Chicken Teriyaki (鳥照り焼き) is a lunchtime staple in Japan, filling bento boxes being carted off to offices and schools alike. Teri refers to the lacquered sheen that teriyaki sauce develops on the surface of the chicken, while yaki means grilled. Almost any cut of chicken can be used, but chicken teriyaki is most commonly prepared with the leg meat (thighs or drumsticks) which is deboned to ensure it cooks evenly. The skin is left on the chicken to keep the meat moist, and it takes on a wonderful caramelized hue while getting slightly crispy as it grills.
Long before sushi became the ambassador of Japanese cuisine to the rest of the world, teriyaki invaded the West, and for better or worse it came to represent the whole of the Japanese culinary repertoire. Perhaps it was the short list of approachable ingredients or the allure of food from the far east. Whatever the reason, it's become so ingrained in American food culture that even Paula Deen has a teriyaki recipe.
So what makes for an authentic teriyaki sauce?
It's simple... equal parts soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar.
It's not that I have anything against those fancy sweet soy marinades with ginger, garlic, chili, green onions, sesame seeds, and or fruit puree in them, but sauces with these ingredients aren't teriyaki sauce, since they cloud the teri. Ginger, sesame seeds, green onions, and chili are garnishes that are occasionally added after the chicken has been cooked.
Traditionally, the unseasoned chicken is grilled over coals, then basted with teriyaki sauce. To tenderize and season the chicken all the way through, I brine it first in soy sauce and sugar, grill it, then shellac a few coats of teriyaki sauce on to finish. This seems to get the best balance of color, texture and flavor. I've written the directions for a broiler, but just reverse the cooking order (skin up, then down) if you are using a grill.
By using maltose or honey in the teriyaki sauce, the sauce gets thick without having to add any cornstarch. If you do use honey, make sure you use one without a strong flavor of its own. By the way, if you prefer making this in a pan, I have a stovetop teriyaki chicken recipe you can check out for the details.
Serve this chicken teriyaki whole, or chopped up on a bowl of steaming hot rice with some extra sauce.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
for brine
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 4 - 6 boneless skin-on chicken thighs
for teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey mild flavored
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons sake
Instructions
- Combine the water, soy sauce, brown sugar, and mirin in large zipper bag and add the chicken thighs. Press out as much air as you can and seal the bag. Let this sit in the fridge for at least an hour.
- To make the teriyaki sauce, add the honey, soy sauce, mirin and sake to a small sauce pan and boil over medium heat until the sauce is glossy and slightly viscous (it won't get quite as thick as the jarred types). It should take on a caramelized taste but be careful not to burn it.
- When you're ready to grill the chicken, turn the broiler on and move the oven rack up to the upper position. Put a wire rack on a baking sheet (I use the rack out of my toaster oven), and put the chicken thighs skin side down onto the rack (the idea is to keep the meat elevated off the pan).
- Grill until brown, then flip so the skin side faces up. Baste the skin side with teriyaki sauce and continue to broil until the skin is golden brown, with just a few charred spots. Give the chicken one final baste with the teriyaki sauce and serve.
Marc Matsumoto says
In Japan chicken teriyaki is almost always eaten with japanese short grain rice.
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Marc Matsumoto
https://norecipes.com
https://wanderingcook.com
Twitter: @norecipes
Mistey says
What are the ideal sides to be served with the Chicken????
Marc Matsumoto says
For cooking, it really doesn't make much of a difference, just make sure you're using a sake meant for drinking (not for cooking). I use cheap stuff out of a box.
Lana says
Do you have a recommended brand for sake? We have 3 brands around here and I don't recall the name for them.
Claudia Smith says
Thank you! I'm testing it out tonight on my son!! Can't wait!
Carly says
Marc you're a genius and I love your recipes!
Shandi says
This has become my go to teriyaki recipe. Its soo easy and delicious! Thank you so much for sharing.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Claudia, multiplying the recipe shouldn't be a problem, but if you're doing it on a barbecue, you'll want to get the sauce more viscous in a pan (see this post for pics: https://norecipes.com/blog/teriyaki-chicken-recipe/), then grill the chicken skin-side up first, flip and grill skin side down. When the chicken is cooked, take it off the heat and drizzle with the sauce.
Claudia Smith says
Hi Marc, This looks wonderful and exactly what I was looking for to feed about 25 guests for a barbecue/engagement party. Should I quadruple the recipe, or even times it by five, and if so, is there anything else I should know when making it for a crowd? Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
There are many different kinds of soy sauce with wildly different characteristics. For example, Japanese soy sauce is lighter than Chinese soy sauce with a more delicate flavor, and not as sweet as Indonesian soy sauce. Even within Japanese soy sauce there are many different kinds. Dark is the standard kikkoman brand sold almost anywhere, but there is also light, which has a lighter color and flavor, and white, which is clear and light amber in color. For this recipe you just want the standard Japanese dark soy sauce. As for where to get it I can't really help you out if you don't tell me what area you live in.
frgarden says
I thought all soy sauce was japanese, you mention japanese in the brine and dark soy in the sauce. What is the difference and where do I purchase these?
jule says
Wow! I rarely leave comments about recipes I try, but this was amazing! I switched out the thighs for breasts and flattened them all to the same thickness. Had to keep a close eye on them so they won't dry up. Done in 15 minutes, quicker than the rice. Just goes you show how much you can do with so little! Thanks for the awesome recipe Marc!
Marc Matsumoto says
It's not going to have the same flavor, but water would probably be the best substitute.
Mib says
We r Muslims and v can't use sake or mirin or any alcohol what can i use instead
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep it's a matter of personal preference, the skin keeps the chicken more moist and adds more flavor.
Gina says
would this work with skinless chicken?
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep that should be fine, it may be a little dryer, but otherwise it'll be fine. Healthier too!
Gina says
Hi Marc, I just marinated my chicken, but I used skinless chicken..do you think that will work too? I guess it will be less flavorful...hopefully not too much?
Gina says
Hi Marc, I just marinated my chicken, but I used skinless chicken..do you think that will work too? I guess it will be less flavorful...hopefully not too much?
Marilia says
is sake the same as the vinegar/seasoning(?) you put in sushi? hmmm...the bottle i got had a photo of sushi 😐 now i'm not so sure if the seller gave me the correct bottle, given that i don't understand japanese text. 🙁
Thomas Abraham says
this is a delicious recipe... i served it with steamed cabbage and broccoli and rice.
Marilia says
this is a delicious recipe... i served it with steamed cabbage and broccoli and rice.
Marc Matsumoto says
Yea, you could make a substitute for mirin by using 1 cup sake to 1/3 cup sugar.
-Marc
MikeG says
The recipe looks fantastic and I'm eager to try it. I have found Sake and Rice wine, but the label doesn't mention Mirin. Should I add sugar to the Rice wine?
Ernest says
I always do mine in a skillet. Brown the chicken, then cut it into strips while I reduce the sauce in the same skillet. Then place the chicken strips back to the skillet with the sauce to finish cooking it.
Takes a few minutes longer but it works just fine.
Marc Matsumoto says
With the oven rack in the upper middle position.
Tom says
How close do you have the chicken to the broiler?
Thanks
Marc Matsumoto says
By stove top grill, do you mean a griddle or something like a Japanese stove top grill (with a ceramic heat diffuser and mesh)?
Danica says
Hello! How should I grill this on a stove top grill? Please elaborate. Thank you!
Victoria says
Love your teriyaki sauce recipe - so simple and great tasting. This will be my go to recipe from now on. Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
I honestly can't think of a vegetable this wouldn't work with. Bean sprouts should be great!
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm actually working on a pan-fried version of this recipe, so stay tuned. In the mean-time if you want to try it out, check out my beef teriyaki recipe (https://norecipes.com/blog/beef-teriyaki-recipe/) for the process. The only difference with chicken is that it takes longer to cook through, so you'll need to cover the pan with a lid to steam the chicken for a bit before adding the sauce ingredients.
Danica says
Does this go well with bean sprouts?
Danica says
Does this go well with bean sprouts?
Danica says
How do I pan fry this? Don't have a grill/broiler:( And will pan frying this make the chicken less tasty and dry?
Marc Matsumoto says
It will go with whatever you have. Spinach, swiss chard, snap peas, sugar peas, green beans, zucchini and summer squash are all good choices.
Danica says
any suggestions on what vegetables I could serve on the side of this?
Danica says
any suggestions on what vegetables I could serve on the side of this?
Marc Matsumoto says
It's a sweet cooking wine made from rice. You can substitute extra sake and sugar to replace it.
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep, it will work, but here's my recipe for salmon teriyaki: https://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/salmon-teriyaki/
Stacy says
i mean mirin
Stacy says
wat is siren
fe says
can i use salmon for this teriyaki sauce?
Marc Matsumoto says
There is no substitute that will emulate the flavor of rice wine (sake). You can make the sauce with water, but it will taste like sweet soysauce. Using grape based wines won't work well either because they are acidic. If you've searched all over and really can't find sake, you could use a 1 to 4 mixture of sherry and water, but it will taste different.
ching says
hi! what's the best substitute for sake?
ching says
hi! what's the best substitute for sake?
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks! Glad you liked it:-)
Recipe tried says
We just had this for dinner and it was a big hIt. This is the second recipe I've tried of yours. The first was the nikumon which are the best ever I've tried. I've made it a bunch of times and will make this one regularly too. I never liked teriyaki chicken either until now. This is not too sweet like at most restaurants.
Marc Matsumoto says
It's Japanese rice wine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sake
vrouwtje says
what is sake?