Teriyaki Chicken
Quick answer
Teriyaki chicken is a Japanese dish of pan-seared chicken thighs glazed in a sweet-savory sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake.
What makes this special
- Teriyaki Chicken is pan-seared skin-side down and glazed with a sweet mixture of soy sauce and mirin.
- Skin-side pressed down first to render fat and maximize crispness
- Soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake reduce into a glossy lacquer coating
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Mix 3 teaspoons soy sauce, 3 teaspoons mirin, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons sake first.
- 2 Pat 400 g chicken thighs dry and open out any thick parts so the pieces cook evenly.
- 3 Preheat the pan over medium heat and place the chicken skin-side down.
Teriyaki chicken is a Japanese dish of pan-seared chicken thighs glazed in a sweet-savory sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake. The cooking begins skin-side down, pressing the chicken firmly against the pan to render the fat and crisp the skin to a deep golden color. Once flipped, the teriyaki sauce is poured in and the heat is lowered so the liquid reduces slowly, coating the chicken in a glossy, caramelized lacquer. Garlic and ginger, minced and added to the sauce, contribute a warm aromatic undercurrent that prevents the sweetness from becoming one-dimensional. As the sauce thickens, it clings to every surface of the chicken, creating a sticky, burnished exterior that contrasts with the moist meat beneath. The dish comes together in under thirty minutes and pairs equally well over steamed rice, alongside a green salad, or sliced into a bento box.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Mix 3 teaspoons soy sauce, 3 teaspoons mirin, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons sake first.
Add minced garlic and 5 g ginger, then stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- 2Heat
Pat 400 g chicken thighs dry and open out any thick parts so the pieces cook evenly.
Keep the skin flat, because folded skin will not touch the pan and will soften instead of crisping.
- 3Control
Preheat the pan over medium heat and place the chicken skin-side down.
Press with a spatula for 2 to 3 minutes to render the fat, then cook until the skin is deeply golden.
- 4Season
When the skin is crisp enough, flip the chicken and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes.
It is ready for the sauce when the surface turns opaque and feels springy when pressed.
- 5Season
Pour the mixed sauce around the edge of the pan and lower the heat to low.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, reducing it until glossy before it scorches.
- 6Finish
Turn off the heat when the sauce lightly coats the spatula and clings to the chicken.
Rest for 2 minutes, then slice across the grain and serve with rice or a green salad.
After the steps
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