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Home ► Recipes ► Dairy-Free

Easy Chicken Teriyaki (Pan-fried)

Updated: 03.17.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 211 Comments

4.75 from 4 votes
Authentic chicken teriyaki (鳥照り焼き) comes together in just 10 minutes and is glazed with a shiny, flavorful sauce that's made from a handful of ingredients. Skip the bottled sauce with my version of this classic Japanese Chicken Teriyaki.
Recipe

If you've been following this blog for long, you probably remember that I've posted about chicken teriyaki before. It was a grilled preparation that involved brining, grilling and basting the chicken, and while delicious, it's a fair amount of work.

While teriyaki may have originally been a grilled dish, in Japan these days, chicken is pan-fried more often than not due to busy schedules and a lack of charcoal grills. It doesn't have the smoky flavor that grilled chicken teriyaki has, but pan frying produces chicken that's more moist and tender. The best part is that the chicken and teriyaki sauce can be made in the same pan, which not only makes it fast and easy, it means there's one less pot to wash.

Since discovering this method for easy pan fried teriyaki chicken, I've honestly been using it more than the grilled method because it produces great results with much less effort, and so I wanted to share it with all of you.

Slices of juicy pan-fried Chicken Teriyaki.

In case you're wondering why there's no cornstarch in this pan fried teriyaki chicken recipe, it's because the soy sauce and sugar caramelize during cooking, naturally thickening the sauce. If you add cornstarch it not only clouds the sauce, your teriyaki sauce will taste flat in comparison because it hasn't had a chance to caramelize.

This can be made with any cut of chicken, but in Japan the thigh meat is preferred because it has more flavor. In Japan, "chicken thighs" include both the meat from the drumstick and thigh, so one "thigh" ends up making for a large steak-sized fillet of chicken. In the US, you can either buy whole legs and fillet them yourself, or you can just use more of the smaller chicken thighs. Either way, make sure the fillet is as even in thickness as possible, otherwise you'll end up with parts that are undercooked and other parts that are overcooked.

A bowl of Chicken Teriyaki over rice.

📖 Recipe

Succulent chicken pan-fried and enrobed in teriyaki sauce.

Easy Chicken Teriyaki (Pan-fried)

4.75 from 4 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 2 minutes mins
Cook Time 8 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Yield 2 people

Units

Ingredients 

  • 340 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sake for cooking the chicken
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sake for the sauce

Instructions

  • Rub the ginger and and salt into the chicken and let this sit for at least 30 minutes. After it's marinated, use paper towels to dry the chicken as best you can, removing any excess ginger pulp.
    A deboned whole chicken leg.
  • Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium heat. You don't want to start the chicken off over too high a heat otherwise it will not cook through before burning. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pan and fry until golden brown on one side.
    Cooking the chicken skin side down.
  • Flip the chicken, then add 1 tablespoon of sake and quickly cover the pan with a lid. Steam the chicken until it is just cooked through (about 5 minutes).
    Chicken cooking under a lid.
  • Prepare the teriyaki sauce by mixing 1 tablespoon each of: honey, mirin, sake, and soy sauce. Stir to combine.
  • Remove the lid, and drain any remaining liquid and oil. Use a paper towel to sop up any excess oil.
    Removing oil from the pan.
  • Turn up the heat to high, then add the teriyaki sauce. Let this mixture boil, while flipping the chicken repeatedly to coat evenly.
    A chicken thigh bubbling in teriyaki sauce.
  • The chicken teriyaki is done when most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce forms a thick glaze around the chicken. Slice and pour the remaining teriyaki sauce over the chicken.
    Teriyaki chicken thigh in sauce.
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Nutrition Facts

Calories • 483kcalCarbohydrates • 14gProtein • 29gFat • 33gSaturated Fat • 8gPolyunsaturated Fat • 8gMonounsaturated Fat • 13gTrans Fat • 0.2gCholesterol • 167mgSodium • 990mgPotassium • 381mgFiber • 0.1gSugar • 11gVitamin A • 133IUVitamin C • 0.1mgCalcium • 17mgIron • 1mg

Comments

    4.75 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Dan H says

    February 18, 2024 at 11:50 am

    5 stars
    I spent a lot of time in Tokyo over the years and this simple, elegant recipe is going to be great, I know it 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      February 20, 2024 at 1:26 pm

      You're welcome!

      Reply
  2. cylis lamb says

    October 20, 2020 at 1:35 am

    why does the recipe say there are two tablespoons of sake

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      October 20, 2020 at 8:55 am

      Hi Cylis, one tablespoon is for steaming the chicken (step 3) the second tablespoon is for the sauce (step 4).

      Reply
  3. Ramona says

    September 19, 2019 at 2:21 pm

    My daughter uses an air fryer I have never done that . I wonder if this could be used here. Anyone have a good orange chicken recipe?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      September 19, 2019 at 3:41 pm

      Hi Ramona, I wouldn't recommend it. An air "fryer" cooks by convection (i.e. it circulated hot air around the food). For things that you want crispy (like battered or breaded meat) this works well enough, but with uncoated meat like this you'll end up making the meat tough and chewy. You'll get better results in a regular frying pan, and your chicken will probably be lower in fat as you're going to be able to render out more fat from the skin than you would in an air fryer because it's in direct contact with the metal pan. As for orange chicken, here's my version: https://norecipes.com/orange-chicken-recipe/

      Reply
  4. lucy says

    August 20, 2019 at 12:20 am

    is there a substitute for salt or just less salt ?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      August 21, 2019 at 9:56 am

      Hi Lucy, the chicken won't get seasoned to the center, but the teriyaki sauce has plenty of flavor so you can skip the salt if you like.

      Reply
  5. Debbie Cummings says

    March 01, 2019 at 4:25 am

    I have made a variety of Chicken Teriyaki recipes. They are all great. But this one is the greatest.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      March 01, 2019 at 8:46 am

      Wow Debbie, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it so much! Thanks for stopping by to let me know!

      Reply
  6. Setsunna says

    February 26, 2019 at 12:09 pm

    I made a slightly modified version of this assuming I had the bulk of the ingredients. Experimentally used Barefoot Moscoto in place of mirin and a teeny bit of sugar. Then did the rest the same as this recipe calls for. When it was done I added a splash of "bottled teriyaki" marinade ....and oh em gee this was amazingly good. Chicken thighs were tender and had a nice succulent glaze that went straight to the bone. Definitely making this again!!!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      February 26, 2019 at 9:21 pm

      Hi Setsunna, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this!

      Reply
  7. Marc Matsumoto says

    December 30, 2016 at 7:06 am

    Hi Giftz, pork isn't all that common and can be substituted for other meats, but sake is admittedly is many things. Mirin is also a rice wine, so if you can't eat food with sake in it you also shouldn't eat food with Mirin. Actually if you are really being strict you should not eat bread or soy sauce or pretty much anything that has been fermented either because they contain trace amounts of alcohol. That being said, in this particular recipe most if not all of the alcohol should be evaporated since the sauce it reduced down (alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, so it boils off first).

    Reply
    • DJ says

      May 02, 2022 at 4:45 am

      5 stars
      Trace amounts of alcohol in the atmosphere, too, such as ethanol. I'd recommend no breathing just to be super safe. Oh, and wear a mask, too....forever.

      Reply
      • mal says

        August 24, 2022 at 3:02 am

        Funny and true

        Reply
  8. Giftz says

    December 30, 2016 at 1:06 am

    wow, all Japanese reciPies contain either pork or alcohol. Not fair!!!!!!! Replacement for sake. Can't use it for religious reasons but mirin is okay.

    Reply
  9. Marc Matsumoto says

    November 01, 2016 at 12:46 am

    Hi Regina, glad to hear you like it. Great idea premixing the sauce ingredients!

    Reply
  10. Regina Pelayo says

    November 01, 2016 at 12:39 am

    This is a great recipe! Super easy, little clean-up, and delicious! I've memorized this recipe and it's now my go-to quick dinner! I just mix extra teriyaki sauce beforehand and cook as directed... Didn't have to make the extra separately.

    Reply
  11. Marc Matsumoto says

    September 25, 2016 at 7:24 am

    Hi Randy, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this. Takes a bit of technique, but such an easy preparation right? Hope you enjoy my Tsukune

    Reply
  12. Randy says

    September 25, 2016 at 4:02 am

    So easy, so good. Thx I finally decided to learn how to do this properly and finally finally I got that crispy outside, tender inside, w/glaze. I'm going to tackle your tsukune next.

    Reply
  13. Clare says

    February 04, 2016 at 7:29 am

    simple and tasty. Love it!

    Reply
  14. Debora Norz says

    January 02, 2016 at 3:30 am

    This was delicious! I only had thin sliced breast but it worked too. Also substituted white wine for sake in pan and dry sherry for mirin and sake in marinade. Next time I'll get other but still tasty. Ginger in a tube works well and keeps a long time.

    Reply
  15. charlier says

    November 21, 2015 at 2:22 am

    Hi Nicole:
    Honey, I just haven't had the time. I have my Mama who is 92 living with me and she is in hospital at the moment. It hasn't been priority one. But give it a try. I have used liquid smoke in other things and it always turns out lovely.

    Reply
  16. Nicole Nunya says

    November 20, 2015 at 11:17 pm

    Charlie, did you try the liquid smoke? How did it taste?

    Reply
  17. Marc Matsumoto says

    November 14, 2015 at 2:26 pm

    Hi Vicky, this is a little tricky to do in bulk because you need a high enough heat to reduce the sauce without overcooking the chicken in the last step. One option is to make the sauce separately ahead of time, but combining the sauce ingredients (multiplied by the number of servings you want to make) in a very large pot (it will boil over easily) and reducing it until it's most of the way there (if you fully caramelize the sauce, it will literally turn into a hard caramel when the sauce cools) and then adding the reduced sauce to the chicken at the very end. As for making the chicken ahead, you can, however if you cook the chicken just right, it will still be fairly moist and prone to leaching out water and making the sauce watery. The only way to get around this is to deliberately overcook the chicken so it's no longer juicy (which will prevent the sauce from getting watery if you let it sit).

    Reply
  18. Vicky Tong says

    November 14, 2015 at 1:57 pm

    I'm so glad I found this recipe! I'd like to make it in bulk to feed 20 people. How would you recommend I go about this? Can I do any of it in advance? Thanks!

    Reply
  19. Marc Matsumoto says

    November 12, 2015 at 6:35 am

    Hi Treatmaster, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Yep, you can absolutely do some extra in a separate saucepan. The ratio of ingredients scale, so when I do this for restaurants, I do huge batches in 10 gallon pots.

    Reply
  20. treatmaster says

    November 12, 2015 at 3:44 am

    This is an amazing recipe and it was so delicious!! Thank you for sharing it. One Question; can I make extra teriyaki sauce 'on the side' in a different saucepan to save for later, or is having the chicken be in the sauce a key component?
    Also, what vegetable recipes from this website would you suggest complement this dish well?

    Reply
  21. Susan Liu says

    November 09, 2015 at 9:28 pm

    This has been my full-proof teriyaki chicken recipe since I discovered it! Tasty, easy, and reproducible! Thank you!

    Reply
  22. Sam says

    October 15, 2015 at 8:29 pm

    I agree with Marc, but looking at the list of ingredients, the most common problem I would see is the soy. Many people, myself among them, are allergic to soy. I use coconut amino instead of soy sauce, and get that lovely flavor without the allergic reaction. But do get tested. BTW, I don't eat 'normal' chicken as it does bother me sometimes - I only eat the free range, organic (in smaller portions as it is expensive) and now enjoy my favorite chicken dishes once again, no problems.

    Reply
  23. Megan Pawlenty says

    October 14, 2015 at 10:58 pm

    alcohol is illegal/ forbidden in his religion period.

    Reply
  24. Rolf Meyer Jr. says

    October 07, 2015 at 10:53 pm

    I've made this a few times. With and without, I did it with some garlic powder instead since my family loves garlic

    Reply
  25. Rolf Meyer Jr. says

    October 07, 2015 at 10:51 pm

    If you're worried about serving this to children, the alcohol will be cooked off rather quickly. Same way wines alcohol content cooks off in red sauces for Italian dishes.

    Reply
  26. বেঙ্গা বয় says

    October 02, 2015 at 9:59 am

    Is there any non alcoholic alternative rather using sake and mirin? BTW, thank you so much for the recipe.

    Reply
  27. Liz Chin says

    September 30, 2015 at 4:46 am

    This is a fabulous recipe - my husband and I loved it! I used a high quality honey and the special flavors in it came through. Will certainly make this again. Thank you for your wonderful website, I really like your cooking style. Cheers!

    Reply
  28. Lia Crane says

    September 29, 2015 at 1:17 am

    Thank you for the recipe. It was easy to make and we all loved it. I used sherry but I will get mirin for the next time.
    As for those who worried about alcohol, it will evaporate completely during cooking.

    Reply
  29. Marc Matsumoto says

    September 23, 2015 at 2:28 pm

    Hi DV, sorry to hear it didn't work out for you, but substituting red wine vinegar for sake is a bit like substituting apple juice for chicken stock in a recipe, they're both liquids, but with totally different tastes. Hopefully you'll go get the right ingredients for your second attempt, but if you can't find sake, water would be the best replacement. It won't add any flavor, but at least it won't give you the wrong flavor.

    Reply
  30. D V says

    September 22, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    Unfortunately for me my first attempt at this recipe turned out to be an utter disaster! It ended being black, burnt and taste was so off. I made the mistake of putting red wine vinegar to replace the sake, and after reading the reviews here, it was indeed a big mistake. Hopefully my second attempt another night turns out better.

    Reply
  31. Michelle says

    September 21, 2015 at 11:46 am

    Thank you for the recipe. It was simple and delicious. Everyone loved it.

    Reply
  32. Stephanie says

    September 03, 2015 at 3:39 am

    Just made it- really delicious! I didn't make a single change to the recipe. Will be making it again and again. It was so simple and quick!

    Reply
  33. G K says

    August 18, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    Thank you so much Marc

    Reply
  34. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 18, 2015 at 12:54 pm

    Hi GK you should go see a doctor to be tested for food allergies.

    Reply
  35. G K says

    August 18, 2015 at 11:49 am

    hi Marc i ate teriyaki chicken and i got a serious allergy and i take normal chicken.

    what could be problem? help a sister

    Reply
  36. Laura says

    July 28, 2015 at 3:12 pm

    Great! Thanks for the reply! My fiancé and I loved this dish! We made it with rice and asparagus, which, I think, is the perfect vegetable to compliment this dish. Will definitely keep this one around to impress family and friends 🙂

    Reply
  37. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 23, 2015 at 5:52 pm

    Hi Laura, yep, you can absolutely leave it out. Adding ginger is actually not very traditional, but I find most commercial chicken in the US(even the ones that claim to be organic or free-range) kind of gamey tasting which is why I like to add the ginger to offset the smell. If you use high quality free range chicken from a small farm, you shouldn't need the ginger.

    Reply
  38. Laura says

    July 22, 2015 at 7:54 pm

    Hi, Marc! I tried searching for a similar question below, but I didn't find it. Do you think the ginger is crucial to the recipe? I'm not a fan of ginger, but if you think it's needed..
    Thanks!

    Reply
  39. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 05, 2015 at 10:22 am

    If it's made properly premade sauce will also have sake and or mirin. that said, the boiling process burns off the alcohol (in this recipe and in the premade kind). I'm not sure where you heard about using vinegar, but that's a terrible idea, as it will make your sauce sour(kind of like substituting salt in place of sugar in a smoothie).

    It's obviously not going to taste the same, but but due to your dietary restrictions, you can substitute water for the sake and mirin in this recipe.

    Reply
  40. Maria says

    July 05, 2015 at 10:01 am

    Ready dip sometimes has alcohol in it. I have read suggestions for using vinegar instead

    Reply
  41. Mohamad Rakbe says

    July 02, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    Hi marc i wanna try this recipe and i do not use alcohol and another issue do want to use alcohol , so a ready teriyaki sauce dip bottle will work instead of the mirin and the sake,

    Reply
  42. Peter says

    June 24, 2015 at 5:52 pm

    Just tried it and it was brilliant! Thank you Marc!

    Reply
  43. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 26, 2015 at 7:43 am

    Hi Crystal, I've tried this brand before and it's not horrible but it's not good. Mirin should be a darker color that ranges from dark amber to soy sauce colored. This comes from aging the mirin to develop its flavors. Judging by the color of this one it probably has not been aged at all. It also has added salt, which means your sauce may end up too salty.

    Reply
  44. Crystal says

    May 26, 2015 at 2:46 am

    I found this one at amazon. It has salt in it though. Would it still be a good choice? https://www.amazon.com/Eden-Foods-Mirin-Rice-Cooking/dp/B000QSTJTE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1432608000&sr=8-3&keywords=mirin

    Reply
  45. Darrell Kahoalii says

    May 02, 2015 at 3:21 pm

    How about using wood chips on your grill for a smokey flavor? Use can use tinfoil with any wood chip you like and smoke the chip from your grill.

    Reply
  46. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 02, 2015 at 6:23 am

    Yep, that should work.

    Reply
  47. ADBLOCK WORKS WONDERS says

    May 01, 2015 at 5:48 pm

    Probably.

    Reply
  48. Uhuru says

    April 03, 2015 at 10:09 pm

    Thank you so much for your prompt reply. One more question. Can I follow the recipe as it and make the sauce separately like 8 TBs of everything? Will it still caramelize without the chicken in it?

    Reply
  49. charlier says

    April 03, 2015 at 3:59 pm

    Hine: I don't know if you know this or not, please excuse me if you do.
    The alcohol in the sauce burns off when exposed to the high heat.
    I hope this helps.

    Reply
  50. charlier says

    April 03, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    Marc: For the smokey flavour of the grill, would a couple of drops of liquid smoke work?

    Reply
  51. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 03, 2015 at 10:02 am

    Hi Uhuru, it's not surprise it didn't taste right since worcester sauce tastes nothing like soy sauce. As for increasing the quantity of sauce, just double the amount of sauce ingredients.

    Reply
  52. Uhuru says

    April 02, 2015 at 11:10 pm

    I cooked it yesterday with Worcester Sauce as I did not have soy sauce but it was not like it tasted when i prepared it with friends. Also the sauce was not enough (i presented it with white rice). My friends did not know any better as it still tasted great but I want to remake it for them. So how can I increase the sauce?

    Reply
  53. Marc Matsumoto says

    March 24, 2015 at 1:26 am

    Hi Hine, it's not going to taste the same as the sake adds umami to the sauce and the mirin adds flavor and sweetness, but you could still make the sauce with water, soy sauce and sugar albeit it will have a flatter taste.

    Reply
  54. hine says

    March 23, 2015 at 10:15 pm

    I want to use this recipe for my business class. Will there be any affects if I didn't use the alcahol?

    Reply
  55. Marc Matsumoto says

    March 20, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    Prep and cook time takes about 10 minutes if you let the chicken marinade that will take an additional 30 minutes.

    Reply
  56. May says

    March 19, 2015 at 6:04 pm

    How long does it take to make?? to prep and to cook? 🙂

    Reply
  57. Marc Matsumoto says

    March 19, 2015 at 8:59 am

    Depends on a number of factors, but this takes me about 10 minutes.

    Reply
  58. May says

    March 18, 2015 at 6:55 pm

    How long does it take to make?

    Reply
  59. Andreas Björkman says

    March 08, 2015 at 3:49 pm

    Sake should be easily obtainable at any decent liquor store for some $10 (or your regional equivalent, give or take) for a 750mL bottle.
    Replacements for sake:
    - Shaoxing wine
    - dry vermouth
    - dry sherry
    - white whine

    I really would advice against replacing sake though, the flavor will be off.
    As for mirin replacements:
    - Sake with a few pinches of sugar
    - sweet sherry
    - Shaoxing wine

    Really though, if any liquor store around you carries sake it's the best option.

    Reply
  60. Jc says

    March 03, 2015 at 2:44 pm

    Thank you !

    Reply
  61. Acey says

    March 02, 2015 at 4:15 pm

    What if I don't have sake or mirin, what other alcohol alternative I should use?

    Reply
  62. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 25, 2015 at 1:54 am

    Hi Jc, Mirin is a type of alcohol, so not having alcohol in it would be like an alcohol wine or beer. My suggestion is to read the ingredient label. If it has anything other than rice, water and koji in it, it is not mirin.

    Reply
  63. Jc says

    February 23, 2015 at 6:37 pm

    Oops with Alcohol in it *

    Reply
  64. Jc says

    February 23, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    I have mirin with alcoholic it and mirin with out. Which is better ?

    Reply
  65. Stephanie says

    February 03, 2015 at 10:24 am

    Great article!! So useful. I used it tonight and it worked out great. Thanks a bunch!

    Reply
  66. Naitud says

    February 01, 2015 at 7:46 am

    Just tried this recipe, it tasted great! Thank you very much!

    Reply
  67. Tina g says

    January 30, 2015 at 1:39 am

    That's what I was going to have him do anyways...

    Reply
  68. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 30, 2015 at 1:28 am

    Ahh, sorry for step 3 just use water.

    Reply
  69. Tina g says

    January 30, 2015 at 1:27 am

    Thanks for such a quick response. So if I'm understanding you right, he should just skip step three just finished the chicken w/o sake? Then he can start at step five with the sauce he brought from home.

    Reply
  70. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 29, 2015 at 11:08 pm

    Hi Tina, one possibility is to make a big batch of sauce ahead of time and partially reduce it so that the alcohol burns off. Then your husband could keep a bottle of the sauce at work and then make the chicken as per the recipe up to step 6, adding the sauce instead of the individual ingredients.

    Reply
  71. Tina g says

    January 29, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    I made it last night and my family love it. THANKS!!!
    My husband wants to make it at work but is not allowed to have alcohol at the facility is there any thing else you can use for the sake?

    Reply
  72. Cybelle says

    January 28, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    This was perfect - thanks!!!

    Reply
  73. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 23, 2015 at 12:36 am

    Hi Alisa, just use a bigger pan or 2 separate pans. The process is the same.

    Reply
  74. Alisa says

    January 22, 2015 at 1:05 pm

    Hi Marc, this looks awesome! How do I prepare it for 4 people? Do I cook all the chicken and sauce (x2) at the same time? Thanks, Alisa

    Reply
  75. Sidney says

    January 20, 2015 at 3:01 am

    Made this tonight. It was wonderful!

    Reply
  76. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 18, 2015 at 11:45 pm

    HI S Reid, sake is a type of rice wine. What kind of rice wine do you have? Worst case you can use water, but it will not have as much flavor as using sake.

    Reply
  77. S Reid says

    January 18, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    Hello Marc,
    I'm making this for dinner tonight and my roommate is a chef, so i want this to taste fabulous to impress him. I do not have sake and i was wondering if there was a substitute like maybe rice wine or something else that may already be in my cabinets.

    Reply
  78. L Golden says

    January 08, 2015 at 5:22 pm

    Thank you! Your reply helps out a lot! I am looking into it now!

    Reply
  79. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 07, 2015 at 1:03 am

    Hi L Golden, unless you have a commercial kitchen with some very large pans and large burners, I would not recommend this for such a large number of people. This really needs to be served right away because the chicken will start leaking juice, watering down the sauce, if you let it sit. That's why you'd need to cook all 20+ portions at the same time. Instead, I'd recommend going with my grilled chicken teriyaki: https://norecipes.com/chicken-teriyaki-recipe/

    The grilling method is a lot more practical to do 20 portions at once on a grill or under a broiler in a home kitchen. Also, since the chicken is pre-marinated, it's not too big of a deal if the sauce gets watered down because the chicken is already seasoned to the core.

    Reply
  80. L Golden says

    January 06, 2015 at 4:33 pm

    This looks perfect! I am hosting a swim team dinner and thought I'd have the team veer away from the "traditional" pasta dishes. How would this work for 20+ servings and will it provide enough sauce if I added vegetables and rice?

    Reply
  81. Jennifer says

    December 09, 2014 at 3:16 am

    Great recipe. This is delicious. I like to add a little extra sugar.

    Reply
  82. boob says

    November 28, 2014 at 11:09 pm

    you are a nerd

    Reply
  83. Danica says

    November 22, 2014 at 8:18 pm

    My dad is making this for me right now!

    Reply
  84. Marc Matsumoto says

    November 09, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    I Kyle, you can either bake/roast/grill the chicken leg whole, or remove the bone. As for the bottled sauce, if you're asking my permission, then sure, go for it.

    Reply
  85. KyleC says

    November 08, 2014 at 1:10 am

    Hello Marc. How should I do it if there is only the whole chicken leg available in my country? I bought ta bottle of teriyaki sauce instead of making because I could not find mirin. Is that fine? Thanks!

    Reply
  86. Marc Matsumoto says

    November 05, 2014 at 9:02 am

    Sounds great Maggie, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!

    Reply
  87. Maggie N says

    November 04, 2014 at 12:43 am

    Thanks Marc, made this for tonight and it was FANTASTIC! I didn't have sake so I used some whiskey instead, and I threw on some chopped garlic in the sauce too since I like it garlicky. I just use the bone-in chicken thighs sold at US supermarkets, remove the bone and some of the skin (for health reason....) and it works out great. I modified it a little bit ( 4 tbs mirin, 4 tbs soy sauce, 2.5 tbs honey, no salt rubbing) and I like it since I don't eat very salty stuff. I'll try a skinless version next time to see how it goes. Thanks again!

    Reply
  88. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 31, 2014 at 12:37 am

    Hi Howard, you could certainly use breast meat, but it will be more dry and less flavorful than using thigh meat.

    Reply
  89. howard says

    October 30, 2014 at 11:04 pm

    can you use boneless chicken breast and not thighs :S

    Reply
  90. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 24, 2014 at 11:53 pm

    That looks great to me! If you're saying the color is a little light, I wouldn't worry to much about that, it's possible your soy sauce was a little light in color to begin with, but this shouldn't effect taste.

    Reply
  91. Lumica Wangluyao says

    October 24, 2014 at 5:25 am

    I used the yamasa naturally brewed soy source, do you think it's because of that?

    Reply
  92. Guest says

    October 24, 2014 at 5:17 am

    Thank you so much for sharing the amazing recipe! I tried it just now and it taste soo good even I used the drum!! but somehow the color is off...can you please tell me if I did any steps wrong?

    Reply
  93. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 22, 2014 at 1:15 am

    Hi Cassy, I wrote this recipe for people who want to cook from scratch and avoid the preservatives and high fructose corn syrup in pre-made sauces. If you'd prefer using a premade sauce, you're certainly welcome to do so.

    Reply
  94. cassy says

    October 21, 2014 at 6:29 pm

    I have Kikkoman teriyaki sauce so I don't need to make the sauce..Could I skip the rest of the ingredients and just marinate the chicken the sauce or do I need to add some of these ingredients?

    Reply
  95. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 20, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    Hi Bella, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Have a good week.

    Reply
  96. Bella says

    October 20, 2014 at 9:25 pm

    Amazing!!!! So delicious, thank you for sharing your recipes and I think its really great that you take the time to reply to people as well! Keep up the great work 🙂

    Reply
  97. Splaticus says

    October 11, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    I made this last night, my wife and mates loved it. Thanks for this, it is awesome.

    Reply
  98. Joyce says

    October 01, 2014 at 10:18 am

    I've buy kikkoman primeum soy sauce,
    I'm in Malaysia so not many choice
    And I can't get sake and mirin in the supermarket
    I found 1 big bottle sake,
    It's about 2 litter
    But I didn't buy it because it's too expensive for a meal

    Reply
  99. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 01, 2014 at 7:53 am

    Hi Joyce I actually use their JAS certified organic one, but it's only sold in Japanese supermarkets like Mitsuwa in the US. Flavorwise, I'm really not too picky about the brand of soy sauce as long as it's Japanese. There's nothing wrong with other styles of soy sauce(I have Chinese, Korean and Indonesian soy sauces in my pantry), but for Japanese food, you need Japanese soy sauce.

    Reply
  100. Joyce says

    October 01, 2014 at 5:29 am

    Hi Marc,
    Thanks for your sharing,
    But which kikkoman do u use?
    I saw there's few choice of kikkoman soy sauce.
    Regular,super primeum etc.

    Reply
  101. Hin says

    October 01, 2014 at 2:44 am

    Got it,thanks alot!

    Reply
  102. Marc Matsumoto says

    September 30, 2014 at 2:56 pm

    I use just regular Kikkoman.

    Reply
  103. Hin says

    September 30, 2014 at 1:55 pm

    Hi Marc,
    Mau I know what kind of soy sauce you using?

    Reply
  104. Marc Matsumoto says

    September 23, 2014 at 11:54 pm

    Hi Laurie, cooking chicken breast without drying it out is much more difficult than cooking chicken thighs, even if it's cooked perfectly it's still not going to be as moist or as flavorful as a chicken thigh. That said, if you're okay with these tradeoffs, then breasts will work fine. As for the amount of sauce, this makes just enough sauce to coat the chicken, if you're adding other things, you may want to double the amount of sauce. Keep in mind that the sauce is very salty as it's intended to flavor the meat which is not very absorbent, so you may want to drizzle the sauce on your broccoli rather than add the broccoli to the sauce as broccoli will soak up the sauce like a sponge.

    Reply
  105. Laurie says

    September 23, 2014 at 8:21 pm

    Hi Marc,
    Can I use boneless chicken breast? I don't want it to be dry and is it enough sauce I wanted to add broccoli and make white rice

    Reply
  106. Vanessa says

    August 24, 2014 at 6:34 am

    Hi Marc.
    I love this teriyaki chicken. It's so easy and the chicken is so tender and full of flavor. Ive cooked this recipe about 4 times now and I'm cooking it again tonight. I have trouble sourcing Sake in New Zealand so I exchange it for Japanese cooking rice wine.

    Reply
  107. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 15, 2014 at 4:56 am

    Hi Candace, the one in the photo is an entire chicken leg (not just the thigh), so if you look at the weight measures, I think you'll find that this is about equivalent to 2-3 thighs. Increasing the number shouldn't be hard, you'll just need to use a larger pan and possible double the amount of sauce.

    Reply
  108. Candace says

    August 14, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    Hi Marc, this looks amazing and I'm planning to make it this week for my family. I am cooking for 4 and wondering how I can alter the recipe to make more than one piece of chicken (4 thighs) at a time, if possible. Thank you!

    Reply
  109. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 12, 2014 at 8:40 pm

    Looks good, thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply
  110. Guest says

    August 12, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    here's mine! 🙂

    Reply
  111. Ultimatejo Tan says

    August 12, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    Greetings from Singapore! This dish is superb! Thank you Marc 😀

    Reply
  112. Witkowski Rafal says

    July 20, 2014 at 2:29 pm

    Very very good chicken, best thanks from Austria

    Reply
  113. N says

    June 22, 2014 at 12:55 pm

    made this - it's ace

    Reply
  114. REYAY says

    June 02, 2014 at 4:32 am

    lollool

    Reply
  115. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 29, 2014 at 2:43 am

    Hahaha, thanks Annalisa:-)

    Reply
  116. Annalisa Johnston says

    May 29, 2014 at 2:23 am

    You are amazing. Just saying 🙂

    Reply
  117. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 16, 2014 at 2:35 pm

    Hi Afshan, it's hard to make suggestions without knowing where you live, but sake and mirin have such a unique flavor there isn't a similar alcohol that I'm familiar with. The most neutral thing you could substitute is water, but the sauce is not going to taste the same.

    Reply
  118. Afshan says

    May 16, 2014 at 11:24 am

    Hey, I really want to try this recipe but where I live Mirin & Sake are not available, please tell me what can i use to substitute it.

    Reply
  119. Jacqueline says

    April 28, 2014 at 10:01 pm

    Thank you Marc, tried the recipe again worked out perfectly this time!! I'm ready for the beef teriyaki, a little scared of this one.
    Marc you make it really easy, thank you for responding!!!

    Reply
  120. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 25, 2014 at 3:16 am

    Hi Jacqueline, the the thighs won't stay crisp because of the steaming and sauce. If you want them to stay crisp you can try the technique outlined here: https://norecipes.com/spicy-crispy-chicken/ and then just make this sauce separately and pour it on top of the crisped chicken.

    Reply
  121. Jacqueline says

    April 25, 2014 at 2:35 am

    Tried this recipe, sauce was great, thighs, did not get crispy at all. I used the wrong pan. Scraped the dish, will try again with a better pan.

    Reply
  122. ann says

    March 25, 2014 at 1:11 pm

    hi Marc, this is easily one of the best chicken teriyaki recipe i've ever tried! also marinading the chicken in ginger and salt make a big difference in the final product. thank you Marc!

    Reply
  123. jane says

    March 01, 2014 at 12:24 am

    my son loves the chicken teriyaki. This is by far the best chicken teriyaki recipe i've cooked.

    Reply
  124. emilyhwp says

    November 04, 2013 at 6:50 am

    Hi Marc, I stumbled upon your blog when I was searching for "chicken teriyaki"; years of living in Switzerland inspired me to finally make my own sauce! Being a Singaporean who has been spoilt with excellent Japanese cuisine, teriyaki sauce out of a bottle just doesn't cut it :-p

    I followed your recipe to a "T", twice within 1 week and both times turned out beautifully! My husband and nephew are still raving about it!

    I will try your mouthwatering Red Cabbage one soon as well. Thank you for taking the efforts to post these easy-to-follow recipes!

    Reply
  125. Stacy Deason says

    October 28, 2013 at 12:51 pm

    This looks mouthwatering. Thanks for sharing such a simple and easy chicken recipe. I am definitely going to try this recipe in weekend! 🙂

    Reply
  126. Shirley says

    October 09, 2013 at 10:03 pm

    So simple and delicious! I made it tonight with chicken thigh meat and it was wonderful.

    Reply
  127. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 30, 2013 at 12:05 am

    Hi Joy, rice vinegar and mirin are totally different ingredients (one is a sour vinegar, the other is a sweet wine), you could certainly add vinegar but it will make your teriyaki sour (maybe a bit like Filipino chicken adobo). If your intention isn't to make it sour, you could substitute sake with a little extra sugar or use water instead.

    Reply
  128. joy says

    July 29, 2013 at 6:10 pm

    hi marc, can i substitute rice vinegar for mirin?

    Reply
  129. Mary says

    July 14, 2013 at 10:10 am

    hank you very much perfect timing because my parents are coming tonight and i don't want it to be a disaster

    Reply
  130. PK says

    July 14, 2013 at 6:29 am

    I tried this recipe last night too and it worked out great! Did you start the pan from cold and kept the fire at medium? Perhaps your chicken wasn't patted dry or the fire was too high. If there's too much fat, you could use a paper towel to soak up the excess

    Reply
  131. Mary says

    July 13, 2013 at 11:06 pm

    Hi Marc, do you have anything or anyway to stop the oil from prickling on my face my face is a little burned did i do anything wrong?

    Reply
  132. Pokai says

    July 13, 2013 at 1:06 am

    Update: I tried it today with the brining + threw in some ginger. I also used the drumstick with as much of the tendons and ligaments cut off. Rest of the procedure followed the pan-fried recipe. So it's kind of like a hybrid of your 2 versions. Results: issues fixed. Texture great and tastes great. Best chicken teriyaki I've ever had. Better than any restaurant's. looks exactly like pictured. Thank you again

    Reply
  133. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 12, 2013 at 9:20 am

    Hi Eric, glad I could help. As for the soaking, it works well with bones like in the case of Seolleongtang, but I'm not sure how much use it will be with meat. Also, by soaking in water you're going to be increasing the water content of the meat. You could try and soak the chicken in a brine if you want more flavor to the center of the meat. See my grilled chicken teriyaki post for the details on that. https://norecipes.com/blog/chicken-teriyaki-recipe/

    Reply
  134. Pokai says

    July 12, 2013 at 8:33 am

    Thank you for your reply. Thigh meat it is then for teriyaki. Hahah yeah, it's just that drumsticks are always on sale and I always fully intended to master using them. But...you know the rest. I bought these batch from Central Market. I did see a little bit of blood but they should be up to standard. I'll try again next time from another supermarket. On a side note, you know how Koreans soak their meats before prep, does that really drain out the blood? and will it change the texture of the meat?

    Reply
  135. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 12, 2013 at 7:39 am

    Hi Eric, it sounds like you may want to find a new butcher. The blood should be removed from the chicken when it's processed and my guess is that the gamey taste you're referring to is the left over blood. As for the tendons and ligaments, the only way to make them soft is to cook them for a long time at a low heat (braising), so in the case of chicken teriyaki the only way to make sure they don't interfere with the texture of the meat is to remove them all when deboning. It sounds like the thighs work okay for you, so why not just skip the drumstick portion and only use thighs? When I lived in the US I usually used thigh meat, but here in Japan, you can't buy the thigh meat without the drum stick portion attached.

    Reply
  136. Pokai says

    July 12, 2013 at 1:43 am

    Hi Marc. I love your website. I stumbled upon it when I was trying to
    made pork ramen 🙂 Thank you for sharing your recipes. I have a couple
    questions that I hope you could answer. I don't have a problem handling
    chicken breasts and thighs but when it comes to drumsticks part, I could
    never get the ligaments and tendons soft enough. I don't know if it's
    the heat or my timing or my methods. I tried to cut as much of the
    ligaments off when deboning but there's always some inside all the
    muscles. Also, I can never get rid of the "bloody" taste of chicken
    drumsticks. My flavors/sauce tend to just stick on the outside and the
    rest of the meat tastes like gamey chicken. Any tips on these issues?
    Thank you.

    Reply
  137. Npriscilla Chan says

    July 04, 2013 at 1:03 pm

    That's awesome! I will give a go! Thank you!

    Reply
  138. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 03, 2013 at 8:08 am

    Hi Priscilla, that would work, but it will not be the same as finishing the chicken in the sauce. A better approach might be to cook all the chicken most of the way through, then make a big batch if sauce, and finish cooking a few legs at a time in the sauce. The only challenge will be to keep the sauce from burning, so you might want to keep some water or same handy to add in if the sauce gets too thick. —
    Sent from Mailbox for iPhone

    Reply
  139. Npriscilla Chan says

    July 02, 2013 at 8:09 pm

    I cooked that yesterday and it was very mild and tasty! Thank you!
    I was wondering if there is a way to cook many legs at one go if I'm preparing for a feast? Can I cook the teriyaki sauce separately and dunk the legs in at the last minute just to coat with the sauce?

    Reply
  140. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 25, 2013 at 3:27 pm

    It will work with any chicken, but it works best with red meat with skin on because the meat has more fat it has more flavor and prevents the meat from drying out. The worst would be skinless breast meat (white meat) because it has very little fat and will dry out easily. —
    Sent from Mailbox for iPhone

    Reply
  141. Pernille says

    June 25, 2013 at 8:52 am

    Do you have to use a chicken leg, or can you use any kind of chicken? Becuase in the supermarket we have near where i live (denamrk) they have frozen chicken, or just new fresh chicken parts, like Chicken Fillet, cna that be used ?

    Reply
  142. Nay Jade says

    June 23, 2013 at 10:15 pm

    finally i got teriyaki sauce recipe instead of instant teriyaki sauce.. cant wait to make it

    Reply
  143. FreeRange Pamela says

    June 23, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    Just have to say thank you as this recipe was a big hit with my family. Yum! We recently purchased a rice cooker and I'm always looking for an excuse to cook something with rice. This will definitely become a part of our regular recipe rotation!

    Reply
  144. Nero di Seppia says

    June 21, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    Hi Marc, thanks for the reply! I did this last week and it was amazing, see here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=676786009005063&set=a.676491749034489.1073741824.201706923179643&type=1&theater

    Reply
  145. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 19, 2013 at 3:33 pm

    You should cut it after you cook it as it will keep the meat more moist.

    Reply
  146. Ciara SuperNinja White says

    June 19, 2013 at 11:10 am

    I am interested in making this, but I like it in little pieces can I cut up the chicken before I start cooking it or should I wait

    Reply
  147. bethsco says

    June 16, 2013 at 11:33 pm

    Thank you! Thank you! One of my husband's favorite foods is chicken teriyaki and now it's one of mine. We didn't like any store bought teriyaki sauces but now I can make better teriyaki than the restaurant which kinda gives me super hero status around here! It took an extra trip to find sake and mirin but totally worth it! You are awesome! Oh I used light olive oil instead of evoo, chicken breast without skin to cut fat, used a meat tenderizer first and had to steam 10 min before it was cooked but followed everything else. It was incredibly moist and tender.

    Reply
  148. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 14, 2013 at 9:24 pm

    Japanese rice is short-grain and sticky. It's usually sold in the US as Japanese Rice or Sushi Rice. Here's how to cook it: Weigh out 325 grams of rice. Wash the rice until the water runs almost clear. Add the drained rice to a pot with 400 ml of water. Bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 mintues, turn off the heat and let it steam undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice and serve.

    Reply
  149. Nero di Seppia says

    June 14, 2013 at 9:21 am

    Hi Marc, this looks delicious and I am definitely trying it tonight. I just have one question: what is the rice that goes with the dish and how should it be prepared? I searched for "white rice" recipe in the blog but couldn't find any, except from the sushi rice. I know this might sound like a silly question, "how to make plain white rice?" 🙂 but I am Italian and more familiar with pasta I'd say 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
  150. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 13, 2013 at 6:29 am

    Hi kurlgurl, when it comes to cooking there's no right or wrong, just things you like and don't like. If you like garlic then you should add it! But if your asking if teriyaki traditionally includes garlic, then no, it not usually added.

    Reply
  151. kurlgrl1985 says

    June 12, 2013 at 10:38 pm

    I love your method and can't wait to try this recipe! However I have never made teriyaki without garlic.... have I been making it wrong? If I add garlic will this ruin the recipe?

    Reply
  152. shan says

    May 25, 2013 at 12:40 pm

    ang sarap neto

    Reply
  153. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 25, 2013 at 5:14 am

    The only way to get this thick is to boil off almost all the water. By adding water you're working against yourself. It will take longer to boil off and overcook the chicken, which will then start releasing its own liquid making it very difficult to get the sauce thick. If you want to reduce the salt you should skip salting the chicken, or use low sodium soy sauce.

    Reply
  154. Czapangel says

    May 25, 2013 at 3:06 am

    Thanks for the reply! I used sake in place of mirin since I don't have it. But yeah I did add a couple of tablespoons of water to reduce the saltiness. It was a tad too salty for my palette. So the problem lies with the extra water? Not because I replaced honey with plain sugar?

    Reply
  155. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 21, 2013 at 9:55 am

    Did you substitute water for the sake or another liquid or did you add extra water on top of the liquids called for in the recipe? If you added extra water, that's most likely the cause. Otherwise, you just need to boil off more liquid, there should only be a few drops of sticky sauce clinging to the pan when this is done.

    Reply
  156. Czapangel says

    May 21, 2013 at 5:20 am

    I substituted honey with regular sugar and my sauce was still runny even all the liquid has almost evaporated. What am I doing wrong? I added equal parts of water with soy sauce to reduce the saltiness. Could this be the reason why?

    Reply
  157. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 20, 2013 at 10:53 pm

    The alcohol in the sake burns off during cooking so there should not be any alcohol in the finished sauce. You can substitute water for the sake if necessary, but it will not have the same taste.

    Reply
  158. a al mamun says

    May 20, 2013 at 5:51 pm

    would u please tell me how to made teriyaki sauce and is there have any ingredients to use instead of sake? I search in Google the mining of sake. its saying the mining is wine. I don't drink alcohol. that's why I m asking. thank u

    Reply
  159. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 01, 2013 at 12:25 am

    Hahaha, glad to hear you enjoyed it:-)

    Reply
  160. aika says

    April 30, 2013 at 10:26 am

    i tried this and my god im inlove with you! lol

    Reply
  161. Aaliyah says

    April 28, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    Or Just Use Low Sodium No count Soy Sauce

    Reply
  162. Aaliyah says

    April 28, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    Then Dont cook it Or Just Use Balsamic Vinegar.......

    Reply
  163. Malin says

    March 10, 2013 at 2:02 pm

    This is the best recipe ever! So easy to make and absolutely scrumptious! Thank you.

    Reply
  164. Ola says

    February 22, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    Tried this recipe and wow I didn't think chicken could taste this good

    Reply
  165. Bojo says

    February 11, 2013 at 8:51 am

    You are ridiculously emphatic about people attempting to kill you on a food blog. Get a life!

    Reply
  166. kirstine says

    February 07, 2013 at 6:18 am

    Marc, I've just tried this recipe today and it's working. I follow all the instructions and it turns out to be the best teriyaki chicken I've ever made 🙂
    thank you for your advise and helpful feedback, am so lucky to have found your site accidentally and I will definitely try your other delicious recipe as well.
    thanks again !

    Reply
  167. Medicineman78 says

    January 30, 2013 at 11:14 pm

    Low sodium Soy sauce, or you could even try Tamari, which is wheat free and generally lower in sodium also

    Reply
  168. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 18, 2013 at 8:24 am

    Really, the best thing to use is chicken that's never been frozen, but if you must use frozen chicken, leave it in the fridge overnight to defrost. If you find there's a lot of water that comes out of the chicken after it's defrosted it's possible the chicken wasn't frozen properly to begin with. Frozen meat should be flash frozen (very rapidly), otherwise, ice crystals form that rupture cell membranes, and so when you defrost it all the moisture leeches out of the meat, making it tough. Also, make sure you're using chicken thigh meat. Breast meat is especially prone to problems when frozen/defrosted because it has very little fat. At least with thigh meat it has a higher fat content so even if you lose a bunch of moisture in the defrosting process, it doesn't become dry. Lastly, don't overcook the chicken. The a couple minutes of frying time and five minutes of steaming should be enough to completely cook the chicken. If you're worried about the chicken not being cooked, cut into it, the liquid that comes out of the chicken should be clear, not pink. You could also buy an instant read thermometer to check the temperature (it should register around 160 degrees F).

    Reply
  169. kirstine says

    January 16, 2013 at 7:01 am

    thank you Marc for your respond. I will buy the sake then, as I want to try all of your other recipes as well. In regards to the meat problem, yeah you were right Marc. I bought the frozen one and sometimes defrosted it for too long before start to cook it. Could you please give me the guidance then? Thank you again & I will definitely try to make it.

    Reply
  170. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 12, 2013 at 8:51 am

    Hi Kirstine, Chinese cooking wine is not the same thing as sake and will give the sauce a different taste. You can certainly use it, and I'm sure it will taste fine, it just won't taste like teriyaki sauce. As for the pre-made sauce I'm not really sure what you are asking? I put this recipe up so people can make an authentic teriyaki sauce from scratch and without unnecessary additives, if that's not a concern for you then you should use whatever sauce you like. As for the meat not being tender, what kind of chicken are you using? If you're using breast meat, cooking it for 30 minutes will definitely make it tough. Chicken breast has so little fat it's easily overcooked and will become tough. Even if you were using thigh meat, 30 minutes sounds way too long. If you're worried about undercooking the chicken go buy an instant read thermometer. The chicken is done when it hits 165 degrees F (it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes). It's also possible the chicken you are using was previously frozen and not defrosted properly, which would cause all the moisture to leech out of the meat, making it dry and tough.

    Reply
  171. kirstine says

    January 12, 2013 at 12:14 am

    hi Marc,
    can I use chinese cooking wine instead of sake? or can I use the ready to use Teriyaki sauce like Lee Kum Kee brand? I tried once but the meat isn't tender although I've cooked it for half hour. What's the problem? thanks

    Reply
  172. Marc Matsumoto says

    December 07, 2012 at 1:39 am

    Glad I could help! Welcome to the Internet:-)

    Reply
  173. Joany H says

    December 06, 2012 at 11:28 am

    God Bless You Mark, we haven't had Katsudon and a good
    teriyaki chicken since we lived in Phoenix,AZ. and that was 20 years ago,just got my first computer,only on line 2 weeks and I found you!

    Reply
  174. Puspamurti Limopranoto says

    November 26, 2012 at 10:06 am

    Love all your recipe. You are making it so simple to cook it. THANK YOU for sharing itwith us.

    Reply
  175. Thomas Abraham says

    October 06, 2012 at 9:33 pm

    You can buy low sodium soy sauce, I had high blood pressure when pregnant and used it then.

    Reply
  176. Thomas Abraham says

    October 06, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    I always buy either Yamasa or Kikkoman by the gallon tin. Do you ever buy it by the drum? I've always wondered if it's possible, even when cooking with it constantly, to use it all...

    Reply
  177. Ernest says

    October 05, 2012 at 2:46 am

    I bought the Eden foods mirin, and it's much cleaner flavor than kikkoman. Thank you MARC (I apologize for butchering your name in the previous post)

    Reply
  178. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 05, 2012 at 2:41 am

    There are two online grocery stores that sell Japanese ingredients in the US, Mitsuwa and Marukai, they both have a selection of mirins, but unfortunately they don't list the ingredients online. One way to get a pretty good idea of whether it's real mirin or not is by the price as real mirin is aged and costs a lot more to make than the fake stuff.

    While real mirin definitely makes things taste better in this particular recipe, you may not notice a huge difference because the soy sauce is pretty intense.

    Reply
  179. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 05, 2012 at 2:37 am

    If you go to Japanese grocery they should sell little 350ml bottles of sake. Yep if you keep it in the fridge it will last indefinitely. It will start taking on different flavors as it ages (kind of like whiskey), so it might not be good for drinking, but it will be fine for cooking.

    Reply
  180. Ernest says

    October 04, 2012 at 3:45 pm

    Thank you Mark. I'm in Dallas, Texas and I have looked around, the closest I have found without additives is Eden Foods Mirin from whole Foods. Most of the Asian markets here stock Aji-Mirin.
    I'll keep looking.

    Reply
  181. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 04, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    Great question! Unfortunately many of the brands in the US are just sake with sugar or corn syrup mixed in. Your best bet is to go to Japanese grocery store (or somewhere they have a large selection of mirin) and read the labels (they should have translated english labels with a list of ingredients if you're in the US). The one I'm using right now, I bought in Japan, so it probably wouldn't help you much even if I could read the label and tell you the name:-)

    Reply
  182. Savannah says

    October 04, 2012 at 2:46 pm

    Thanks for the advice. Maybe I will get a little bottle of sake and try and use it just for cooking. Will it last in the fridge like a white wine would? I don't mean to sound daft, but I would love for this recipe to taste as good as it looks. 🙂

    Reply
  183. Ernest says

    October 04, 2012 at 11:17 am

    Hey Mark, what brand of Mirin do you recommend? I've heard things like Kikkoman Aji-Mirin is not really Mirin, I see some MIrin with added sugar etc. Quite frankly I'm lost when it comes to Mirin.

    Reply
  184. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 04, 2012 at 5:23 am

    No, that would not be good substitute. Sake is not acidic and teriyaki sauce should not be sour. Rice wine vinegar (like wine vinegar) has undergone the last stage of fermentation where the alcohol turns into acetic acid and doesn't taste anything like sake. Sake makes for a great cooking wine because of it's low acidity and abundance of umami so it shouldn't be hard to use a whole bottle, but if you must use a substitute, use water. It's obviously not going to taste the same, but it will taste a lot closer than using rice vinegar or regular white wine.

    Reply
  185. Savannah says

    October 03, 2012 at 7:42 pm

    Can you substitute rice wine vinegar for the sake? I don't think we'd ever need a whole bottle of sake. Thanks! Recipe looks great very much want to try it!

    Reply
  186. Helen in Houston says

    October 02, 2012 at 7:39 pm

    DELICIOUS and makes my mouth water for more! Easy to follow instructions and terrific step-by-step photos. I followed the recipe to a T, and it looks just like your photo. I'm so glad I found your site.

    Reply
  187. Thomas Abraham says

    October 02, 2012 at 4:34 pm

    I read this No Recipe yesterday & raced out to the store to pick up what I needed. I had some issues: I couldn't find Sake, so sub'd with a white wine & rice vinegar mix; I added too much soy sauce; & I over caramelized the sauce (almost burnt it).

    Even with all that it was AMAZING!!!! The sauce/glaze was thick and a perfect texture, it looked just like the last photo! The chicken was tender and moist and flavorful!Things I learned:1) I found it saltier than I prefer, partly my fault from adding too much soy sauce, but I would cut down on the salt in the marinade.2) I would love to try with Sake. It's on my list!3) Marinade the chicken for longer than 30 minutes.4) Wipe off the ginger thoroughly, I barely dabbed at the ginger, thinking it would add more flavor. But it over cooked in the pan & was it's flavor was a distraction to the amazing goodness of the sauce & chicken.5) Keep and eye on & keep stirring the sauce in the last step, I stepped away for 'just a minute,' a bit too long...

    Thanks Marc, for the Easy & Quick recipe!!

    Reply
  188. Helen in Houston says

    October 02, 2012 at 3:39 pm

    DELICIOUS and makes my mouth water for more! Easy to follow instructions and terrific step-by-step photos. I followed the recipe to a T, and it looks just like your photo. I'm so glad I found your site.

    Reply
  189. amelia says

    October 02, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    looks like perfection, even in such a short time!

    Reply
  190. Marilia says

    October 02, 2012 at 12:34 pm

    I read this No Recipe yesterday & raced out to the store to pick up what I needed. I had some issues: I couldn't find Sake, so sub'd with a white wine & rice vinegar mix; I added too much soy sauce; & I over caramelized the sauce (almost burnt it).

    Even with all that it was AMAZING!!!! The sauce/glaze was thick and a perfect texture, it looked just like the last photo! The chicken was tender and moist and flavorful!Things I learned:1) I found it saltier than I prefer, partly my fault from adding too much soy sauce, but I would cut down on the salt in the marinade.2) I would love to try with Sake. It's on my list!3) Marinade the chicken for longer than 30 minutes.4) Wipe off the ginger thoroughly, I barely dabbed at the ginger, thinking it would add more flavor. But it over cooked in the pan & was it's flavor was a distraction to the amazing goodness of the sauce & chicken.5) Keep and eye on & keep stirring the sauce in the last step, I stepped away for 'just a minute,' a bit too long...

    Thanks Marc, for the Easy & Quick recipe!!

    Reply
  191. Ronald W. Gumbs says

    October 02, 2012 at 5:55 am

    What about my high blood pressure which directly increasing with concentration of sodium in my diet? Are you trying to kill me? Why can't I just eliminate the soy sauce by adding some balsamic vinegar? If I do, can still call it Chicken Teriyaki?

    Reply
  192. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 02, 2012 at 3:39 am

    Yep, absolutely. I've spent some time in various ryotei kitchens in Japan, and they almost all use plain old Kikkoman, not some fancy small batch brand as you might expect.

    Reply
  193. Frank says

    October 02, 2012 at 2:56 am

    That looks both easy and amazingly tasty - I'll definitely be trying it!

    Reply
  194. samnmini says

    October 01, 2012 at 10:33 pm

    Is Kikkoman shoyu your preferred soy sauce? It was the brand my mother always kept in her pantry.

    Reply
  195. kathleenditommaso says

    October 01, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    Yep, I've done that before + I read too fast. Your style is a great teaching method. The 1st time I came across what I thought was a misprint (ingredient listed twice), I slowly read the recipe again & understood. Listing it twice saved the meal & my day, thank you!

    Reply
  196. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 01, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    Thanks for the suggestion. The trouble is the platform I use only has a limited amount of space after the ingredient for notes. In this case it would have worked, but sometimes I need the space for other instructions. If I'm going to break with traditional recipe writing style I at least wanted to be consistent about it. Also, I figure that listing it twice for two steps shouldn't make someone mess up the recipe, while only listing it once and having someone accidentally add too much of an ingredient certainly would.

    Reply
  197. E says

    October 01, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    "2 tablespoons, divided"?

    Reply
  198. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 01, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    Actually the recipe calls for 2, it's listed twice. When my recipes call for the same ingredient twice, I usually list it twice because people tend not to read and end up adding too much of it in the first time:-)

    Reply
  199. Marilia says

    October 01, 2012 at 10:46 am

    Looks great ... Interesting how the cuts of meat are different in other places 🙂

    Reply
  200. linda says

    October 01, 2012 at 10:38 am

    Does this recipe actually call for 2 tablespoons sake then? The recipe calls for one, but you have me add it in twice (once with the lidded chicken and one mixed in to the sauce).

    Reply
  201. Lynna says

    September 30, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    Delicious!

    Reply
  202. Lynna says

    September 30, 2012 at 12:33 pm

    Delicious!

    Reply
  203. @lina_to_u says

    September 30, 2012 at 9:11 am

    It does look good:-)

    Reply
Marc Matsumoto

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