Teriyaki Chicken

Posted byKazukoPosted inMeatTags:, , , ,

Teriyaki chicken is one of the first recipes I mastered. I love it because it doesn’t need any special condiments other than soy sauce (which you probably already have), mirin and sake (which can be substituted with white wine and honey/sugar), and I can make this authentic Japanese dish practically anywhere in the world!

Cooking time: 20 mins

INGREDIENTS (2 Servings)
  1. Salt & pepper
  2. Chicken breasts or thighs: 300g
  3. Flour: 8g (1tbsp)
  4. Soy sauce: 30g (2 tbsp)
  5. Mirin: 30g (2 tbsp)
    or white wine & honey/sugar (3:1)
  6. Sake: 30g (2 tbsp) or white wine
  7. Sugar: 13g (1 tbsp)
BEFORE YOU START

Q. What does “Teriyaki” mean?
“Teriyaki” means glazed (“teri“) and grilled (“yaki“). Here I will show the most popular version of teriyaki, which uses chicken, but feel free to use this recipe to make other teriyaki, like salmon, by simply replacing chicken with salmon.

Q. What part of chicken should I use?
You can use either thighs or breasts. Many Japanese people like to use thighs with the skin on (which becomes deliciously crispy when grilled!). Here, I am using breasts which are leaner and seem to be more popular in the western world.

NOW, LET’S START!

1. Prep the chicken. Salt & pepper1 the chicken2, on both sides. Then coat it with flour3.

2. Oil the pan and cook on medium. Generously coat the pan with vegetable or olive oil, place the chicken on the pan and cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

3. Flip the chicken. When the bottom has turned nicely brown, flip the chicken to cook the other side.

4. Cook covered on medium. Once you flipped all the chicken, cover the pan and cook for another 3-5 minutes on medium heat. If you don’t have a lid, put a piece of aluminum foil over the chicken.

5. Make teriyaki sauce. Let’s make the teriyaki sauce while the chicken is being cooked. Mix the soy sauce4, mirin5, sake6 and sugar7, and stir well. That’s it, the sauce is done!

6. Open the lid & wipe the oil. After both sides of the chicken have turned brown, open the lid and wipe the excess oil in the pan with kitchen paper (make sure not to burn your fingers!).

7. Pour the sauce and keep cocking. Pour the teriyaki sauce mix over the chicken. Cook for another 3-5 minutes on medium heat while flipping the chicken a couple of times to marinate both sides in the sauce.

8. Turn the heat off. When the sauce starts bubbling everywhere and getting thicker, turn the heat off. Your teriyaki chicken is done!

9. Save the sauce. Transfer the sauce into a small bowl before it hardens and sticks to the pan. Pour this sauce over the chicken when serving.

Slice the meat into thin slices before serving so that it will be easier to eat with chopsticks. Add some veggies on the side to garnish, if you wish. Another great way of serving is to make a Teriyaki-Chicken Don (or teriyaki chicken bowl), and it will only take another 2 minutes to make it. Enjoy!