.6 fl oz
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, pop in your chicken thighs and add in the soy sauce, sake, mirin, oyster sauce, garlic and pepper. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).2 chicken thighs, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp cooking sake, 1 tbsp mirin, 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tbsp garlic, 1/2 tsp pepper
- Add the vegetable oil to a large frying pan over high heat. Once hot, add your marinated chicken thighs and cook for 3 minutes before flipping over to the other side.1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Add your teriyaki sauce and cook for another 3 minutes. Flip the chicken every couple of minutes or so as the sauce thickens for a nice and even glaze.225 ml teriyaki sauce
- Continue to cook until the sauce sticks to the chicken and thickens (around 3-5 minutes).
- Remove from the pan and allow to sit for a couple of minutes before slicing to serve. Coat or drizzle with any leftover sauce in the pan.
- Serve hot with rice and a side of miso soup.
Notes
- Don’t Skip the Marinade Time - This makes it juicier and more flavourful - especially if you prep it the day before. This will allow all the flavours to soak into the meat and help tenderise it too, so while you could skip it, we definitely don’t recommend missing out!
- Hot Oil - For a delicious sear, make sure the oil and pan are heated up and ready to go.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan - Only cook two chicken thighs at a time to avoid losing too much heat. If cooking a big batch, keep the cooked thighs wrapped in aluminium foil in the oven on the lowest temperature to keep warm.
- Double the Recipe - This recipe is perfect for two people, so double it for a family of four.
- To Thicken The Sauce - Turn the heat up high so it looks like the sauce is boiling. Keep stirring and wait for it to thicken. When it starts thickening, turn the heat low. If you’re afraid of overcooking the chicken, you can take the chicken out once cooked and continue to cook the sauce in the pan until it reduces further, then pour over the cooked chicken once you’ve plated up.
- If Cooking with Skin On - Skin side down first for extra char, flavour and to crisp it up.
- Keep Basting as You Go - This will ensure the chicken is coated evenly all over.
- Ingredients:
- Chicken - Thighs are extra juicy, soak up all the flavour and cook perfectly. We don’t usually worry about cutting off all the skin or fat but you can do this if you want. Otherwise, swap for chicken breasts. Slice into small pieces, or cut each breast in half lengthways to create flat steaks. This will help the cut soak up more of the marinade.
- Teriyaki Sauce - Make your own or use a store bought brand such as Kikkoman.
- Soy Sauce - For the best flavour and quality, use a Japanese soy sauce such as Kikkoman. Sub with tamari for a gluten-free option.
- Cooking Sake - Sub with Chinese cooking wine, sherry or a blend of 50:50 vodka and water in a pinch, or just use water only and leave out the alcohol completely.
- Mirin - Sub with an extra 1 tsp of sugar instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 5090mg | Potassium: 523mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 91IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg