How to Make Teriyaki Chicken

Co-authored by Yoko Isassi

Last Updated: January 19, 2023

Teriyaki chicken is one of the most well-known Japanese chicken dishes. With dashes of spices and herbs whipped into a sweet and savory marinade sauce, this chicken meal hits the spot every time. For a simple yet elegant preparation, follow this no-fuss recipe.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chicken thighs
2/3 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
1 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
4 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/3 cup white sugar
7 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 dash red pepper flakes
1 dash black pepper to taste

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making the Teriyaki Sauce

1
Over high heat, bring the mirin in a medium saucepan to a boil. Once at a boil, turn heat down to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.^{[1]
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2
Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar. Stir until fully incorporated.
- If you desire a thicker Teriyaki sauce, add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved in a little bit of water to the sauce. Cornstarch will help thicken the Teriyaki sauce and let it bind more to the outside of the chicken.
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3
Add the seasonings to the sauce at this point. Add the garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and pepper.
4
Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from the burner and let cool for 10 minutes.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Preparing the Chicken

1
Be sure that the Teriyaki sauce has sufficiently cooled before using. If the sauce is too hot, it will begin to cook your chicken, risking overcooking.
2
Transfer all but 1/4 cup of the Teriyaki sauce to a resealable plastic bag, along with the chicken thighs. The 1/4 cup of sauce not used for marinade can be used either as a baste at the end of the cooking process or as a dipping sauce.
3
Refrigerate the marinade and the chicken. Marinate the chicken thighs for at least an hour but preferably up to a day. The longer you are able to let the chicken steep in the marinade, the juicier and more flavorful it will turn out.
4
Prepare the chicken for cooking. When you're ready to start cooking, remove the chicken from the resealable bag and set a burner at medium heat. Discard — do not use — the marinade that came in contact with the chicken.
- Dispose of the marinade. It may contain bacteria or other microorganisms from the raw chicken and thus cannot be used for anything else.^{[2]
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  Research source} To dispose of, place into an unwanted plastic bag or non-recyclable container you're throwing out anyway, and toss in the garbage.
5
Cook the chicken. In a large pan, cook the chicken thighs on one side for 6 minutes. Cover the pan during the cooking. Do not flip yet.
6
Flip each chicken thigh after the first 6 minutes. Cook the other side, covered, for another 6 minutes. The chicken should start to develop good color on both sides.
7
Baste the chicken thighs with the remaining Teriyaki sauce. Flip each thigh, and sear on medium-high for 2-3 minutes per side, uncovered. Stop cooking right before or when the color of sauce starts changing. Soy sauce can get burnt and blackened easily, so be vigilant to prevent it.
- In order to avoid burning, cover the bottom of the pan with more of the reserved Teriyaki sauce and let it simmer.^{[3]
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- When you are simmering chicken thighs in the sauce, you can thicken the sauce putting some flour around the chicken.
8
Serve. Pair your Teriyaki chicken with steamed rice, asparagus, and crispy edamame.