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Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki chicken with caramelized chicken thighs glazed in a thick, glossy homemade teriyaki sauce. Dark amber blistered edges cling to a sticky coating over steamed rice, finished with sesame seeds and green onions.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
marinating 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Japanese-American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs Use thighs for best caramelized, juicy results.
Teriyaki marinade and sauce
  • 0.333 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp mirin or rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sake or dry sherry (optional) Optional, for deeper flavor.
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water For cornstarch slurry.
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Serving
  • sesame seeds For garnish.
  • sliced green onions For garnish.
  • steamed rice Serve under the glazed chicken.
  • steamed broccoli Optional accent.

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, mirin, sake, garlic, and ginger until the sugar dissolves, then reserve half for the sauce.
  2. Add the chicken thighs to the remaining half and marinate for 20 minutes while you set up the skillet.
Cook and glaze
  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  2. Place the marinated chicken in the skillet and cook 5-6 minutes per side, until deeply caramelized and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  3. Remove the chicken and pour the reserved marinade into the pan.
  4. Bring the reserved marinade to a simmer, then stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 2-3 minutes until thick and glossy.
  5. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat thoroughly in the teriyaki sauce.
Serve
  1. Serve the chicken over steamed rice and drizzle with any extra sauce from the pan.
  2. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, and add steamed broccoli as desired.

Notes

Pro tip: Reserve the sauce before marinating so you can simmer it safely and thicken it into a true glaze. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet until hot. Freeze yes—freeze chicken and sauce (without garnishes) up to 2 months. For a lower-sugar option, use a brown-sugar substitute or reduce the brown sugar slightly while keeping the cornstarch slurry for the glossy texture.