Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (2024)

BY :Bebs | Published: | Updated: | 13 Comments

RECIPE VIDEO PRINT

5 from 6 votes

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Crispy skin yet tender-juicy meat drizzled with sweet-savory sauce,- this Chicken Teriyaki Recipe is indeed a delicious mix of contradictions that you will love. More so because it is so easy to make!

Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (1)
  • What is Teriyaki?
  • Teriyaki Sauce and Its Ingredients
  • More Teriyaki Options
  • Printable Recipe
  • Easy Teriyaki Chicken

What is Teriyaki?

Teriyaki is a famous Japanese cooking technique where the meat is usually broiled or grilled and served with a glazed sauce. The term itself is derived from two Japanese words- Teri and Yaki. Teri refers to the gloss or sheen in the sauce created by the sugar, while Yaki simply means to grill or to broil.

Teriyaki Sauce and Its Ingredients

Teriyaki sauce is made from four basic ingredients, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and ginger. While three out of these four ingredients are very familiar to a lot of us, some may not know much about mirin.

Mirin is a Japanese rice wine used for cooking. It is similar to Sake but it has more sugar and less alcohol content in it. I get a lot of questions about substituting Sake for Mirin- this is fine, as long as you are aware of the difference between the two. Remember- while Marin is purposely made for cooking, Sake is made as an alcoholic drink that can be used for cooking as well.

I substituted sugar with honey on this recipe. Though both are considered sweeteners, honey is sweeter so I used less of it. Honey has more health benefits compared to processed sugar as it contains minerals, amino acids, and is a good source of antioxidants.

You will also notice that my recipe below does not have ginger on it but feel free to use it if you want to. I would say that it is more apt to use it for fish teriyaki recipes.

Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (2)

More Teriyaki Options

I opted to use chicken thighs for this recipe because I wanted to have crispy chicken skin with the tender meat. I personally prefer using the thigh versus breast part as it packs more flavor and is juicier, making it perfect for frying.

If you do not like chicken in general, don't fret! Teriyaki sauce can be paired with an array of options. You can use fish like tuna, mackerel, salmon, and trout. If you prefer other meats, you can also use pork, lamb, and beef. This is a very versatile sauce that goes well with a lot of food.

You can serve this chicken teriyaki as rice toppings and with some green vegetables like steamed broccoli or pak choi. I like garnishing mine with thinly sliced fresh green onions stalk because it adds more crispiness from the already crispy chicken skin. It gives every mouthful a refreshingly good taste.

Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (3)

More Japanese food for you...

If you are still in the mood for more scrumptious Japanese food after trying this Chicken Teriyaki Recipe, try these:

Printable Recipe

Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (7)

Print Review

Easy Teriyaki Chicken

5 from 6 votes

Sweet and savory sauce, crispy yet tender meat, this Chicken Teriyaki Recipe is indeed a delicious mix of contradictions that you will love.

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Marinating Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Course :Main Course

Servings =6

Print Recipe Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless chicken thigh with skin or chicken breast -about 4-5 pieces
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 3 teaspoon mirin
  • 2-3 tablespoons oil - for frying
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds - for garnishing
  • 1 stalk green onions - sliced thinly for garnishing

TERIYAKI SAUCE

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup Mirin
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions

  • Combine chicken, salt, sugar, and mirin in a bowl and mix well. Cover and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.

  • While waiting, prepare the teriyaki sauce by combining all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let it cook until reduced by half and slightly thicker. Set aside.

  • Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken with the skin side first for 3-5 minutes or until golden and crispy. Then turn and do the same on the other side.

  • Transfer chicken to a chopping board and cut into bite-size. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with teriyaki sauce. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top and some green onions.

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 26gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 1527mgPotassium: 338mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 138IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg

Have you tried this recipe?Mention @foxyfolksy or tag #FoxyFolksyRecipes!

This recipe was originally published in Novem 2017. Updated in August 2020 to include new photos, more tips, and a recipe video.

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Comments

    What do you think?

  1. S Walker says

    The sauce was bland and did not thicken as much so i added 2 tbsp brown sugar and corn starch slurry to thicken it a little bit more. 2 tsp salt on the marinate was too salty for me, i will cut it down to 1 tsp next time. Overall, my family loved the recipe!

    Reply

  2. Remy Perez says

    Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (20)
    It is a very simple recipe to make and,it taste good. My family and friends like it very much.

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      That's great, Remy! Thanks for the great review.

      Reply

  3. Cyrene says

    Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (21)
    Finally found the perfect teriyaki recipe... my family loved it. Thanks for sharing

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Glad you and the family like it! Thanks for the 5 star, Cyrene.

      Reply

      • Chrissie says

        Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (22)
        What a great chicken teriyaki recipe! Tastes like something that would be served in a Japanese restaurant. Thank you!

        Reply

        • Bebs says

          What praise! 😘 That is so nice of you, Chrissie.

          Reply

  4. Rose says

    Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (23)
    Thanks for sharing this recipe. This will be my go-to teriyaki recipe from now on.

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Happy that you like it, Rose.

      Reply

  5. Monica says

    Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (24)
    It was so good. This has been the teriyaki recipe I have been wanting to cook for a long time. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      That is awesome! Glad you love it, Monica.

      Reply

  6. Mary Nichole says

    Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (25)
    Amazing Recipe!! For the first time, I have tried this and it was just yum. We can make our tummy full of tasty chicken. Must try!!

    Reply

  7. A L says

    Loved your very simple recipes. Have tried several of them.

    Reply

Easy to make Chicken Teriyaki Recipe you will love! (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken teriyaki made of? ›

Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients

Soy sauce– use low-sodium soy sauce. If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, you can use Tamari sauce. Brown sugar– to sweeten the sauce. Rice wine vinegar– it adds some acidity and a touch of mild sweetness.

How is teriyaki traditionally made? ›

Traditionally, teriyaki sauce is made by mixing and heating three ingredients: sugar, soy sauce, and sake (or mirin). Mirin is a Japanese rice wine, similar to sake, but with more sugar and a lower alcohol content of 14%.

How do you thicken and sweeten teriyaki sauce? ›

The easiest way to make teriyaki sauce thicker is with a cornstarch slurry (which this recipe uses). Whisk together 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water, and add the mixture to your sauce while it simmers.

What is the difference between teriyaki sauce and teriyaki marinade? ›

The main difference is that marinades are used to flavor food before cooking while a sauce is added during the cooking process or after the dish has been cooked. One important thing: don't use premade marinade that's been used to marinate meat, poultry, or fish.

What's in teriyaki sauce ingredients? ›

Authentic Japanese teriyaki sauce combines soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake to create a distinctively sharp taste, with Westernized versions incorporating honey, garlic, and ginger for added edge. Cornstarch is often added to teriyaki sauce as a thickener.

What is teriyaki marinade made of? ›

To make a marinade: Stir soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, sesame seeds, garlic, and ginger together in a bowl until well combined. To make a sauce: Pour marinade mixture into a small saucepan and warm over medium-high heat.

What is the teriyaki method of cooking? ›

Teriyaki (Kanji: 照り焼き) is a cooking technique in which foods are broiled or grilled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Although commonly associated with Japanese cuisine, this cooking technique is also commonly used in other Asian cuisines such as Chinese cuisine, Indonesian cuisine and Thai cuisine.

Is chicken teriyaki supposed to be sweet? ›

Teriyaki sauce has a complex flavour; a mixture of sweet and savoury, tangy and salty. The sweetness comes from the sweet wine and the caramelisation of the sugar, honey or syrup, which also gives the sauce its shiny glaze.

Is teriyaki chicken Chinese or Japanese? ›

Teriyaki is a well known Japanese dish in Seattle that was popularized from Japanese immigrant's Toshi Kasahara's original teriyaki shop, Toshi's Teriyaki. His fast casual style and delicious flame-grilled sweet chicken became a roaring success as multiple teriyaki shops quickly opened up chasing Toshi's success.

Do you need cornstarch for teriyaki? ›

In the testing of this, we found that the recipe is best with no cornstarch added to the teriyaki sauce. And instead a slurry of cornstarch is added to the actual dish/stir-fry. It gets very gummy and clumpy when added to the sauce itself.

What does cornstarch do in teriyaki sauce? ›

Utilize the corn starch and water slurry to thicken when cooking just before serving, not added as a marinade.

What can I substitute for honey in teriyaki sauce? ›

Typically, you'll find a combination of honey and brown sugar in teriyaki recipes. I wanted this recipe to be entirely naturally sweetened, so I used all honey instead. If you want teriyaki sauce without honey, simply use maple syrup. It's great, too!

Can I just use teriyaki marinade as sauce? ›

Teriyaki Marinade Recipes

It's also often used as a dipping sauce or condiment for pork tenderloin, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, flank steak, or, of course, your meat substitutes of choice.

Can you use Kikkoman teriyaki sauce as a marinade? ›

ADD JAPANESE FLAIR TO EVERY DISH.

Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade is the perfect choice for lovers of flavoursome marinated vegetables or meat, whether grilled, pan-fried or braised. It's particularly popular as a marinade during the barbecue season but is also ideal for enhancing stir-fries or as a dip.

Can you eat teriyaki marinade without cooking? ›

After you marinate meat, you may want to use the marinade to baste the meat as it cooks or as a sauce on the finished dish. However, once a marinade or sauce has come into contact with raw meat it is no longer safe to consume.

What meat is teriyaki made of? ›

Beef teriyaki is a classic Japanese American dish, and I'm sharing my family's go-to recipe. Thinly sliced flank steak gets marinated overnight in homemade teriyaki sauce, then grilled and topped with additional teriyaki glaze.

What does teriyaki chicken taste like? ›

What does teriyaki taste like? A traditional teriyaki sauce offers a mix of salty umami coming from the soy sauce and a sweet, tangy flavor from the mirin, a version of sake that is sweet and has low alcohol content. But if it's a non-traditional teriyaki, you'll taste flavors from ginger, citrus, sesame, and garlic.

Why is teriyaki chicken so popular? ›

The delicious flavors and simplicity of the dish appealed to diverse palates, and it wasn't long before teriyaki gained popularity beyond Japan's borders. In the United States, teriyaki became especially popular in Hawaii, where Japanese immigrants introduced the local population to this delightful culinary creation.

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