Chicken Teriyaki (Easy Homemade Sauce) (Video)

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5 from 20 votes

Chicken Teriyaki (Easy Homemade Sauce) (Video)

This deliciously juicy Chicken Teriyaki can be made all in one pan for an easy and delicious weeknight meal!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skin on chicken thighs
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic grated
1 tbsp ginger grated

Instructions

Season chicken on both sides with salt and white pepper. Let rest for 15 minutes to let the salt absorb into the chicken and skin.
While the chicken is resting, mix soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a bowl and set aside.
Pat chicken dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp of oil and sear chicken skin side down for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and remove.
Use a paper towel to remove any excess fat, then over medium high heat, simmer the teriyaki sauce until the sauce has reduced and thickened (3-4 minutes). Add the chicken back into the pan and baste with sauce for another minute.
Spoon extra sauce over the chicken, serve with rice and enjoy!

Notes

I used boneless skin-on chicken thighs, as thighs are juicier and cooks faster. The skin absorbs the sauce and is the best part of Chicken Teriyaki. If you want to avoid the skin, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. If you want to substitute with chicken breast, I would cut the chicken into thin slices. Make sure to adjust the cooking time.

Homemade teriyaki sauce cannot be beat – it’s super simple and goes with everything. If you want to double or triple the teriyaki sauce for the week, make sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (It not only tastes delicious on chicken but it’s also amazing on vegetables, stir-fries, and even noodles!) You can also use store-bought (no judgement here!)

Watch your sauce while it cooks! You want to cook down your sauce, as it should be thick and syrupy. However, the sugar in the sauce means that there is a high chance of burning if you do not watch it carefully. As the water cooks down, keep an eye on it and make sure it stays at a simmer to avoid burning. Take it off the heat once it’s reached the thick, syrupy consistency needed.

Dry brining is my KEY TIP for this recipe. Dry brining is seasoning the raw chicken with salt (and pepper) for at least 15 minutes before cooking. The salt will get absorbed into the skin and draw out moisture – drawing out moisture will result in a crispier skin that will brown easier and tastier chicken meat. Make sure to pat your chicken as dry as possible with a paper towel before you cook it in the pan. Failure to remove the moisture will result in a skin that will not crisp up.

Storage Tips

For the chicken, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. (This is the chicken cooked with or without the sauce.)

For the sauce itself, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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